The Rondo: What to make of Lionel Messi and Inter Miami’s misery, will USMNT beat Jamaica, and what’s next for Luis Suarez?

The USMNT are never really out of the news cycle – such is the fervor around the team following the arrival of Mauricio Pochettino. But now, there is some actual soccer to be played. Pochettino’s side are set to take on Jamaica in the Nations League quarterfinals – a duo of fixtures that will have implications as the new manager chases down silverware for the first time.

Considering that the U.S. have won three straight Nations League titles, it will be interesting to see how he fares, especially with more injuries to contend with.

Elsewhere, things are getting interesting in MLS. Miami suffered a shock exit at the hands of Atlanta United in the first round of the playoffs, and will have some major questions ahead of next season. Lionel Messi, Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba are all locks to return. But could Luis Suarez hang up his boots?

And with Miami out of the playoffs, who swoops in? The Los Angeles teams certainly feel a lot better about their chances than they might have a few weeks ago. GOAL US writers tackle it all in the latest edition of… The Rondo.

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  What is the fallout for Messi and Miami, and who wins MLS Cup?

  Tom Hindle: Well, it’s all a bit embarrassing, isn’t it? Inter Miami, flawed or not, really should have won this thing. All credit to Atlanta, but Miami has more money, bigger stars, and that Messi guy. The loss is not catastrophic – they will retool and go again next year. But, to use a frightening Americanism, it’s not a good look for them. As for who’s next, it’s wide open, which is loads of fun. With most of the best teams in the East losing, it’ll probably be someone in the Western Conference. Let’s go with LAFC, on the assumption that Olivier Giroud remembers how to play this sport again at the right time.

  Ryan Tolmich: It means they have to go back to the drawing board. It doesn’t seem as if the Herons need to burn it all down, but they could use a few tweaks. Use the money from the Diego Gomez signing to beef up the defense or midfield, both of which were exposed by Atlanta. Add a few new pieces and run it back with an angry Messi leading the charge. As for who wins, MLS Cup has to be going west now with the LA Galaxy and LAFC now the top contenders to bring it home.

  Jacob Schneider: Honestly? Not a ton. Miami had their flaws – everyone was aware of them – and they got exposed in playoff format. Simply put, it wasn’t the most stunning result, despite it literally being the biggest upset in MLS history. Point the finger at Tata Martino for abandoning his midfield in game three, and at the club’s front office for poorly constructing a top-heavy roster. You cannot compete in MLS unless you embrace it – and Messi’s Miami has yet to embrace MLS.

  As for who wins it now, it should be the Galaxy. They’re the best team left in the postseason. However, Minnesota are no easy foe, and getting past either Seattle or LAFC in the Conference Final would be no easy task. Regardless, the MLS Cup winner should come from the West, now. No teams left in the East seem like genuine competitors.

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    Should Miami move on from Luis Suarez?

    TH: Keep him around for one more year. Yes, he was pretty poor against Atlanta, and the defining image of that series will be him pushing Brad Guzan into the net. But it doesn’t change the fact that he tore the regular season apart – and is best mates with Messi. If Miami are able to tweak their roster and go again, he could still be a tremendous asset. Then again, there’s all sorts of talk that they’re after another No. 9 this winter. If that happens, it would seem that Suarez’s future is up in the air.

    RT: He looked a bit older and more sluggish in the playoffs, but it’s worth giving it another go, right? The numbers don’t lie, and Suarez put up a whole lot of them this season. Maybe that will drop off next year due to load management, but Suarez is still a difference-maker of a striker. The question is price. Can they get him on a TAM deal to keep a DP spot for, say, Neymar? That would be fun, wouldn’t it?

    JS: If you can get him on another cheap, then it’s a no-brainer. However, if he’s asking for a DP-style contract, absolutely not. Then again, the Herons’ transfer strategy seems to be based around putting pieces Messi wants next to him – so perhaps it’s already a done deal, now, it’s just determining what the contract looks like.
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    Who wins USMNT’s Nations League quarterfinal against Jamaica?

    TH: It should be a relatively comfy win – even if these guys are still learning how to play under a new manager. Kingston isn’t a fun place for a first leg, but the USMNT probably have enough to do them on the day. In the second leg, you’d back Pochettino and Co. to do the business in St. Louis. Let’s go 4-1, and the Poch era begins in full. If you can’t beat these lot, 2026 is looking mighty rough. In other words: Lads, it’s Jamaica.

    RT: It won’t be easy, that’s for sure. CONCACAF games, particularly on the road, are always tough. And of all the CONCACAF teams, Jamaica is among the most dangerous. Still, the USMNT is under pressure to perform, so playing for a tie or narrow loss in Jamaica can’t be the path forward. Look for the U.S. to squeak out a win in Kingston before fending off an aggressive Jamaica in St. Louis to win the tie.

    JS: The USMNT should cruise to two-straight wins, and anything less is unacceptable. They’re on a seven-game win streak against the Reggae Boyz. They should be able to get the job done with this roster.

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    Outside of Christian Pulisic, who’s the USMNT’s biggest difference maker?

    TH: Well, Pulisic has been the guy for so long that it’s pretty hard to look beyond him. Suppose the most obvious answer for the second leg is Tim Weah (he’s suspended for the first match.) The winger has been scoring a few goals for Juventus – albeit in sporadic playing time. It will be interesting to see what he can do with a bit more faith from a manager. In the first leg, though, let’s say Brenden Aaronson. He’s been rather good for Leeds this year, chipping in with goals and assists. He might need to provide that little bit of magic if the USMNT are to make things comfortable for themselves.

    RT: We won’t get to see him in the first game, but it’ll be Weah. His ability to break through a defense at any time is key for how the USMNT plays (at least that was the case under Gregg Berhalter). It’ll be interesting to see how Pochettino uses him now that he’s fit and in good form. Particularly if the U.S. can get a result in Jamaica, Weah will be important for the quick counter attacks in St. Louis that could put the tie to bed.

    JS: Antonee Robinson or Tim Ream come to mind for this series against Jamaica. Robinson will be tasked with shutting down Leon Bailey, while Ream will have his hands full with Michail Antonio. If they can lock down their ends of the pitch, it will be just as much of a bonus.