Tthe ball went over the line. Certainly. Definitely. Inter Miami will be left behind. Lionel Messi's chance of winning the trophy he most wanted to win would have been on a knife's edge. And perhaps the saddest thing for Inter Miami is that two retiring legends, Sergi Busquets and Jordi Alba, are approaching an ignominious end. They would have come to MLS to accompany Messi, their friend, but would have ended their time on the pitch as losers in the final, a game they had won so often at club and international level.
All that ball had to do was cross the line. Vancouver Whitecaps' Emmanuel Sabbi filled it with seeming destiny after a virtuoso strike into the heart of the Inter Miami defence. His left-footed shot crashed into the outstretched arm of Miami goalkeeper Rocco Rios Novo. It hit the far post. It jumped on the line.
And then he hit the inside of another pillar, and his rotation suddenly brought him to the foot of the pillar. Inter Miami defender Maximiliano Falcon. The Uruguayan botched his first touch as the ball ricocheted back towards the goal line and Sabbi made the rebound. With a desperate lunge, Falcon slid and cleared the ball, knocking it off Subby's shin and finally, incredibly, out of play.
Subby grabbed the net and kicked the billboards in frustration. Falcon celebrated as wildly as the frenzied crowd in the South Florida heat. The game, which the Whitecaps began to grab by the collar, turned around and barked.
“The fact that you need to become champions is luck,” Inter Miami head coach Javier Mascherano said afterwards.
Just over 30 minutes later, with the lawn strewn with silver confetti, Lionel Messi made his way to the luxury suites on the field level here at Chase Stadium. This is where his children and family live during home games in Miami, next to Alba's children, next to Busquets' children, next to Luis Suarez's children. An impromptu area at the stadium where close friends of the players and children communicate from room to room. Surrounded by photographers and hundreds of Miami fans sitting upstairs shouting congratulations and watching their every move on video, the quartet of former Barcelona friends nevertheless looked completely at ease. Busquets posed for a photo with one of his sons. Alba soon joined one of her own. Messi sneaked in and out of all the apartments, chasing his own sons while they pretended to be snow angels out of confetti. At one point he looked at Suarez and was surprised that the crowd was actually watching them.
“Given who they were – as players, both were among the greatest in history, each in their position, with the careers they had and the titles they won – it is remarkable that they can retire with such MLS “I don't think they fully understand yet what it's like for them to end their career.” Today something very beautiful ends for them, to which they dedicated their whole lives. Now a new life begins for them. I wish them all the best because they are two friends I care about deeply. I'm glad they can walk away with this title.”
Only Busquets and Alba have announced their retirement, but Suarez also appears to be a potential option – if not as a professional, then perhaps as an Inter Miami player. The Uruguayan did not play in the MLS Cup final, and his relegation to the bench ahead of the knockout stages was part of the spark that ignited Inter Miami's excellent run all the way.
Alba and Busquets also had to develop – and even in the final there were signs that the natural physical decline that happens at the end of every career was coming to an end. Busquets often failed to find an outlet for the back four that was his trademark, and Vancouver repeatedly caused dangerous turnovers in Miami's own third, places where Busquets might otherwise end up. Alba, meanwhile, spent a lot of time fighting Subby, whose double post could so easily turn the post-match mood into one of despair.
However, both had their bright moments, with Busquets remaining the sharp and intelligent passer he has always been, and Alba continuing his seemingly telepathic connection with Messi throughout the season.
“We were kind of aware that this moment was going to happen,” said Miami linebacker Yannick Bright, one of many young players in pink who have spoken repeatedly about the impact the pair had in improving their level as the Herons competed on five fronts in 58 games this regular season. “I had to stop going to the locker room because I felt very, very sad. Very emotional.”
It could have gone differently, with just a one-degree turn or a tackle that was a split second too late.
“It was crazy, honestly,” Bright said. “Sometimes you need luck.”
