GOAL writers analyze Luis Suarez's goal-scoring issues, Messi's apparent frustrations, and what's troubling Atlanta and Galaxy
Nearly three months into the MLS season, there are a few surprises. Inter Miami have been good at times, but fairly woeful at others. And as a result, manager Javier Mascherano has endured his fair share of criticism.
The Herons are a different team to the one that won the Supporters' Shield last year. There have been personnel changes, but also radical dips in form. Luis Suarez found the net for just the third time this season last weekend, while Lionel Messi has cut a frustrated figure of late, showing it on the pitch and with reactions to losses (cue the body language experts!)
But a big result against the Red Bulls showed it might not all be doom and gloom – especially if they can put a run together.
Elsewhere, the LA Galaxy continue to struggle immensely. A rough start was perhaps inevitable given that Riqui Puig is out for most of the season, but going winless in 11 is almost unfathomable. There are faint calls for a coaching change, and the detractors might just have a point this time.
Meanwhile, Atlanta United have sputtered, and are yet to find their mojo after spending more than $40 million to rebuild their squad this offseason. Is it just a slow start, or have the front office gotten it all wrong?
GOAL US writers discuss all of these MLS topics in the latest edition of… The Rondo.
GettyIs Messi's apparent frustration justified?
Tom Hindle: Don't you just love body language experts? It is entirely possible that we're reading way too much into everything here. Still, the man has won eight Ballons d'Or, a World Cup, and everything else a billion times. He's probably pretty angry that his team are struggling in MLS. Not usually a fan of superstars giving the "you guys all suck" vibes, but you can understand Leo's frustrations. Still, it's probably better to motivate than sulk.
Jacob Schneider: Absolutely, but that should be aimed at Javier Mascherano. Some of his personnel selections have been baffling. In his last two MLS starts, Benja Cremaschi has a goal and an assist. He came off the bench twice – against Vancouver, and against RBNY on Matchday 11. Playing him as a second striker alongside Suarez, or at the 10 with two other wingers opposite, is not where he needs to be. Play Messi on the right side of the pitch, play Cremaschi central, and then choose your LW. Stop trying to be cute and innovative.
Alex Labidou: This is par for the course for world-class players who have come into MLS. David Beckham, Thierry Henry, Zlatan Ibrahimovic – it's a rite of passage at this stage. Playing in MLS is unlike any other league in the world. You have players who could still start for Champions League clubs, making 20-times more than a teammate they start with who might be EFL League One quality. Then you have the travel aspect. It can be grueling, especially for star players who are the face of a franchise in a way they aren't expected to in other leagues. For example, no one blames Lamine Yamal for losing to Inter in the Champions League. Fans and media blame the tactics or the collective effort of the team. In MLS, when Inter Miami lose, the magnifying glass goes directly to Messi. All of that is to say, the frustration is understandable, but it is what he signed up for.
AdvertisementGettyIs Suarez's goal finally a sign of better things to come?
TH: You'd certainly hope so! Suarez was class last season, but has spent much of this looking like an old man with bad legs – while his form inside the box has been pretty miserable. Then again, the stats suggest he's doing everything right. His xG is higher than his actual goals scored, and he's still getting into the right spots. So, for all of his struggles in the final-third – he has just three goals – he is providing assists. Maybe this is just a funky new version of Suarez, who might assist 10-15, and only provide 10 goals. As long as everyone else finds the back of the net a bit, Miami will likely take that.
JS: He won't reach 20 goals in MLS as he did last year – but he'll come close to 12-15 by the end of the season. Where Suarez will be more efficient around net is with hold-up play and awareness in drawing defenders out of position, thus allowing other attackers to move into goal-scoring spots. His knees are tired, and he can't move like he did before – but he still has a role to play. "Better things" is subjective. Don't think he will be more efficient in terms of scoring, but he'll continue contributing and building on the six assists he has.
AL: Going to put this as simple as possible: Class might be permanent, but Father Time is undefeated. The reality is Suarez's technical ability is still world-class and still among the elite of MLS. But his athleticism, whatever was left of it, left last season. He simply can't beat defenders anymore, no matter how nice the dribble or skill he tries to use to do so. He'll still finish chances like he did against the Red Bulls, a chance that was very much force-fed into a finish. His quality also means he likely can find teammates with intelligent passes, which explains his assist tally this season. But he shouldn't be counted on to be a goal-scorer at a high level consistently game after game. One could make an argument that on an elite MLS team, he would be better suited as a backup who can be counted on for 20 strong minutes. Inter Miami should strongly consider doing the same.
Getty Images SportDo the LA Galaxy need a coaching change after a winless start?
TH: No. The results have been disastrous, but the performances haven't necessarily been terrible. They were a team that really relied on a star, and then lost a collection of very good footballers around him. At some point, it's fair to question the coach, but it's still a bit early in the season to be talking seriously about moving on from him. Also, who else can they get who can make this team better? If there were an obvious, REALISTIC(!!!)hire out there, then, sure, consider it. Harsh truth: there isn't.
JS: Absolutely. It's crazy to say out loud, but it's absolutely something that should be considered. Losing Riqui Puig is a massive blow, we all know that – but ZERO wins in 11 matches, including a game in which the opposition won by not taking a SINGLE shot on goal (shout-out own-goal)? It's just absurd.
AL: Don't want to pile on managers today, and Vanney has shown – with the right pieces – that he can win titles. It's a trait that isn't recognized enough, being able to win in the biggest games. Yet, if there is an area in which Vanney has been challenged, it's being able to handle significant changes. In 2018, the year after Toronto FC won its historic treble, Toronto FC struggled mightly – finishing ninth in the East. It appears as if the same thing is going on now, though Vanney has fewer excuses. In Toronto, he had a core that was coming to the end with stars such as Sebastian Giovinco and Jozy Altidore past their peak. In LAFC, he has a largely young core with Gabriel Pec and Joseph Pantsil leading the way. Yes, losing Puig was a significant blow, and sure, trading Dejan Joveljic was a tough decision. But three points in 11 matches is bad. There's no way around it. If things don't turn around by the summer, expect wholesale changes, including the manager. The Galaxy can't afford to fall into irrelevance again, especially in just one season.
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Getty Images SportWhat is going on with Atlanta United?
TH: It seems like there's been loads of change with a manager who still can't quite figure out how to piece it all together. They are victims of their own expectations here. They spent exorbitantly last summer, brought in a new coach, and promised big things. The issue is, this is still a team that scraped into the playoffs and spent most of 2024 being not very good at soccer – other than the upset of Inter Miami in the playoffs. There's enough talent for them to turn things around, but they still need time to piece things together. Patience.
JS: It's a really baffling development, right? It doesn't make a ton of sense that Atlanta have spent more than $40M on three Designated Players since August 2024, but not bolstered their defense or added a ball-winning midfielder to match the caliber of their attack. They focused SO much on their attack, they forgot to consider other areas of development – and they've fallen behind as a result. Ronny Deila hasn't done well on the touchline, but the transfer business from the club over the offseason isn't a winner by any means.
AL: Not entirely convinced Deila is a strong manager. Yes, he won the MLS Cup with NYCFC, but other than 2021 – when he won – it always seemed as if The Pigeons were underachievers despite their talent. The year they won, it was a flash-in-the-pan moment for the franchise. And there's a reason why things didn't work for him at both Club Brugge and Al Wahda prior to his return to MLS. Did Atlanta get it wrong to overlook Rob Valentino, who had done a good job with the team in his interim spell with the Five Stripes? This team is too talented to have won just over 18 percent of its games since Deila's arrival.