- Miami's playoff hopes take major blow
- No Messi for 4-1 defeat
- Surely now need to win all remaining games
TELL ME MORE: Messi remained out of action for the 4-1 shellacking at Soldier Field, a match that saw over 60,000 fans in attendance. Most were there in the hope of potentially seeing the Argentine up close, but they instead witnessed the home side's best performance of the year when it mattered most. Swiss star Xherdan Shaqiri was responsible for two of the Fire's four goals, the first of which came in the 49th minute. The Herons' Josef Martinez equalized from the spot four minutes later, but that's when the collapse started. The Fire then went on the offensive, with Maren Haile-Selassie notching a brace off the bench before Shaqiri made it 4-1.
With the loss, Inter Miami are now five points off the ninth and final playoff spot, with five teams standing between them and that position. They'll have just three games to close that gap, with two matches against Charlotte FC and a date with the best team in the league: Supporters' Shield winners FC Cincinnati. The Fire, meanwhile, leap up to eighth with the win as they make their own playoff push.
THE MVP: Shaqiri has earned plenty of unwarranted criticism since arriving in Chicago, partially due to the lack of quality around him. However, the ex-Bayern Munich and Liverpool star showed he still has the ability to make a big impact, lifting his side in a must-win match for Chicago's own playoff push.
THE BIG LOSER: Not a player, but a group, as the Inter Miami defense capitulated in the big moment. Missing Jordi Alba in addition to Messi, the Spaniard's replacement, Noah Allen, struggled - as did the central pairing of Kamal Miller and Serhiy Kryvtsov as Miami conceded three goals in 11 minutes to all but kill their postseason dreams.
MATCH IN TWO PHOTOS:
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GettyWHAT NEXT FOR MIAMI? The Herons will face FC Cincinnati on Saturday before wrapping up their season with two matches against Charlotte FC.
MATCH RATING (OUT OF FIVE): ⭐⭐⭐⭐