Inter Miami are only two matches from either a Concacaf Champions Cup berth or their first trophy in club history but they’ll have to go through the Philadelphia Union for a place in the Leagues Cup final. The Union are one of the most successful clubs in Major League Soccer as of late, fresh off of participating in MLS Cup last season, but no team has proven that they can stop Lionel Messi who has powered Miami to this point in the tournament with eight goals and one assist. The top three teams in the competition, which included the winner of the third-place game, qualify for CCC.
With one of the best defenses in the league with 26 goals allowed across 23 matches, the Union are a team uniquely placed to try and stop Messi while also taking advantage of Miami’s defensive issues. While the Herons kept their second clean sheet of Leagues Cup in their 4-0 victory over Charlotte FC in the quarterfinals, this is a team that has allowed six goals during their five matches in the tournament.
If former Miami striker Julian Carranza and league MVP candidate Daniel Gazdag are available, there’s a chance that the Union can put up quite a few goals even without new signing Tai Baribo available for the match due to paperwork issues. The issue is that Gazdag missed the Union’s victory with a knee injury and the Hungarian is critical to making the attack tick. But in Jose Martinez, the Union have a defensive midfielder who can shadow Messi and Sergio Busquets to make life hard for the Herons.
A Venezuelan international, Martinez has faced Messi in international play and that familiarity could prove to be critical. Most who have faced him were playing Messi for the first time or didn’t have the appropriate personnel to deal with Miami’s threats. The Union do and they’re able to counter Miami’s weaknesses out wide with Kai Wagner and Oliver Mbazio whipping in balls from wide positions.
