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The Fall of an Empire? The Comeback that Toppled Inter Miami and Set Off Alarms

Inter Miami watched their crown slip right through their fingers on a night when everything seemed to be in their favor, only to have reality hit them square in the face. The defeat brought to light flaws that can no longer be ignored

By Arthur Fernandes

Aug 13, 2024; Columbus, Ohio, USA; Columbus Crew defender Yevhen Cheberko (21) heads the ball over Inter Miami CF defender Marcelo Weigandt (57) during the first half of the Leagues Cup round of 16 game at Lower.com Field. The Crew won 3-2.
Aug 13, 2024; Columbus, Ohio, USA; Columbus Crew defender Yevhen Cheberko (21) heads the ball over Inter Miami CF defender Marcelo Weigandt (57) during the first half of the Leagues Cup round of 16 game at Lower.com Field. The Crew won 3-2. / Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK
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Under the Ohio sky, with the deafening roar of thousands of opposing fans, Inter Miami’s dream of defending their Leagues Cup title crumbled like a sandcastle caught in a rising tide. Losing 3-2 to the Columbus Crew wasn’t just another elimination—it was a harsh wake-up call for a team that, despite its star-studded lineup, still has a lot to learn.

The match kicked off like a fairy tale. A well-organized team, pressing high, dominating the opponent, and holding a two-goal lead. Matías Rojas opened the scoring, putting Inter Miami ahead with a goal that was nothing short of a masterpiece. The ball hit the back of the net, and for a moment, it seemed like everything was falling into place.

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But, as fate would have it, Diego Gómez doubled the lead in a play that felt like a nod to the soccer gods. A quick one-two, a precise finish, and the scoreboard read 2-0. Yet, soccer, much like life, is full of twists and ironies. Just as the tide quickly turns, so did Inter Miami’s luck. In a matter of minutes, what seemed like a dream morphed into a nightmare.

And then, the Columbus Crew, like a patient predator, waited for the right moment to strike. When they did, it was lethal. In three lightning-fast attacks, the home team rewrote the script of the game. Christian Ramírez and Diego Rossi, in a devastating one-two punch, flipped the game on its head like turning a page in a book, with an almost humiliating ease. The team that was inches away from victory suddenly found itself on the back foot, powerless, and without answers.

What went wrong? How could such a promising team, brimming with talent, collapse so dramatically?

It’s important to acknowledge that Inter Miami is a grand project, but like many grand projects, it lacks solid foundations. Having stars like Sergio Busquets, Luis Suárez, and Jordi Alba on the field is like having diamonds in a crown, but what good are precious stones if the base is made of clay? The defeat to Columbus Crew exposed that, despite an abundance of talent, Inter Miami is still a team under construction—vulnerable, and at times, predictable.

Head coach Gerardo 'Tata' Martino, with all his experience, surely felt the weight of this defeat. His post-game words were a sign that he knows the team could have done more, that victory was within reach. But words, no matter how wise, don’t win games.

What lies ahead for Inter Miami is a pause—a moment for reflection and, perhaps, a much-needed rebuild. The next challenge, against FC Cincinnati, will be more than just another MLS regular season game; it’ll be a chance to show that Inter Miami can learn from its mistakes and come back stronger.

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