Inter Miami are the early favorites for MLS Cup after winning the Supporters’ Shield and setting a new regular-season points record.
The Herons have been the best team in America this year with Kieran Gibbs suggesting Tata Martino should be named MLS Coach of the Year after everything the Inter Miami manager has managed to achieve this season.
With Lionel Messi now back to full fitness and Luis Suarez lauding Jordi Alba as the best left-back in the world after the Inter Miami’s defender’s heroics against Atlanta United on Friday, things are looking good for the Florida franchise in the play-offs.
And Inter Miami were handed a huge boost in their quest to win MLS Cup last night.
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Columbus Crew suffer ‘shock’ home loss vs the New York Red Bulls
The Columbus Crew are arguably Inter Miami’s biggest threat when it comes to their MLS Cup dreams, with Wilfried Nancy’s side one of the best teams in North America and the club that came closet to challenging the Herons for the Supporters’ Shield.
With Martino even naming the Crew as a better side than Inter Miami, it came as a surprise to many MLS fans last night when the Ohio franchise lost their play-off opener against the New York Red Bulls 1-0 at home.
Noted by MLS’s official website as a ‘shock’ result in this year’s post-season play-offs, the Crew going down one in the best-of-three series and losing at home could lead to an early exit for the Columbus side.
And for Inter Miami, the Crew being eliminated from the play-offs so early is nothing short of huge for the Florida franchise and their hopes of winning MLS Cup, with the Eastern Conference sides arguably more challenging than who the Herons will have to face in the final.
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Inter Miami could have a clear run at MLS Cup after the first round
Inter Miami will have to face plenty of top MLS teams if they’re to get their hands on the biggest prize in American soccer, yet the Crew being eliminated in the first round of the play-offs would be nothing short of huge.
Columbus are the reigning MLS Cup holders and arguably the best side in America not named Inter Miami, with Nancy building a team that would not look out of place in most top divisions across the world.
And the Crew being eliminated from the play-offs at the first hurdle would be huge for Inter Miami and their MLS Cup chances, with the Herons the standout side in the post-season if Columbus were to lose their series against the Red Bulls.
