Whereas groups are preventing to enhance their playoff place on Choice Day, Inter Miami might be trying to make Main League Soccer historical past.
The Lionel Messi-led squad has the chance to safe the league’s all-time factors document on Saturday in opposition to the New England Revolution. The Revolution set the document in 2021 with 73 factors, and Miami presently has 71.
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Miami has already clinched the highest spot within the Japanese Convention and secured the Supporters Protect.
Messi, a front-runner for the MLS MVP this season, has 17 targets and 15 assists regardless of enjoying simply 18 video games due to an ankle harm and commitments with the Argentine nationwide workforce.
Messi could not begin in opposition to New England for the reason that match would not have any playoff implications, and he simply returned this week from nationwide workforce obligation.
“On the twentieth of January, it might have appeared illogical to speak about aiming for the factors document; however now it’s inside attain, we wish to get it,” Miami coach Gerardo “Tata” Martino mentioned. “Nevertheless, we’re not [going] to do something loopy as a result of six days later, we begin crucial video games. That’s the place I should be cautious (managing gamers’ minutes).”
[Related: Lionel Messi leaves door open for 2026 World Cup: ‘We will see’]
D.C. United’s Christian Benteke is on the verge of profitable the 2024 MLS Golden Boot with a league-high 23 targets. Benteke is forward of 2023 winner LAFC’s Denis Bouanga and the Crew’s Cucho Hernández, who’ve 19 targets every.
There are nonetheless two playoff berths open within the Japanese Convention heading into Choice Day. D.C. United and Montreal are within the eighth and ninth spots however have not clinched but, whereas Philadelphia and Atlanta are nonetheless in rivalry.
Benteke mentioned D.C. United will not be scoreboard watching throughout its ultimate sport in opposition to Charlotte. All of the East’s matches on Saturday happen concurrently.
“We had some ups and downs by way of the season, and now that is it,” Benteke mentioned. “We’re there. We are able to see the ultimate line. Man, it is thrilling as a result of that is our probability. We have labored so onerous and we have been by way of many, many issues.”
The No. 8 and No. 9 seeds in every convention play in a match for the final playoff spot and an opportunity to play the top-seeded workforce — Miami within the East and both the LA Galaxy or LAFC within the West.
Though all 9 playoff berths had been already clinched within the West, the Galaxy and LAFC are nonetheless jockeying for the highest seed. The Galaxy wants a win or draw at Houston on Saturday to lock it down.
With a win, the Galaxy will end with 67 factors, matching the workforce’s 2011 whole when it went on to win the MLS title.
“I feel it is nice that the sport is significant,” Galaxy coach Greg Vanney mentioned. “Right now of 12 months, I’d somewhat have a significant sport that we’re enjoying for one thing, somewhat than a sport the place you are feeling such as you’re not enjoying for one thing proper earlier than you actually begin enjoying for one thing. So I feel that retains the correct depth and the correct consideration within the group.”
The highest 4 seeds in every convention after Choice Day win home-field benefit for the primary spherical.
Additional down the desk within the West, Cascadia Cup rivals Portland and Vancouver maintain the wild card positions. That might change, as the underside 5 playoff-bound groups are all inside six factors of one another.
The Whitecaps hope to maneuver up the desk this weekend at Actual Salt Lake, however Vancouver has been winless in its final six matches.
“Clearly, we’ve had a foul run of outcomes lately,” striker Brian White mentioned. “So it’d be nice to enter playoffs with a bit of little bit of extra constructive vitality, a win, and see what we are able to do from there.”
Reporting by The Related Press.
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