Inter Miami CF said farewell to their undefeated MLS regular season on Sunday, falling 4–3 to FC Dallas after holding a 3–1 lead in the second half. 

Head coach Javier Mascherano opted to rotate his team for the first time in 2025, sitting Lionel Messi, Jordi Alba, Luis Suárez, Sergio Busquets and Oscar Ustari with an eye towards a comeback in the Concacaf Champions Cup against Vancouver Whitecaps FC. 

Goalkeeper Drake Callender took the start over Ustari and made five saves on nine shots while new striker signing Allen Obando scored in his first start as a lone striker in a new 5-4-1 formation. 

FC Dallas took the lead in the eighth minute from a Shaq Moore strike at the back post before the USMNT center back barreled a shot into his own goal to bring Miami level at 1–1. 

Obando and Martínez then found the net for Miami to give them the 3–1 advantage before Osaze Urhoghide, Anderson Julio and Pedrinho scored to complete the comeback for Dallas. 

The win pushed Miami to fifth place in the Eastern Conference with 18 points through nine games, and left them without a win against FC Dallas in their seven all-time meetings. 

With the loss behind them and rest for their stars, Miami look to Wednesday against Vancouver, hoping to overturn a 2–0 deficit from Leg 1 of the Champions Cup semifinal. 

Here are three takeaways from Miami’s collapse against Dallas. 

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Undefeated Season, Confidence Gone

Inter Miami CF
Benjamin Cremaschi was unable to control much of the play for Inter Miami CF on Sunday | Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

When Inter Miami were enjoying their record-setting Supporters' Shield-winning season in 2024, there was an aura and essence surrounding every match. Whether Messi took part or not, the team had a true identity under then head coach Gerardo “Tata” Martino. 

Fast forward to 2025, and the world could not look more different. With Messi, Alba, Suárez and Busquets in the lineup, Miami have looked one-dimensional and frustrated, even as they’ve scraped out results to sit near the top of the MLS Eastern Conference. 

Without them, the depth is no longer there. Simply, Mascherano has not allowed young players to play and develop with any consistency, struggling to fit them into the first team and not allowing those on MLS contracts to play regular minutes with Inter Miami CF II in MLS Next Pro. 

A lack of tactical identity and confidence came back to haunt the Herons against FC Dallas. Rather than being the confident, free-flowing side that Miami were in 2024, they struggled to progress the ball in possession and failed to track attackers in most situations. 

On the first goal from Moore, Gonzalo Luján had left the on-running man completely open. On the third and tying goal from Anderson Julio, the center back trio of Noah Allen, Maxi Falcon and Luján all failed to be aware of the ball over the top or whether the offside line was in play. 

In net, Drake Callender struggled, spilling a routine shot which led to the third goal. 

Under Mascherano, Miami lacks the confidence and tactical identity to find sustained success in MLS and should hold concerns about a comeback against Vancouver in the Champions Cup.

For a team spending this type of salary and with the alleged depth to support the star power, failing to win and allowing four goals to the previous ninth-place team in the Western Conference is simply unacceptable. 

There’s time to turn the season around for Miami, but the team might simply go as far as Messi goes—and who knows how much he has left in the tank, given 24 remaining regular season games, Leagues Cup, Champions Cup and the MLS Cup Playoffs. 

Rotated Players Stand Out in First Half

Inter Miami CF
Allen Obando netted his first MLS goal on Sunday | Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

While the squad rotation didn’t yield a result, it still opened up options for the future, particularly for Ian Fray, Yannick Bright and Obando, who all had standout moments despite the eventual disappointment. 

For Obando, it was a clean finish on a cross from Fray, netting his first Inter Miami goal in his first MLS start, after struggling to pull playing time away from Súarez so far this season. 

At the same time, having Yannick Bright in midfield without having to play second-string to Busquets allowed Miami to see the former MLS SuperDraft pick’s abilities as a ball progresser, and he did not disappoint. 

It all quickly came apart, though, with players taking on too many chances in attack, leaving the backline in a precarious position to shut down Dallas's transitions and be shorthanded in winning loose balls. 

Should Ian Fray Start vs. Vancouver Whitecaps?

Ian Fray
Ian Fray was dynamic in his attacking runs in the first half against FC Dallas | Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

Ian Fray turned heads with his performance on Sunday, assisting on Miami’s first two goals and consistently providing attacking threats as the right fullback. 

With two chances created and six passes into the final third, he made a strong case to take on more minutes in Mascherano’s side, with the team clearly looking more threatening when building from the back with him on the pitch. 

However, with a history of knee injuries, his minutes will likely have to be monitored, if not limited, leaving the Herons with a challenging tactical debate. Should Fray play without Alba on the left side, he is given the freedom to drive up the field, something he wouldn’t have if Alba is already pushing high on the other side. 

Given Miami’s need for goals against Vancouver on Wednesday, starting Fray and Alba for a more attacking punch could be a way to go, especially if both can be reliable with their crossing. 

However, Fray’s faults defensively on Sunday, as well as his clashing and similar style with Alba, could make the Herons defensively porous, and any Vancouver goal could be a killer to their title-winning hopes. 

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This article was originally published on www.si.com as A Disappointing Collapse Snaps Inter Miami's Undefeated Streak: 3 Takeaways From Loss vs. FC Dallas.

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