Did we just witness the biggest upset in MLS history? Well, we just saw MLS Supporters’ Shield winners, Inter Miami, fall to Atlanta United, which dashed Lionel Messi‘s hopes for an MLS Cup victory. In light of this loss, Jordi Alba has voiced concerns regarding the league’s format, deeming it inequitable.

As is well known, in MLS’ playoff system the top eight teams from each conference compete for the Cup, eventually leading to one team being crowned as champions. However, Alba believes that this structure puts supporters shield winners like his team at a disadvantage after they were eliminated in the first round of playoffs.

After their 3-2 defeat, he conveyed his disappointment by saying, “We were the most consistent team, we broke the points record, we had a good season but what we wanted was to win these playoffs. I think this format is somewhat unfair.” This prompted his criticism of the current setup: “I think this format is a bit unfair.”

The ex-Barca star proposed an alternative method for determining how the MLS Cup victor should be decided. He suggested, “It’s been done for many years but I think it should be the champion of one conference against the champion of the other, to make it as fair as possible.”

The structure of MLS differs greatly from other leagues worldwide. Given that Jordi Alba has spent nearly his entire career in Europe, it’s understandable why he feels this way. Typically there is straightforward recognition where accumulating the most points determines league champions—a sharp contrast to what exists across the Atlantic.

Now that we’ve gathered insights from the players, let’s turn our attention to the comments made by the coach regarding Inter Miami’s disappointing exit. As for Tata Martino, he appears to maintain a more hopeful outlook despite the loss.

Tata Martino excited for future with Lionel Messi and others

After the intense game, Tata Martino addressed the media in a post-match conference to reflect on Inter Miami’s overall season. Though the conclusion was disheartening, he expressed satisfaction with how much progress the team has achieved compared to last year. He emphasized this by saying, “The club as a whole is clearly improving, not just the team.”

He further highlighted how significantly ambitions have escalated within just one year. To put it into perspective, last season, Inter Miami was aiming for a top-8 finish to secure a spot in the MLS Playoffs; now they’ve won the Supporters’ Shield but still seek greater success.

In wrapping up his remarks, he stated confidently, “I see no reason why the club should not continue trying next season.” This optimistic perspective will certainly be crucial as they head into both next season and the FIFA Club World Cup. It’s fair to say that Lionel Messi’s quest for an MLS Cup is far from over.