Inter Miami suffered a shock defeat against Atlanta United on Wednesday.Tata Martino’s side was soundly beaten 3-1, showing many of its typical defensive lapses against an opponent that was on thin ice.
Nonetheless, Inter Miami, through various midweek results, still sits in first place in the MLS East and overall in Major League Soccer. On Saturday evening, they have a match against 11th-place St. Louis CITY in the West.
At home and in need of three points to secure a playoff cushion heading into the Copa America, Olympics, and Euro 2024—where Inter Miami is slated to lose many players due to international commitments—Inter Miami must win before Luis Suarez, Lionel Messi, and company leave.
Status of Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez for St. Louis CITY
Inter Miami assistant coach Javier Morales spoke to the media ahead of the game on Saturday, where Messi and Suarez trained with the first team.
“Everyone is ready to play. We’re going to train; you will see everyone there. There are no physical problems with the players.”
Morales continued, “Tata is going to put the strongest team possible against St. Louis. We want to go into the break (Copa America and Euros) by getting three points at home.”
For St. Louis CITY, their second season in MLS has not gone according to plan. The league’s lowest-spending team finished first in the West in 2023 with a high-tempo pressing style.
This season, teams have figured them out, resulting in a disappointing 3-4-7 record.