The biggest news of the weekend came from El Salvador. During Inter Miami’s first match of their lengthy preseason tour, U22 winger Facundo Farías tore his ACL. Farías, who arrived for a reported $5.5 million transfer fee, is arguably the most promising young player on Inter Miami’s roster. He seemed set to start for a vaunted Inter Miami attack at left wing in a front three with Luis Suárez and Lionel Messi. In his absence, it seems like the team will turn to Robert Taylor to fill that position.
Now, I know what you’re thinking. You’re thinking, “Lol do you hear yourself steering this newsletter into a column worrying about a team that’s starting Luis Suárez and Lionel Messi???” In large part, I think you’re right. Everything is clearly still on the table for Inter Miami. Farías is a high-upside player, but Taylor is an effective player who understands how to fit within a team full of superstars. The Herons are far from doomed.
But what I think makes this team so fascinating is their ceiling. We’re talking about the loftiest skyscraper with only one floor kind of ceiling imaginable. This XI, when healthy and available, is capable of winning every competition they’re in this season. All of them. Even without Farías. They could be holding up the Concacaf Champions Cup, Leagues Cup, Supporters’ Shield and MLS Cup by the end of the season. It’s unlikely, but the fact it’s even plausible is a reality very few teams, if any, in MLS history have experienced.
With Farías out, the probability of that happening drops. In particular, their chances at the Supporters’ Shield, the most difficult task on Miami’s checklist, took a hit. To be honest, it already seemed like a long shot. We know they’ll be rolling out their best possible XI for the short-term competitions with a trophy on the line. We know that means they’ll likely go deep into those competitions. Considering the age and miles on the legs of their best XI, it doesn’t seem probable that we’ll see that group playing in 95-degree weather against Toronto in a July regular-season game.
This is where Farías, 21 years old and with plenty to prove, could have played a key role. In the moments where Messi and Suárez aren’t on the pitch, someone will need to step up and keep the Herons rolling enough to at least secure a home playoff spot. Without Farías, that task gets that much more difficult.
In the end, the injury isn’t a total long-term disaster for Miami. But this is still an MLS team. You can only take so many hits to your starting XI before things go south. Reaching the highs they want to reach just became a lot harder.