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Inter Miami GFXGOAL
Tom Hindle

The Rondo, MLS Playoffs edition: Are Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami at risk of another postseason setback - this time vs. FC Cincinnati?

The Conference semifinals are set to serve up plenty of drama this weekend, with Inter Miami hoping to stay alive.

MLS playoffs are back. And they’ve been missed, really. The first round didn’t deliver much in terms of upsets, but there was more than enough drama to whet the appetite. And even if pausing the postseason to avoid clashes with international soccer was the right call, it still felt like something of a buzzkill to see MLS go dormant for a couple of weeks.

But hey, they’re here again - and the bracket looks remarkably good. What we have now are two star-studded semifinals and two more matchups that offer plenty of intrigue in their own right. Inter Miami vs. FC Cincinnati is a total toss-up, especially with Lionel Messi’s side heading into a brutally tough venue to face Evander and Co. 

Anders Dreyer and Hirving “Chucky” Lozano’s San Diego FC are clear favorites against Eric Ramsay’s Minnesota United, but the Loons are a nightmare to play against - and they match up well. And then there’s the Supporters’ Shield winners, the Philadelphia Union, who now have to prove that their league-best record holds weight with rivals NYCFC coming to town.

Making any sort of picks is a fool’s errand - which is why GOAL U.S. writers went ahead and did it anyway in another edition of… The Rondo.

  • evander Getty Images

    What's your prediction for Inter Miami-Cincinnati?

    Tom Hindle: This is a tough one. If it were in Miami, you'd back Messi and Co. to make it look relatively easy. But Cincinnati is a difficult place to go, and if Miami go down early, it could get ugly. Let's assume (generously) that the Miami defense holds it down for long enough for Leo to cook. Let's go with 3-1 Miami, Messi with two of them.

    Ryan Tolmich: Should be a good one. Cincy has the firepower to go toe-to-toe with anyone, and Miles Robinson told GOAL this week that they feel that way internally, too. Even so, it’s Messi, and he isn’t just anyone. It’ll be tight, but Miami edges it due to a Messi moment

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  • Inter Miami CF v Atlanta UnitedGetty Images Sport

    What would a loss to Cincinnati mean for Miami's long-term plans?

    TH: Hopefully, it would be a bit of a wake-up call as to how they're getting things wrong over there. They could do with building a proper team around Messi, and they screwed that up this year. If they lose, you'd hope the front office changes things and makes some smart decisions. That might be awfully optimistic, though. 

    RT: Nothing? They’re heading towards a rebuild regardless, with this being some of the Barca boys’ last dance. Do they get younger? More Messi friends? They are the team to watch this offseason, no matter how their MLS Cup journey ends.

  • Portland Timbers v San Diego FCGetty Images Sport

    Are San Diego on upset watch at home?

    TH: If it were anyone but Minnesota United, the answer would have to be no. But the Loons are set up to be difficult to break down, and have beaten San Diego on their patch before. The expansion franchise made things far too tricky against Portland, too, and look far more vulnerable than many might have expected. A Minnesota win wouldn't be an immense surprise. 

    RT: Of course, because everyone is in these one-game clashes. The Loons have confidence at the moment, and they also have an elite goalkeeper. That’s enough sometimes, so San Diego should be challenged, at the very least.

  • Philadelphia Union v Chicago Fire FC - 2025 MLS Cup PlayoffsGetty Images Sport

    Have the Philadelphia fallen out of the MLS Cup conversation?

    TH: Not at all, but there's far less chatter about them than you'd expect for a Supporters' Shield winner. But that's kind of the point with Philly. The star is the system, and they're content chugging along, picking up wins here and there. NYCFC are down two big names in Andrés Perea and Alonso Martínez, and the Union will go into that fixture as clear favorites. Whether they can beat Miami and Cincinnati in a one-off, though, is far less certain. 

    RT: They’ll probably be fine. The off-field reports about their Sporting Director Ernst Tanner are no help, but those aren’t directly related to the players themselves. They’ll have to push that to the side and just play, which is easier said than done but entirely possible.