A Late Collapse, but Mission Accomplished: Takeaways From Inter Miami's Draw vs. Palmeiras

Inter Miami drew with Palmerias to close out Group A action in the FIFA Club World Cup. The result means the Herons don't top their group after leading by two goals, but they do advance to the round of 16. A tantalizing matchup on paper given Lionel Messi's ties to Paris Saint-Germain.

The Herons attacked and defended admirably for 80 minutes as Luis Suárez and Tadeo Allende had them in front for a majority of the game. Palmeiras fought back to score two late goals and secure their spot atop the group with an exciting Libertadores clash against Botafogo up next.

Many thought MLS sides would struggle heavily, but Inter Miami emerge undefeated and among the final 16. They'll be upset with conceding two late goals, but fatigue was setting in as Javier Mascherano was forced into multiple substitutions.

Takeaways from the game below.

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Representing Major League Soccer With Pride

Inter Miami. barring some major twist in Group D, should be the only Major League Soccer team to advance from the group stage. A massive feat given expectations for the Herons, Seattle Sounders and LAFC coming into the tournament.

Yes, Miami certainly had a perceived easy group on paper. The easiest, if you will, of the MLS teams. But, to not only have an undefeated stage while nearly topping their group are two big feathers in the cap for Javier Mascherano early in his managerial career.

After crashing out of the Concacaf Champions Cup to Vancouver Whitecaps in the semifinals, fans weren't sure what to expect from this team. Their defense has been all over the shop at times conceding sloppy goals. Oscar Ustari's performance against Al Ahly was a big motivator. After a strong 80 minutes, the team fell apart in the end against Palmeiras. They worked their socks off all game, but tired legs caught up to them.

No matter what happens next, Inter Miami will return to MLS after the tournament convinced they've turned a corner under their manager and are once again perceived favorites to go deep in MLS Cup Playoffs.

Lionel Messi Walking a Tight Rope for Next Two Rounds

One of the projected dream matchups of the knockout stage has come to fruition: Messi faces his old team PSG. Can't forget the connections players have to Luis Enrique either. But, coming out of their draw to Palmeiras, there's an underlying storyline to follow.

If Inter Miami are to make a magical run in the knockout stage, they'll need Lionel Messi. They wouldn't have gotten this far without him, but they'll struggle to advance further without him. Messi picked up a yellow card in the first half for a tactical foul after the Herons lost the ball on the edge of the Palmeiras box.

The Argentine certainly knew what he was doing, but picking up a yellow card means he'll have to walk on eggshells against PSG. Per FIFA's rules for the Club World Cup, any player that picks up a yellow card in two different games will miss their team's next match. As such, PSG will likely look to exploit Messi's apprehension. If he's forced into making a rash challenge his tournament could come to an end. Accumulated yellow cards are not wiped away until after the quarterfinals.

He'll have to work tirelessly against a PSG side that is considered the best team in the world currently.

Luis Suárez Gets Himself Among the Goals

Mascherano heavily relies on Messi and Luis Suárez to lead the line in a 4-4-2 formation. Work rates aside for both players at this point in their careers, the Herons succeed when both players are involved in scoring opportunities.

Suárez had a beautiful bit up link-up play on the Herons' counter-attack in the first half that led to Tadeo Allende's opener. His first goal involvement of the tournament came at the perfect time. Suárez nearly replicated it in the second half if not for Allende's poor finish. Suárez worked effortlessly to track back and help his team out on the edge of their box while keeping his wits about him to launch the Herons forward.

Suárez then scored his first goal of the tournament in the 65th minute to cap off a much-needed performance. One that, if he can replicate it moving forward, will be invaluable to the Herons this tournament.

Fans and the manager should be very happy with the Uruguayan's performance on the night. A positive sign moving forward into the knockout stage.

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