New Inter Miami boss Kily González has one job: Win
American football coaching legend Al Davis said it best: "Just win, baby."
That's it. That's all I want new Inter Miami manager Kily González to do in his Las Garzas' coaching debut tonight: Just win.
The Herons haven't won much lately, just once in their past nine matches, and that victory -- a 7-1 shellacking of CF Montréal on Aug. 29 -- is beginning to feel like a fever dream. Disappointment has dogged the defending MLS Cup champions in 2026 and, with just nine regular season matches left, the club and its supporters need a confidence boost.
Beating Liga MX side Cruz Azul tonight to lift the 2026 Campeones Cup trophy could be the pick-me-up the Herons need as they enter the season's home stretch.
Casual fans could check the standings and wonder what the fuss is about; the Herons (12-4-9, 45 points) are second in Major League Soccer's Eastern Conference and third in the Supporters' Shield standings. Nashville leads both races with 54 points, nine more than Inter Miami. Unless they completely implode, Las Garzas will make the playoffs and likely host at least one match. That's not bad.
Now the context: During the celebration after the Herons' 3-1 championship win against Vancouver in December, managing co-owner Jorge Mas told the world Miami's priority in 2026 was to win CONCACAF Champions Cup; Nashville ended that dream in March, eliminating Miami in the Round of 16 on the away-goal tiebreaker. Meanwhile, the Herons failed to win any of their first four matches at Nu Stadium, its state-of-the-art new home. To make matters worse, in-state rival Orlando City SC scored three unanswered goals to beat Miami 4-3 on May 2. The Lions, the hated Lions, won the first-ever match in our new stadium.
Our MLS Cup-winning coach, Javier Mascherano, and his whole staff resigned unexpectedly in April (after the third straight draw at Nu Stadium), and Guillermo Hoyos, who coached a young Lionel Messi at Barcelona in 2003, moved from the front office to the sideline.
Hoyos won nine of his first 12 matches in charge and, despite Hoyos' unimpressive coaching resume, most supporters were feeling cautiously optimistic. Then we lost to Leagues Cup matches at home to Monterrey and Club León and failed for the first time ever to advance to the tournament's knockout rounds.
Still, Inter Miami went to Nashville on Aug. 15 trailing the Coyotes by just two points; a win would have set them atop the Supporters' Shield and Eastern Conference tables. Nashville won 4-1 and -- except for the 7-1 home win against L'Impact, the Herons have struggled since.
So, no, nobody's going to feel sorry for Inter Miami; we're still among the league's best teams. But that's not the assignment. From the very beginning, David Beckham and the Mas brothers (Jorge and Jose) have set a very clear goal: to be the continent's best soccer club.
No pressure, Kily. Get us that win tonight, will you?
