As the rain poured down in Geodis Park and the referee blew the final whistle on Wednesday’s 0-0 draw, frustration consumed Inter Miami CF players across the field. The once dominant identity the Herons worked hard to cultivate disappeared, while ghosts of games past came to haunt them.
Inter Miami last played away against Nashville SC on Nov. 1, 2025, in a game that saw the opposing defense mute Lionel Messi, Sam Surridge overwhelm Miami defenders, and the Tennessee team win 2-1 and force the Herons to a third game in the MLS Eastern Conference playoffs.
This time, it will all once again come down to a win-or-be-eliminated match at Chase Stadium to keep the front office’s promise alive. Because, for Inter Miami the Concacaf Champions Cup isn’t just a dream, but a demand by co-owner Jorge Mas placed upon his players and a promise made to the fans.
“We want more. Once today [the 2025 MLS Cup] is done and tomorrow comes… the goal then is Champions. The team’s goal next year is the Concacaf Champions League because we want to qualify for the Club World Cup in 2029,” Mas said after Inter Miami lifted league trophy.
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Even before kick-off on Wednesday, Miami and head coach Javier Mascherano knew the stakes were high. From a sporting perspective, Mascherano expected the difficult match, and warned his own players to be wary of a Nashville side that would be focused on revenge.
“Above all, we have to keep in mind that they’re a team with blood in their eyes,” said Mascherano on Tuesday. “When you face a rival that we’ve fortunately eliminated and that helped us win the championship last year, and in previous seasons the club has even won finals against them, it’s clear that they’re going to want their revenge. So above all, we’re taking into account that we’re going to face a rival that has a great thirst for sporting revenge, clearly not for any other kind, and we have to be very prepared for that.”
But still, Miami didn’t seem prepared to overcome an opponent that chose to press high and not sit back. Nashville, no longer shocked by Inter Miami’s star power, breezed through the right wing to force Dayne St. Clair into a number of game-changing saves.
Rather than the keeper, however, the biggest component to Miami’s clean sheet came from Surridge and Hany Mukhtar’s lack of accuracy as several shots from both players went just inches wide of the net.
Meanwhile, Miami’s attack struggled to penetrate the final third.
The Herons last triumphed against Nashville 4-0 with an attacking trio of Messi as a false nine, with Tadeo Allende and Mateo Silvetti on the wings. Yet on Wednesday night, Mascherano opted to bench Silvetti and rearrange formations to feature Germán Berterame as the lone striker.
In the first half, the team generated just two shots (zero on target) despite having 64% of possession. But once Mascherano made changes in the second half, substituting in Silvetti, the team generated more — six attempts on goal — but only forced Nashville goalkeeper Brian Schwake into one save. In the end, the visitors were able to connect passes more in the final third, but exasperation became the dominant characteristic of all their offensive attempts.
Mascherano later blamed the result on the familiarity between the two opponents, claiming that each side has figured out the other’s strengths and weaknesses.
“Sometimes when a game ends 0-0 it’s because both teams were thinking about how to disrupt the opponent’s attack,” said the coach in the post-match press conference. “In the end, we played five games in the last three months. Usually, you start to figure out, ‘Where can I stop them?” And they know how to stop us.'”
Beyond the reason for the result, Miami now faces the daunting challenge of triumphing against Nashville at Chase Stadium to fulfil the Mas’ pledge. It’s the team’s third attempt to conquer the Concacaf region, and the reasons for falling short seem to be accumulating.
The Herons first featured in CCC action in 2024, under former head coach Gerardo “Tata” Martino with Messi, Sergio Busquets, Jordi Alba and Luis Suárez on the roster. The team defeated Nashville in the round of 16 before eventually falling to Monterrey in the quarterfinals.
At the time, Martino blamed the strict MLS roster rules for a lack of depth in the squad, which he claimed didn’t allow Miami to fairly compete versus the Liga MX giant.
“If MLS doesn’t ease the various rules it has to have deeper rosters, with injuries and suspensions, Liga MX will continue to have the advantage,” he said. “MLS still cannot compete with Liga MX at the same level because of roster rules.”
Miami returned in 2025 with the fantastic four still in the squad and new head coach Mascherano to try again. The Herons reached the semifinals of the tournament before being eliminated by a familiar MLS foe in the Vancouver Whitecaps to see the CCC dream come to a halt.
Despite previous failures, there is no mercy for Inter Miami players and coaching staff as the front office looks to clinch the only trophy the club has yet to win. The instructions for this year continue to be clear: win the 2026 Concacaf Champions Cup to qualify for the upcoming edition of the Club World Cup.
And though Miami kicked off the campaign by generating doubt, concern and fear, the clean sheet left the door open for a comeback. And, with Messi on the roster, Inter Miami should never be ruled out of turning a fraught situation into a fantasy moment at Chase Stadium.
