Nicolas Freire, Inter Miami’s star defender, suffered an ACL tear that will keep him out of the game for the rest of the season. Inter Miami is presently at the at the top of the MLS standings. During a recent game against DC United, in which Inter Miami secured a 1-0 victory thanks to a goal from Leonardo Campana in extra time, Freire suffered this season-ending injury. According to a statement from the team, Freire will have surgery at Baptist Health and is anticipated to miss the remainder of the campaign. The success of Inter Miami has been greatly attributed to Freire, the Argentine defender who is on loan from Liga MX team Pumas UNAM during the 2024 season.
He has appeared in nine out of his 10 matches, accumulating an impressive total of 740 minutes on the field. His passing accuracy, boasting a completion rate of 92 percent this season, has been a significant asset to Inter Miami’s style of play. With Miami securing 31 points, they rank among the highest in the MLS standings, holding a one-point lead over FC Cincinnati. Miami has showcased an outstanding offensive display this season, as evidenced by their remarkable goal difference of +16, making them the league’s top scorers with 36 goals. The contributions of Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez, both former Barcelona stars, have been pivotal, accounting for a combined total of 21 goals. Their offensive prowess has propelled Miami to an unprecedented eight-match winning streak, a feat matched only by one other team in MLS history.
Apart from their achievements inside the league, Inter Miami also demonstrated their strength internationally as they made it to the CONCACAF Champions League quarterfinals. They gave a great effort, but a powerful Monterrey squad eliminated them. But throughout the season, the Messi-led team has struggled with injuries, which have affected their lineup and output. In addition to Freire’s ACL injury that ended the season, two other important players that were also injured were Diego Gomez (diagnosed with a high ankle sprain in April) and Facundo Farias (season-ending knee injury in January).
Robbie Robinson has also been absent throughout 2024 due to a calf injury. Despite his own battle with muscle issues, Messi continues to make significant contributions to the team’s performance, a trend that has persisted since the end of last year. In Freire’s absence, the team is anticipated to lean on Tomas Aviles and Sergii Kryvtsov as the primary center-back pairing. Additionally, Miami has 25-year-old CB Ryan Sailor, who has played in four games for the club this season.
