For Leo Messithe final of the Cup MLS This Saturday will represent an end. And, quite possibly, a new beginning. Messi and him Inter Miami They will face Thomas Müller, one of their lifelong rivals, and the Vancouver Whitecaps for the Major League Soccer championship. It is the first final for both clubs. “We know it’s going to be a very, very difficult match… It’s going to be a very, very special final,” Messi said in statements distributed by the club a few hours ago. But for Messi, it’s the end of a couple of eras.
It is the last scheduled match at Inter Miami’s current home, as the team will move to a stadium still under construction near Miami International Airport next season. And unless there are changes, it will be the last time they play with their long-time teammates Jordi Alba and Sergio Busquets (both are retiring), and possibly also with Luis Suárez. “I am very grateful for the career I have had, the teams I have played for, everything I have learned and enjoyed. It has been a privilege,” Alba said at a press conference. “It’s a week with a lot of emotions, knowing that it’s going to be my last game… I hope I finish my career in the best possible scenario: in a final and that we win it.”
Mascherano, at the press conference prior to Inter Miami-Vancouver
Messi is happy to have Vancouver as a rival: “It’s good that this final has been played and that we face each other again. We already faced Vancouver and we understand the caliber of their team.” That said, Saturday will bring at least one first: if Vancouver wins, Müller will be the first player to win a World Cup and an MLS Cup. If Inter Miami wins, Messi, Rodrigo De Paul and Busquets will become the first trio to become champions of both the World Cup and the MLS. “We are going to have four World champions on the field,” Mascherano said. “I think it’s very, very interesting for the league.”
Müller, who has more than 30 trophies won with Bayern and his national team, was asked where the MLS Cup ranks on his list. “Right now, I consider it number one, because it’s the only final we’re talking about. It’s imminent. Right now, for me, this final is the most important thing in my life.” He paused briefly. “Nice line, huh?” he said, laughing. But clearly, the MLS Cup is something that both teams want with all their might. For Inter Miami, it is an opportunity to show that bringing the Blaugrana (Messi, Alba, Suárez and Busquets) was worth it. For Vancouver, which beat Inter Miami twice this season in the CONCACAF Champions League, it is a chance to win a trophy.
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Vancouver midfielder Sebastian Berhalter indicated for his part: “We have been prepared for this all season. The pressure is inherent. It is a privilege and it is fun, and I think our boys are going to take advantage of it and enjoy it. Being home or away, I don’t think it matters that much, he said in reference to the theoretical favoritism of Inter Miami, which plays in their stadium.
