The Rondo: GOAL USA roundtable on Messi controversy, Endrick's future and Copa America madness

Tom Hindle: No, but I'm not sure they have a choice. Brazil are pretty miserable at the moment, the friendly win over England in March notwithstanding. There are a number of reasons for their poor form, but the lack of a proper striker is certainly one of them. Endrick is, in effect, the only natural finisher in their talent pool. Get the guy who can score goals in, and you'd figure they are more likely to win games. (duh.)

Still, that would only seem to pile pressure on a 17-year-old who is already being called the "next Pele." Even if all bets are off - Argentina really should win this tournament - putting the pressure of a nation on the shoulders of teenager doesn't seem fair. Then again, should he score 15 goals and Brazil win the thing, then he is the next Pele and Dorival Junior is a managerial genius. Fine margins and all...

Ryan Tolmich: We're buying all of the Endrick stock we can here in the Tolmich household. The hype is already high, but it feels like this is all just beginning.

The teenager is poised for a breakout, although his performance against Spain earlier this year may have been the moment he arrived. And the rest of the world will soon find out, whether he's wearing Brazil's colors or Real Madrid's.

Can he be THE guy? Probably not yet, but he'll have help. Brazil's attack is still loaded, despite the team's faults, so it will be a goals-by-committee situation. And yes, Endrick is part of that committee that will be key to Brazil's Copa America push.

Jacob Schneider: Absolutely not. This shows the inexperience of Dorival. There is no denying that Endrick is good enough to play for Brazil, he is a sensational footballer. However, that does not mean he should the sole focus.

This is the Selecao, a team with history, a team built on genuine excellence. As a teenager, Endrick is still growing into his body, still understanding every movement that his muscles make, still learning what it means to be a professional footballer. Thrusting him into the spotlight and putting extreme expectations on his shoulders is irresponsible in every sense. We’re asking far too much of him - and the Selecao could pay the price farther down the line.

TH: Mexico confuses me. Given their pedigree and the underrated talent of their domestic league, they really should be quite good (it doesn't always work out that way of course, see England.) They appear to be a bit in between generations, and although it has raised eyebrows that Jimenez, Ochoa and Chucky are out, they might just be smart in trying to usher in the next generation.

El Tri are certainly fortunate given their group. They arguably have the weakest one in the competition, and you'd figure they should get out of a setup that includes Ecuador (not that great), Venezuela (improving, but beatable), and Jamaica (generally a mess.) Given that most of the roster is 23 or younger, it would also serve them well ahead of the 2026 World Cup - which is clearly the focus with this squad selection.

Outside of that, what else is attainable? Top the group and they likely face Chile. Come second and it'll be Argentina. Not sure you'd fancy Mexico in either matchup. A quarter-final exit wouldn't be catastrophic, but not sure the fans will be chuffed.

RT: It's not looking good, is it? With just two players featuring in top five leagues, this is one of the weakest Mexico squads we've seen and there aren't many signs of it getting better.

Mexican soccer needs an overhaul, one that will require the federation itself to accept some blame. Until then, the program will remain stagnant while others grow. For this summer, though, their group is manageable, so they should escape. Anything after that, though? Good luck. The team simply isn't talented enough to go toe-to-toe with this competition's real contenders.

JS: A realistic expectation is to compete for a knockout spot. El Tri are in a rebuilding phase are simply the worst CONCACAF side competing in the tournament. Canada are very good, Jamaica - at full strength - is a dark horse candidate for Copa, while the USMNT have to be looked at as at least semi-final contenders.

It’s the Santi Gimenez show, and if he doesn’t produce, they’re absolutely doomed.

TH: No, but with a caveat. Messi is the best player to ever kick a football, and as long as he's on the pitch, Miami will fancy themselves to win. However, Suarez certainly makes this team better in a way that Messi perhaps doesn't. These days, Messi isn't much of a goalscorer. He operates best as a setup man, a deadly little playmaker who makes MLS look silly for fun. Miami would be in trouble without him.

Suarez is his perfect complimentary piece. With Messi doing all of the moving, Suarez can do what he does best: stick the ball in the net. Yes, his knees are gone, and yes, he does look a bit thick around the waist, but he's certainly the best finisher in the league, and in some ways still a world class No.9 - even in his late 30s.

Put it this way: Messi makes Inter Miami a very good playoff team, who can certainly make a run to a championship. Suarez, if he stays fit, makes them title favourites.

RT: If there's one player who can even reasonably compare to Messi, it is Suarez. But, realistically, comparing anyone to Messi is never going to be close.

Yes, Suarez is vital and, yes, his goals are often the difference between success and failure for Inter Miami. Messi, though, is in a completely different stratosphere. He dominates games in ways that make everyone around him, including Suarez, almost as unplayable as he is.

Suarez is a key player, and Miami can't win an MLS Cup without him. But Messi is Messi... what more do you need to say?

JS: This is like asking if Rudy Gobert is more important than Anthony Edwards for the Minnesota Timberwolves (for you NBA fans). Hear your reasoning, acknowledge your point, but in the end, you’re wrong.

Leo is the most important part of Miami. He is the glue of the attack and the individualistic creator that essentially connects the midfield to the attack. We’ve seen that in games this year without Messi that not only have Miami struggled, but Suarez has, too. He relies on his longtime friend to feed him passes and play at the same IQ level. Miami aren’t title contenders without Messi - even with Suarez.

TH: Have always wanted to say this - if only to sound a bit pretentious and contrarian: Lionel Messi is wrong. At least on these changes in MLS "sporting initiatives." Theoretically, the one that Messi is mad about - players must wait two minutes before coming back onto the pitch after receiving treatment - is a good thing. Time wasting is fun, but also an issue, and given that every game has about 30 minutes of added time anyway, you should punish teams that try to bend the rules. Two minutes on the sidelines is an annoyance, but it should deter sides from messing about

The issue, of course, is what happens when a player is actually hurt, needs a bit of magic spray, and then is ready to go again? That was Messi's qualm - and it's not unreasonable. A player of Messi's caliber is always likely to reenter the contest. But zoom out, and the changes make sense at macro level. Not even the great Argentine is exempt. Deal with it, Leo (although ... love you dearly.)

RT: There's a fine line being straddled right now. There are rules that need changing, yes, but there's also a very real concern with "Americanizing" the sport.

It doesn't feel these injury rules fall into that concern. This is about taking a frustrating aspect out of the game. It's annoying for now because it's new but, at some point, we'll laugh at how much time was wasted watching players attempt to kill off games.

Maybe it gets tweaked a bit at some point, but the spirit of the rule is fine - even if Messi isn't quite comfortable with it.

JS: Ultimately, they will be considered a good thing - even if in the short-term, they’re a bit annoying. As MLS grows and as the league continues to evolve, these sporting changes are for the best. We saw the success of in-stadium VAR announcements at the 2023 Women’s World Cup and that sort of transparency is beneficial for all parties involved.

As for the injury rule, it will slowly eliminate time-wasting and fake injuries on the pitch, as nobody wants to hand their side a disadvantage. As for the substitution rule, there’s a simple solution for players who are annoyed by it: just leave the field at the spot closest to you. Take a lap, walk it off and let the game get underway.