TThere are many different forms of leagues and championships around the world that honor season champions, which can be difficult to understand at times, but what is most questioned is the value of a champion after not being the best all year long. This phenomenon occurs in MLS and is known as the “curse of the Supporter’s Shield.”
The MLS playoffs are in full swing, and the United States is preparing to crown a new champion. Lionel Messi and Inter Miami have a huge chance to lift the trophy, and the much talked about ‘curse’ could pave the way for the Argentine to continue making history at club level.
Messi and company advance to conference finals | Cincinnati 0-4 Inter Miami | Highlights and goals | MLS
Curse of supporters’ shield that could help Messi
The Supporters’ Shield is the trophy awarded to MLS’s team of the year. The team with the most points in the regular season automatically receives this trophy, which is a reward for consistency, but does not guarantee being the best in the playoffs.
The curse lies in the fact that regular season champions often fail to maintain their level in the playoffs and are eliminated early. That happened to the Philadelphia Union this year. They were the most consistent team, but they couldn’t play that role in the playoffs. Statistics show that MLS Cup has only been crowned by a Supporters’ Shield winner eight times, with LAFC’s last being in 2022. This alarming figure gives hope to Messi and Inter Miami. They won’t be cursed for not being Supporters’ Shield champions.
Messi’s rival criticized for demanding shirt
Over the weekend, Inter Miami defeated Cincinnati by four goals to none to advance to the MLS Cup final. One of the stars of the game, Lionel Messi, shined with goals and assists, and rival players even asked for his shirt.
Teenager Hadebe demanded Messi’s shirt after the match, sparking outrage from former player and analyst Kaylin Kyle.
“Messi is the greatest of all time. He’s totally won everything… but we just lost 4-0. Is it really time to ask for his shirt? For me, it’s about embarrassment,” Kyle explained, questioning the Cincinnati player who believes there are other times to ask for a shirt.
