Your Thursday Kickoff: Can Inter Miami save their Champions Cup dream?

Inter Miami fall behind CF Monterrey in Champions Cup quarterfinal series

Liga MX heavyweights CF Monterrey have an advantage over Inter Miami CF halfway through their Concacaf Champions Cup quarterfinal series after a 2-1 comeback victory Wednesday night at Chase Stadium. Inter Miami, who played their fourth straight game across all competitions without Lionel Messi (hamstring), went ahead in the 19th minute through Tomás Avilés. But the match turned on its head in the 65th minute when Inter Miami midfielder David Ruiz was red-carded for his second bookable offense in four minutes. Monterrey added goals in the 69th and 89th minutes.

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When expectations are at the highest possible level, the odds of living up to them are slim. Inter Miami were always going to be fighting an uphill battle against the hope they could take a quick detour to win Concacaf Champions Cup, come back and win the Supporters’ Shield and Leagues Cup, and then cruise to MLS Cup. That kind of run is on the very extreme of what anyone thought could be possible, but they’re the only team in MLS history who made that kind of fringe idea feel even remotely tangible. Then the injuries came and they haven’t stopped coming.

Even still, the Herons had a strong (although Messi-less) lineup out there last night. At least they did until David Ruiz got consumed by the dark haze of Concacaf and picked a red card after two quick yellow cards. He probably doesn’t even remember what happened. My working theory is Concacaf possesses different souls for a while and the hosts black out during these periods. Either that or Concacaf exists as an unseen magnetic force whose pole runs opposite to MLS players. Ruiz surrendered to that force like a moth to a malevolent flame.

Anyway, if this sounds like an obituary, it kind of is. Up until the red card last night, Inter Miami’s CCC dreams were alive and thriving. They were up 1-0 on Monterrey and in relative control against one of the continent’s best and biggest teams. When Rayados scored an equalizing away goal moments after the red card, the Herons’ task became immeasurably more difficult. When the second goal came just before full-time, the Herons’ task became damn near Sisyphean.

Monterrey have never lost a Concacaf series to an MLS team. And they've already won 3-1 on aggregate over FC Cincinnati (who might be better than Inter Miami) in this competition this year.

Inter Miami now have to go on the road and break a decade-plus-long trend. And it’s not clear if they’ll have Lionel Messi around to help them do it. Even with Messi back from his hamstring injury, it’s tough to envision what a comeback at Estadio BBVA even looks like. We’ve never seen it.

If last night’s 25-minute stretch really did bring the end of Inter Miami’s CCC hopes, then their focus will have to shift to other prizes. That doesn’t mean that 2024 is a failure, but a quarterfinal exit from CCC isn’t what anyone had in mind when the Herons brought in some of the best players in the history of the sport.

A trophy or three would provide a salve, but those are far from a guarantee for this group right now. If they’re somewhere near healthy, they’ll be a popular pick to repeat as Leagues Cup champions and earn their first MLS Cup, but they haven’t had much injury luck this year. And as far as the Supporters’ Shield goes, their underlying numbers like American Soccer Analysis’ expected points and Goals Added metrics suggest they’ve been a below-average side through their first seven games. Nothing is coming as easy as it seemed like it might.

All that being said, a pre-write for an obit doesn’t mean someone is dead. They won’t be fully gone until dirt is on the coffin. If Messi can make the trip to Monterrey, they have a chance. Even without him, something feels wrong about counting Miami out entirely. But, as of now, it already feels like a two-year window – Messi’s contract runs through 2025 – to be Concacaf’s best side is starting to close. Someone is going to have to step up and throw it back open.

New York Red Bulls sign Harper to new contract: The New York Red Bulls have signed midfielder Cameron Harper to a new MLS contract. The 22-year-old signed a three-year contract with a club option for 2028. Harper, a former US youth international who signed from Scottish giants Celtic in 2021, has 59 appearances for the Red Bulls throughout four seasons.

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Good luck out there. Big things are on the way.