Inter Miami's defense is still their biggest issue! Lionel Messi-less Herons ran into the ground by CF Montreal

CF Montreal defender Fernando Alvarez opened the scoring just 13 minutes into the match, heading home off a corner kick. The away side held onto that lead for the next 50+ minutes before chaos ensued.

The Herons earned a goal back to level the match in the 71st minute through Leonardo Campana, only to see the goal undone four minutes later by forward Matias Coccoro. CF Montreal then added a third three minutes after that through Sunusi Ibrahim to make it 3-1.

In typical Inter Miami fashion, though, they didn't give up there. Jordi Alba brought them right back into the match in the 80th minute, marking it four goals between the two sides across a nine-minute span. The Spaniard knocked home an outrageous strike, but his herculean effort was not enough for them to get by as they suffered their first defeat of the season, 3-2.

CF Montreal signed ex-Inter Miami forward Josef Martinez during the offseason ahead of the 2024 campaign. Just minutes into his cameo off the bench at halftime, Herons defender Tomas Aviles was given a yellow card for an egregious tackle on his ex-teammate.

Lionel Messi: It's not too often that a player not in the matchday squad is named MVP, but for Inter Miami on Sunday, it was the Argentine. It was laid out how important and crucial he is to the way the Herons play, especially across the final-third.

They struggled with build-up play from the midfield into the attack, with far too many giveaways taking place in the CF Montreal half. With Suarez on the bench, too, they relied on winger Robert Taylor to be the combination player alongside Campana but it was just too much of a task for the Finnish international to play that role.

Messi is the glue to that attack, and without him in the mix, the Herons looked lost.

Tata Martino: It was a bland and uninspiring affair for anyone who showed up to watch the Herons at Chase Stadium Sunday afternoon. Messi's absence obviously played a key role, but there is still a plethora of talent on the pitch across the board with Tata Martino's squad. The Herons boss opting to roll out with five defenders once again set his side back from the start.

When your best attacker on the field is your left back, in Jordi Alba, there is obviously an issue with transition into the final-third. The Spaniard scored the best of the five goals across the board Sunday, but his terrific strike was not enough to prove that the formation is the best way to get the most out of the Herons squad.

They struggled for 80+ minutes against Nashville SC last Thursday in the same formation, but lucked out when their superstars saved them in the closing minutes. That magic couldn't be repeated Sunday.

The Herons will turn their attention to Wednesday evening's match against Nashville SC in the CONCACAF Champions Cup. It will be leg two of the series, with Inter Miami playing host this time around. They drew leg one in Nashville 2-2 last Thursday, with Suarez and Messi bagging the goals.