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It's hard not to wonder what would have happened if Cristiano Ronaldo had been actually fit to play. What if 2023's top goalscorer was on the pitch, not in a luxury box high above the Kingdom Arena? Would it have been seven? Eight? Ten?!
Inter Miami will feel bad enough about shipping six in Thursday's embarrassing friendly defeat to Al-Nassr. Even without Lionel Messi's biggest rival, Ronaldo, on the field, Miami were exposed over and over again in the second leg of their Saudi Arabian visit.
Their first leg was worrisome enough, although their second-half comeback against Al-Hilal made it respectable. The 6-0 loss to Al-Nassr, though? That was downright scary.
Through four games this preseason, Inter Miami's attack has looked a bit off, although you can excuse that part. There's simply too much talent in that part of the field for them to struggle once things really get rolling in MLS play.
But the defense? That was the area of the field pinpointed as a weakness from the start. And, through this initial phase of preseason, it's been made abundantly clear that, if anything is going to hold the Herons back, it will be their ability to stop their opponents from doing whatever they please with the ball at their feet.
