Inter Miami are set to qualify for the Club World Cup after beating Columbus Crew to win the MLS Supporters’ Shield for the first time.
The 3-2 victory over Colombus Crew, in which Lionel Messi scored twice, ensures Miami will finish top of the table, and can still also win the MLS Cup.
Inter Miami are likely to be confirmed as the host representative and Miami’s Hard Rock Stadium could host the opening game featuring them.
The MLS Cup doesn’t conclude until December 7, leaving a lack of clarity with the draw potentially even taking place earlier than that date.
It is also seen by some as fairer to take the top league finisher rather than the MLS Cup champion.
Confirmation of Inter Miami’s participation is expected soon, potentially this month.
Qualifiers Aware of Stadiums for Competition
Final set to be held in New Jersey on July 13
FIFA have confirmed the 12 stadiums which will host fixtures during the revamped Club World Cup, with the final set to take place at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey on July 13.
The competition is scheduled to get underway on June 15, and Inter Miami appear set to go toe-to-toe with the world’s leading outfits as they look to add further silverware to their trophy cabinet after clinching the MLS Supporters’ Shield.
Alongside MetLife Stadium and NFL franchise Miami Dolphins’ Hard Rock Stadium, the Club World Cup will feature encounters at Mercedes-Benz Stadium (Atlanta), Bank of America Stadium (Charlotte), TQL Stadium (Cincinnati), Rose Bowl Stadium (Los Angeles), GEODIS Park (Nashville), Camping World Stadium (Orlando), Inter&Co Stadium (Orlando), Lincoln Financial Field (Philadelphia), Lumen Field (Seattle) and Audi Field (Washington, D.C.).
Herons Overcome Colombus Crew in Thriller
Messi brace and Suarez goal enough to clinch silverware
Messi grabbed a brace as Inter Miami defeated the Colombus Crew 3-2 on Wednesday, allowing him to get his hands on another piece of silverware after enjoying a glittering career which has seen him win trophies at Barcelona, Paris Saint-Germain and for his national side, Argentina.
The victory secured the Supporters’ Shield for the Herons, which is awarded to the team that finishes with the most points during the MLS season.
Miami needed to win to solidify the first seed in the league, while a Colombus win would have kept the trophy out of Messi’s hands for at least another matchday.
Messi broke the deadlock on the stroke of half-time as he latched onto Jordi Alba’s lobbed through ball and, following a lucky bounce back into his path, calmly dispatched the ball past goalkeeper Patrick Schulte.
The playmaker left Colombus with a mountain to climb in first half stoppage time as he curling a free-kick around the wall and into the near corner, leaving Schulte to watch on helplessly.
Colombus halved the deficit just 20 minutes after the interval as Diego Rossi got his name on the scoresheet, but the hosts’ euphoria was shortlived as Luis Suarez made the most of an error involving Schulte and centre-back Rudy Camacho to restore Miami’s two-goal advantage.
Cucho Hernandez gave the home side hope of mounting a comeback when he dispatched a penalty in the bottom left corner of the net, but Miami secured all three points to make it a memorable night in the club’s history.
