Inter Miami have been the best side in MLS by some distance this season, with the Herons already having one hand on the Supporters’ Shield title.
With Inter Miami also qualified for the post-season play-offs, there’s a real chance that the Florida franchise can create history and become one of a handful of sides to win a domestic double in the Supporters’ Shield and MLS Cup.
With Lionel Messi set to return for Inter Miami this month, Tata Martino will have all the tools needed to go on a tear in the remaining regular season fixtures, where the Herons could also end the year with a record points total.
Yet MLS expert Matt Doyle has now shared how Inter Miami could screw up winning the Supporters’ Shield.
Columbus Crew could stop Inter Miami in MLS
Speaking on Extratime, the pundit laid out how the Columbus Crew could beat Inter Miami to the Supporters’ Shield, though the plan in question is an unlikely one, to say the least.
Doyle said on how Inter Miami could fumble the Supporters’ Shield at this stage: “I will say there is a slight window of opportunity for Columbus. If Columbus is perfect the rest of the way, that includes winning their two games in hand and winning their head-to-head with Miami.
“So if Columbus is perfect the rest of the way, and Miami only drops that game against Columbus, then Miami will win by one point. If Miami then drops any other result, then the door is still open. And look, going perfect the rest of the way is really hard.
“We’re talking about setting a single season consecutive wins record. I think right now the single season consecutive wins record is eight. Columbus would have to do better than that to even make this a discussion.”
Inter Miami need a miracle to not win the Supporters’ Shield
Inter Miami currently sit seven points clear in the Supporters’ Shield race, with the LA Galaxy, FC Cincinnati and Columbus Crew all trailing the Herons heading into the final weeks of the regular season.
Whilst Inter Miami messing up their lead isn’t impossible, it would take quite the sequence of events for the Herons to not win the Supporters’ Shield, with the Florida franchise needing the biggest of chokes to mess up from their current position.
Indeed, Inter Miami look set to win the Supporters’ Shield for the first time in their history, and Martino’s side will want to stay focused on that goal in their final games of the year before the play-offs.