The legendary Uruguayan certainly has one more year left, but he would have to make sacrifices to stay in South Beach
The defining image of Inter Miami's 2024 Playoffs won't be Lionel Messi lifting the MLS Cup. It won't be a smile from Tata Martino, or hugs between jubilant players, celebrating in South Beach.
Instead, it is the shot of an angry Luis Suarez, pushing Atlanta United goalkeeper Brad Guzan into the back of the net after Messi's goal in the Herons' game 3 loss, the biggest upset in MLS history. It was, at the time, a somewhat funny scene – albeit one that came with some predictable social media vitriol.
But it was emblematic of the way Suarez's influence for this side waned over the course of the 2024 season.
The Uruguayan was prolific during the regular season, scoring 20 goals and linking up with Messi in so many predictably wonderful ways. Those instinctive connections that had carved La Liga and the Champions League apart were still alive. Sure, the legs were older. Yet the brain worked just as fast, the synapses still snapping away. At times, it was spellbinding.
However, when it all got real, when the games started to matter, Suarez's flaws were exposed. He may still be an excellent goalscorer, instinctive in the box and clever in his movement. But MLS playoffs, in two short weeks, laid bare the issues that were always feared: Suarez is aging, and in this athletic league, his weaknesses can be exploited.
X/ USMNTVSHATERSWhat went wrong for Suarez and Miami
Look at the numbers, and everything suggests that Suarez had an agreeable round one showing against Atlanta. The forward scored a crucial goal in game one, and was a nuisance in attack throughout. He had more touches inside the Atlanta box than any other Miami player. Only Messi took more shots. In abstract, all of the key pieces were there.
But watch closely, zoom in, and things weren't so smooth. Suarez drifted in and out of the final two games of the series, at times marked out of the contest by Atlanta. He missed two big chances in the decisive game 3, and was well denied by Guzan on a handful of occasions.
Off the ball, things were worse. Miami are a confusing side out of possession. They aren't athletic enough to press high, and they're too old to drop deep and hit on the break – those aging legs can't handle it. The result is open, cavernous spaces in the midfield. And Suarez is partially to blame. In the second and third games, in particular, he didn't cut passing lanes like he should. Atlanta threaded the ball right through Miami. The game passed him by.
And when he went on solo runs to close the ball down, the rest of the Miami team didn't follow him. There were numerous times in which this aging striker – who has admitted that he cannot exist without pain in his knees – sprinted after the ball, and tried to hound an opposing defence, only to find that he was alone in his efforts.
There is something to be said here for modification, or adaptation. And Suarez is a smart footballer with many years of experience. At his best, in his athletic prime, he was an immensely effective presser and defender. He, alone, is not at fault here. Still, the point remains: asking Suarez to move, consistently, for 90 minutes, is an unrealistic remit for a player of his age.
AdvertisementGetty ImagesHis contract situation
This is all made an issue by the fact that Suarez is technically out of contract. He signed a one-year minimum deal to play in Miami, forgoing the millions that he might have undoubtedly made playing pretty much anywhere else. His reported $1.5 million per year salary is just more than half of what he made every week at Barcelona. He has expressed, on multiple occasions, that he would be interested in returning to Miami for at least one more year (you'd assume that this is something Messi might also welcome.)
But on what kind of deal? This is where it all gets a bit complicated. Suarez is too good, too experienced, and too revered to be making what is effectively a minimum intake. However, he probably isn't enough of a game-changing presence to be on designated player money. In other words, Suarez might want to stay, but how much he can be paid, under MLS's strict salary rules, could impact whether he remains in South Beach.
USA Today ImagesThe Leo Campana problem
Perhaps ironically, the decisive actor here isn't Suarez. It isn't Messi, either. Rather, it's backup striker Leo Campana. The Ecuadorian was always going to be bumped to a bench role when Suarez came in. And he did so with grace and aplomb. He provided eight goals in a reserve role, and willingly filled gaps, plugged holes, and sacrificed himself for the team. Miami has him under contract until 2027 – which is something of a contentious issue.
Campana fills the kind of salary slot that Suarez could slide into, or that Miami could invest elsewhere. He would, presumably, fetch a handy return if Miami were to trade him for another player, or additional financial flexibility. Most MLS teams would probably see him as a solid starter, if not a reliable goalscorer.
But, up front, Miami need a game-changer. This whole thing needs maximizing, every dollar shrewdly spent. Campana isn't good enough to boot Suarez out of the lineup, but he isn't so bad that he becomes a liability.
The fact that he is an asset off the bench makes him even more of an issue from a financial perspective. Miami don't rely on him, but they need players like him. Still, he may be a luxury they cannot afford if they want to invest in another striker.
Getty ImagesOther options
The Miami inquest has already started.
Earlier this week, it was reported that Miami are interested in River Plate striker Miguel Borja. He would seem to be an interesting option for the Herons. At 31, he isn't exactly a young prospect. But his 23 goals in the Argentine top flight suggest that there could be a real player here. Borja wouldn't be cheap, and would likely come on designated player money. That would seem to block Suarez from that spot, and force the Uruguayan into another year on a lower salary.
There is also the Neymar issue. The Brazilian hasn't played consistent football in more than a year, and a hamstring issue has him out until the start of 2025. But he has been constantly linked with a move to MLS when his Saudi Pro League contract ends. The fact that he just bought a house in Miami has only fueled speculation. Could he be added as a designated player, reuniting the famous MSN trio in full, 10 years on?
But scour the rest of Miami's roster, and there are perhaps more pressing needs than a striker. Right back is a problem, so too is center midfield and even center back. If Miami want to be this well-balanced squad that can win the MLS Cup, then another attacking player to fill valuable cap space wouldn't seem to be the best investment.
And if logic prevails, will Suarez be willing to sacrifice money for a hard-working sort of utility player? Someone objectively worse at football but more valuable to this team? It's a tricky balance to strike.
