The Rondo: Can Inter Miami regain MLS form, is Christian Pulisic World-Class, and can Manchester City overcome loss of Rodri?

Is it time for everyone to freak out about Inter Miami? The Herons dropped points against first Atlanta United, then NYCFC. Their form hasn’t exactly been electric. Leo Messi isn’t really fit or sharp. Things might not be so steady for the MLS Cup favorites.

But that’s not the only talking point in and it relates to the soccer world.

Christian Pulisic is certainly enjoying his best season yet – albeit through just six weeks. Is it now time to throw him into the “World-Class” discussion? Meanwhile, the Premier League just got a whole lot juicier after Rodri sustained what seems to be a season-ending ACL tear against Arsenal last weekend. Could Manchester City’s dominance of England’s top flight finally be over?

Elsewhere, there are two cup competitions to be settled in North America Wednesday night, and MLS teams are in line for some silverware. As ever, it’s all a bit chaotic, but GOAL US writers are set to take it all on in this week’s edition of… The Rondo.

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  Can anyone catch Inter Miami in MLS Supporter’s Shield race?

  Tom Hindle: Almost definitely not. The math doesn’t look great for any competitors – Miami basically have a nine-point lead over LA Galaxy. And even though their form of late has been a little erratic, they haven’t been losing games. That Messi guy might help them win one or two more. Could they stumble over the line before playoffs, and potentially throw a little jeopardy into the next six weeks? Sure. Is it panic button time? Not really.

  Ryan Tolmich: Nope, they’re just too far ahead. Miami’s schedule isn’t too forgiving, but their lead is as they sit six points better than the Galaxy with a game in hand. Oh, and they have Messi on their team. The Supporters’ Shield is most certainly theirs… but what will they do when the playoffs start? That’s what the world cares about now.

  Jacob Schneider: Honestly? Yes. They’ve opened up a pathway for a few teams, but namely the Columbus Crew, to compete for the regular season title. There is now a very real scenario in which Columbus wins out – including a clash vs the Herons – and Miami tie or lose just one of their other remaining matches, that the two sides could end level on points or see Wilfried Nancy’s side finish above them. Miamie’s fate is in their hands, but they’re testing reckless waters.

  Alex Labidou: This seems like a typical ebb and flow of the MLS season. This isn’t the Premier League, where there’s a player off the bench making eight figures. This is MLS, and even Miami, which arguably has the deepest squad in the league, will face challenges in rotation and keeping players fresh throughout the year. Miami still have a six-point lead over the LA Galaxy in the race and have three games they can likely count as wins in their final four – facing Charlotte, Columbus, Toronto, and New England. Even if they split two of those games, the East is likely theirs. And even if they lose home-field advantage throughout the playoffs, you’d still back a Messi-led team against anyone in MLS for a final. And who remembers the majority of Supporters’ Shield winners anyway?

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    With a scorching start at Milan, is Pulisic officially World-Class?

    TH: No, but he’s not far off. The American has been very good on multiple fronts for more than a year now. His Milan form has never been better, and he very quietly reached 20-plus goal involvements last season. Throw in a couple of heroic goals for the USMNT, and he’s certainly getting there. World-Class footballers need to show that they can do it for years rather than just months, though.

    Also, how many top, top-tier teams does Pulisic walk into? None of the Prem’s top three take him, and you’d rule him out of Barca, Madrid, Bayern and Leverkusen. Pulisic to Spurs, then. Realistically, he’s a very good player for a mid-level Champions League side. Let’s chat in May-ish.

    RT: Not yet, but he’s certainly getting closer. “World-Class” means you’re capable to starting for the handful of best teams in the world and, if you look at the current crop of wingers out there, there aren’t too many you’d take ahead of Pulisic. “World-Class”, though, also means you’re consistent, so Pulisic needs to sustain this hot start to prove that this is more than just a good run. If he does that for a sustained period of time, you can put him right up there with the best in the world based on current form.

    JS: Considering he’s the most in-form player in Italy at the moment, and we dub Serie A a top-five league in the world, the answer is objectively yes. Are there multiple wingers in different leagues who are likely better footballers than him right now? Sure. However, he is quite clearly the best player in Italy, and is playing at an elite level that we only designate with World-Class players.

    AL: “World-Class” is a term that is thrown around too loosely these days. There are four players worthy of that label: Kylian Mbappé, Rodri, Vini Jr., and Erling Haaland. Three additional stars could be considered: Mo Salah, Jude Bellingham, and Harry Kane. These are players who keep coaches up at night, trying to devise ways to stop them. Pulisic is not at that level. But he is very good. This is clearly the best stretch of his career.

    There are two titles that aren’t as far-fetched for the American. If his form holds, Pulisic could be the best player in Serie A this season, and he has cemented his place on the top of the USMNT Mount Rushmore. You hesitate to put him ahead of Landon Donovan because Donovan had greater signature moments with the national team. Yet, Donovan has never scored a goal like the one Pulisic did this weekend in a match as high-stakes as the Derby della Madonnina. And he’s just 26. There’s more to come.

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      Does Rodri’s ACL tear make Arsenal title favorites?

      TH: Nah, but it certainly opens things up a little bit. Rodri is arguably the hardest player in world football to replace. There is no one quite like him – a No. 6, goalscorer and master of the dark arts rolled into one 6-3 baller. It has been pretty clear, for some time, that City aren’t the same team without him. Still, you’d back Pep Guardiola to figure out how to turn Haaland into a World-Class defensive mid by March, or something silly. Everyone seems to think that Mateo Kovacic is a replacement, but he’s never been a holding midfielder.

      As for Arsenal, not sure this changes much. Mikel Arteta’s side do a whole lot of beating themselves – and far too often try not to lose. They haven’t shown that they have the killer instinct to smell blood here. Sure, they can perhaps drop a point or two more, but it would be a surprise to see them build on their points total from last year. More than anything, this might be an opportunity for a third team – say, Liverpool – to put the pressure on a bit. Please give us a three-way title race.

      RT: Nope. No team in the world is better equipped to handle injuries than Manchester City and no manager is better at breezing past them than Guardiola. Losing Rodri hurts, yes, as he’s the hardest player in the team to replace, but Guardiola will figure this out. And, even if he doesn’t, Arsenal hasn’t fully proven that they’re ready to win a league title. Sunday’s draw further enforced that there’s some maturing to do and, until they show they’ve done that, Manchester City remain favorites.

      JS: Luckily for Guardiola, he’s able to bring a UEFA Champions League winner off the bench to replace him in Kovacic, but it’s definitely a brutal blow. The heart and soul of their midfield, plus a frontrunner for the 2024 Ballon d’Or, Rodri is crucial to their success. With that said, Arsenal need to take advantage, but so do the likes of Liverpool, Aston Villa, Chelsea and Manchester United. It’s open season still, and anything can happen. As it stands, there’s zero reason to think City aren’t title favorites, even without Rodri, but his injury definitely opens things up.

      AL: First off, best wishes and a speedy recovery to Rodri – clearly the most underrated Ballon d’Or candidate since Luka Modric. It almost feels like the soccer gods intervened to make the Premier League interesting again by robbing Man City of their best player. It’s been largely one-way traffic since Guardiola arrived. The Premier League, which was once known for its competitiveness, has been rinse and repeat for the past four years.

      However, for Arsenal, a seismic blow to Man City doesn’t necessarily mean they will win. The Gunners are a club that could cough up a nine-point lead with two games remaining – yes, the math doesn’t make sense; that’s the point of the joke. Here’s betting on a potential Leicester-like season from Aston Villa or maybe redemption for a team in West London that has been particularly baffling in recent years.

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      Who wins Open Cup? Who wins Campeones Cup?

      TH: The US Open Cup would seem to be LAFC’s to lose. It hasn’t been a strong month or so for the Southern California side – despite the arrival of Olivier Giroud. But in one game, over 90 minutes, they should just have more than KC. The Crew probably have the Campeones Cup locked up, too. If this wasn’t in Columbus, it might be another story. But they are a better side, with home field advantage. Sometimes this sport is relatively simple. Lock it in.

      RT: LAFC is a massive favorite for the Open Cup. Despite rough form recently, they’re simply too talented and motivated to let this season end without a trophy. As for the Campeones Cup, that’ll be a fun one. The Crew seem singularly determined to prove that they are the best team in this region and, after the CONCACAF Champions League final, they’ll be out for revenge. Can Club America stop them? We’ll say no as Nancy keeps this team rolling with a trophy.

      JS: In the Open Cup, Peter Vermes will make history. SKC will claim their fifth trophy, and LAFC’s post-Leagues Cup form will continue. It’s hard to see them coming out of their slump, whereas Sporting have nothing to lose, and are confident as hell going into the contest. As for the Campeones Cup, it’s hard to ask Nancy to put forth a lineup that will feature first-string players, especially with the MLS Supporters’ Shield and Eastern Conference title on the line. With that reasoning in mind, Club America will take the cake in the Campeones Cup.

      AL: LAFC should be heavily favored to win the U.S. Open Cup, but their recent decline suggests there are larger concerns at play. Give me Vermes and a desperate Sporting KC in a cupset. Will fans of either the Crew or Club América shed a tear if they lose the Campeones Cup? The intent of MLS and Liga MX to find new ways to drive engagement through collaboration is admirable, but it does seem as if it has reached a saturation point. Merely playing against each other at every possible opportunity, from the Leagues Cup to All-Star Games, is deflating the uniqueness of the idea in the first place. Perhaps consider adding South American clubs, or allowing both MLS and Liga MX clubs to host games. There has to be a way to keep growing and evolving these events. It’s time for both leagues to be innovators once again.