Who needs Lionel Messi?! How Inter Miami survived without inspirational Argentine during Copa America to keep MLS title dreams on track

By the time he'd headed off for Copa America, La Pulga's goal and assist numbers were already quite incredible. In just 15 games, Messi had racked up 14 goals as well as 11 assists. This run included MLS braces against Orlando City, Nashville SC and New England Revolution.

Then there was his dominant display against New York Red Bulls. Inter Miami were on fire that day, with Messi involved in each of his side's goals in a 6-2 victory (one goal, five assists). All in all, he failed to provide a goal or assist in just two of the 12 MLS games he was featured in to kick off the season.

When he wasn't around, the Herons seemed to miss him too. Muscle problems sidelined Messi for a four-game stretch in March, with Miami winning just one of those matches and losing two. This seemed to underline just how vital the eight-time Ballon d'Or winner was to his side's on-field fortunes in both a playmaking and goal-scoring capacity.

And he wasn't just the only key player that Miami weren't able to call upon once Copa America kicked-off, as Luis Suarez was also called up by Uruguay. There were some fears about the forward's fitness when he arrived in Miami, but he soon put those concerns to bed.

Suarez has instantly reignited his electric partnership with Messi and has racked up a hatful of goal contributions in the process. In the 20 appearances he made before leaving for the tournament, the ex-Liverpool star plundered 14 goals and chipped in with seven assists.

As if the departures of these two icons wasn't bad enough for Inter Miami, Matias Rojas - who has been a very useful cog since arriving in April - was also stolen away from them by Paraguay. It's little wonder that Martino was concerned about how his side would cope.

Despite those absences, the Herons initially managed to avoid any drop off - at least in terms of results. Their very first game without Messi and Suarez provided a glimpse into the topsy-turvy weeks that were to come.

Despite being reduced to nine men, with David Ruiz and Tomas Aviles both dismissed in the second half, they somehow managed to escape Philadelphia with a 2-1 victory. Julian Gressel opened the scoring against the Union, hinting at another theme for the Messi-less games.

After that result, Gressel would assist in each of his side's following three matches: all 2-1 wins against Columbus Crew, Nashville SC and Charlotte FC, respectively. With Messi gone, the U.S. interntional was moved from midfield into a more advanced right-wing position. It was a masterstroke from Martino that paid off handsomely, with Gressel repaying the faith placed in him in spades.

“We knew that [Messi] was going to be gone at the Copa America, so the intention was always for me to step into that position. Obviously, I’ll never be able to fill his shoes, but it’s something I can do and do it in my way," he said in June.

Jordi Alba also deserves credit for his displays during this positive run of results. Perhaps the least eulogised of Miami's high-profile former team-mates, he scored and then assisted in the wins over Nashville and Charlotte, grasping the mantle while his former Barcelona colleagues were away with their countries.

However, this positive momentum threatened to be derailed when Miami found themselves on the end of their joint-worst defeat in MLS history at the hands of FC Cincinnati. Although Sergio Busquets was dismissed for a second bookable offence just after the hour mark, this was not what swung the game in the hosts' favour.

By that point, the Herons were already 5-1 down, with the defensive problems that were predicted prior to the season rearing their head once again. Speaking after the eventual 6-1 defeat, Martino was honest about his side's shortcomings - and they had little to do with Messi not being available.

"We had a period early in the season where we were vulnerable in back, we started to fix that, the previous five or six games we had done a solid job defending. But this game we reverted defensively to how we played early in the season," he reflected. "Our opponent was better than us. We must take note of this. Cincinnati is one of the top three teams in the league. We are still not there despite our good results and performances. We have to keep working and hoping in the final part of the season we can improve with our full roster."

Martino's side needed a response 11 days later against Toronto FC. At least they could count on Messi's return to action to inspire them - or so they thought. Just before that encounter, the 37-year-old tearfully limped out of the Copa America final after 68 minutes, sparking fears of him missing another chunk of Miami's season through injury.

Eventually a prognosis emerged - and it wasn't good. Martino ruefully informed that Messi was expected to miss at least two games, though that was then extended to include the MLS All-Star Game. The expectation is that Messi could miss Miami's Leagues Cup defence, too.

Despite this hammer blow, the Herons managed to put the Cincinnati embarrassment behind them. Again, it was lesser-known names who rose to the challenge, with Messi super-fan Federico Redondo notching a brace and Diego Gomez also scoring in a 3-1 victory over Toronto.

And the party continued when Miami hosted Chicago Fire a few days later. This time, it was Alba and the returning Rojas who scored, again proving Martino's ability to reshape his squad when his generational talent is not around.

It may have been challenging for the manager, but this spell where two of his best players have been missing from the fold has taught us a great deal about Miami's title hopes. After successfully navigating the roadblocks in their way over the past few weeks, the Herons now enjoy a healthy five-point advantage at the Eastern Conference summit.

No MLS side boasts more points, wins or goals scored than Martino and Co, which is well worthy of praise considering the team's two principal attacking threats have been unavailable for sizable lengths of time. Coping without them also speaks to the group's character, something that could prove decisive when the playoffs roll around in a couple of months time.

If there's anything to be concerned about, it's the defense. The Cincinnati result was not a one off; the 39 goals Miami have already conceded is far more than the overwhelming majority of their most likely Supporters' Shield have let in.

Finding a better balance out of possession will clearly be key, but with Miami continuing to pull results out the bag without Messi, it's hard to look past them as MLS Cup favorites this season.