For the second weekend in a row, Inter Miami CF were left wondering where things might have gone better. After drawing Toronto FC 1–1 on Matchday 7, the Herons played to a scoreless draw against Chicago Fire FC on Sunday.
While the Florida club found an emotional comeback victory over LAFC midweek to advance to the Concacaf Champions Cup semifinals, they appeared tired and were unable to generate high-percentage scoring chances against Chicago. Goalkeeper Oscar Ustari was called upon for seven saves to keep the game tied.
It marks the first time since Sept. 28, 2024, that Inter Miami have gone two games without a win in MLS, and things are going to only get more difficult over the next few weeks, clashing with Columbus Crew SC on Matchday 9 before facing MLS-leading Vancouver Whitecaps FC in the Champions Cup semifinals.
Yet, despite another disappointing result, there were still some key takeaways from Miami’s clash with Gregg Berhalter’s Chicago Fire.
Falcon, Aviles Shine at Center Back
As attackers struggled, center back Maxi Falcón showed just how important he is to Inter Miami’s success in challenging games. Despite having a rotation of center back partners over the last few weeks, the 27-year-old held down the Miami backline and was critical in breaking up Chicago attacks throughout the afternoon through four key defensive actions.
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However, his partner on the day Tomás Avilés also had a strong showing with 11 defensive actions, including two blocks on attempts from Jonathan Bamba and Andrew Gutman. As much as the pairing struggled to launch attacks and still let Chicago get through, they were critical to keeping the clean sheet.
Inter Miami Struggle for Width
The two center backs were outstanding, partially due to Miami’s general struggles to find width.
Sitting in a 4-3-3, the Herons clogged the middle of the field and forced Chicago to attack from out wide. The strategy works against teams featuring elite central attackers, but less so against a side like Chicago that runs primarily from the wide channels, managed by Bamba and Philip Zinckernagel, who combined for five shots.
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At the same time, the central system left Lionel Messi isolated on the right wing and did not feature players who could get forward in transition, allowing the Fire to regain their defensive shape before any of Miami’s players could find themselves in a promising attacking position.
Jordi Alba changed the pace of Miami’s transition when he came into the match in the 59th minute, but it was too late to make such a dramatic tactical shift. Although domination in midfield is a strong base, it’s not how the team needed to play against Chicago.
Can Mascherano Handle the Pressure?
When Inter Miami tipped Javier Mascherano to lead after Gerardo “Tata” Martino left the club, they knew they were taking a risk. Mascherano had never managed at the club level and clearly saw many of the senior players as his equals from their days at FC Barcelona.
Through his first two months on the touchline in MLS and Concacaf Champions Cup, Miami may be considering whether they hired the right coach to get the best out of the group. After all, an experienced manager led the same squad to a historic season in 2024, and they have so far failed to replicate that level in 2025.
“It was a tough match against an opponent who's had a good start to the season,” said Mascherano after the match. “We must not forget that we've been playing every three or four days for the past two months.”
While fatigue is a fair claim considering the number of matches Miami have played across all competitions, Mascherano has struggled to adapt to much rotation, leaving his aging stars tired and his younger players without tactical confidence.
38-year-old Luis Suárez is the only Miami player to have started every match this season, while Messi, 37, has played 90 minutes in six of the last seven games and has seen his in-play contributions dip, despite prowess on set-pieces.
There will be lots to adapt to heading into the next two weeks, as Miami look to keep pace with the top teams in the Eastern Conference while also taking on the high-flying Whitecaps in the club’s most important matches ever. Can Mascherano handle it?
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Javier Mascherano Under Pressure at Inter Miami FC: Takeaways From Draw With Chicago Fire FC.
