Inter Miami is on the cusp of history in its final four matches of the MLS regular season.
The Herons are in position to break the MLS single-season points record. Luis Suárez has fit in nicely in south Florida alongside former Barcelona teammates Sergio Busquets, Jordi Alba and Lionel Messi.
Miami, as of writing, sits in first place in the Supporters' Shield with 64 points from 30 matches. Lionel Messi's 28 goal contributions have propelled the Eastern Conference team up the table coupled with Suárez's 17 goals in his quest for the Golden Boot.
The MLS single-season points record stands at 73 points set by New England Revolution in 2021. Miami settled for a pair of draws on the road at Atlanta United and NYCFC, making the charge for the points record a little more difficult–but it's still attainable.
The Herons need 10 points to set a new points record in MLS. That means in it must win at least three times and draw once in its final four matches. Miami faces Charlotte FC at home, Columbus Crew and Toronto FC on the road and the Revolution back at Chase Stadium on the final day of the regular season.
While Gerardo 'Tata' Martino might not be worried about breaking the points record in exchange for building up fitness and sharpness ahead of the postseason, a player like Messi might want to add another team accomplishment to his portfolio. However, with Messi likely to receive a call-up to the Argentina national team for its October matches, Martino will likely be without his superstar forward for the matches vs. Columbus and Toronto.
Throughout the season, Miami has proven that it can win without Messi. The frontline of Matías Rojas, Luis Suárez and Robert Taylor is enough to beat most teams in the league.
So, will Miami set a new single-season points record as the campaign comes to a close?
With the talent Miami has, they have a decent chance of winning every match it plays. It wouldn't be unreasonable to expect it to pick up three points against Charlotte on Sept. 28 while a showdown with the Crew would be difficult–the reigning MLS Cup champions will be playing for higher seeding in the division.
If Miami wins vs. Charlotte and draws on the road at Columbus, it would need to win its final two matches of the season to make history. The Herons would be favorites at BMO Field vs. Toronto and it would be fitting for the team to break the points record against the Revolution who set a new record three years ago.
What makes things tricky for Miami is the number of players currently unavailable. Rojas, Diego Gómez and David Martínez are all dealing with injuries and aren't expected to return until early October which could pose problems against Charlotte with a shorthanded team in defense.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Analyzing Inter Miami's Chances of Breaking the MLS Points Record.
