'Trust in God' is good advice, not an answer to Inter Miami's soccer slump

Calls for 'Hoyos out' increase after Las Garzas' loss to Toronto

Guillermo Hoyos inherited Inter Miami's interim coaching job after former manager Javier Mascherano, and his entire staff, suddenly resigned in April. He was on staff, he had coaching experience, and -- most importantly -- he had Lionel Messi's trust. He worked with Messi at Barcelona's La Masia Academy in the early 2000s; Messi has called him "my soccer father."

Other than his relationship with the captain, the journeyman's resume does not inspire confidence -- Hoyos played for 13 teams and the Miami coaching job is his18th. Still, he led Las Garzas to nine wins and earned 29 points in his first 12 matches, the best coaching start in team history. But the honeymoon is over; the 1-2 home loss Saturday to Toronto FC extended the Herons' winless streak to five.

Conventional wisdom suggests the front office will stick with Hoyos at least through the end of the year and, possibly, through the 2027 "sprint" season, a14-match plus playoffs competition to bridge the weeks between the 2026 MLS Cup in December and the beginning of the 2027-28 season next August. The selection of managers available -- and willing -- to take over the Messi project will grow after the MLS and Liga MX seasons and swell even more after the European leagues wrap up next spring.

So, it seems, we're stuck with Hoyos. Or are we? The team has experienced more than its share of injuries and untimely suspensions, but Hoyos has shown an inability to adapt his tactics to the opponent or the personnel available. Losses to Liga MX sides Monterrey and Club León, and to Major League Soccer leading Nashville SC, can be forgiven, but a draw at 12th-place Philadelphia and Saturday's loss to then 11th-place Toronto cannot.

And I find Hoyos' reply to a reporter's question about the team's challenges and his plans to meet them absolutely inadequate. Here's how Michelle Kaufman reported the exchange in the Miami Herald:

"Asked whether he felt the team’s struggles were due more to tactical issues, lineups, fatigue or lack of motivation, and how they can be fixed, Hoyos responded: 'Our players never play without determination. Never. It’s a situation we are living, and we have to face it and take responsibility [as coaches]. We have a lot of experience and when we started, thank God we started very well. We will continue to trust in God.'”

"...when we started, thank God we started very well. We will continue to trust in God."
Guillermo Hoyos

While faith in a higher power is commendable, it fails to answer any of the questions posed. It seems to me Hoyos is out of ideas, and I'm not the only supporter losing confidence.

Daniel Solana, "Dice el Dani" on Substack, shared his frustration on X:

"The performances aren’t good enough, the results aren’t good enough, and this team is clearly going backwards."
Daniel Solana, 'Dice el Dani'

"Toronto had won ONE game since April 4th and Inter Miami still found a way to lose to them....At some point, injuries, bad luck and excuses stop being enough. This is a roster with far too much talent and experience to be producing results like this," he wrote.

"In any normal league, a run this poor with a squad this good puts the manager’s job in serious danger.

"For me, this should be the end of Guillermo Hoyos at Inter Miami. The performances aren’t good enough, the results aren’t good enough, and this team is clearly going backwards."

He's not alone in that opinion:

"Inter Miami has lost the personality that led it to become champion."
José Armando, soccer journalist

Those are just two samples from knowledgeable observers. There are plenty like-minded posts across the Heronverse.

So, what is the Herons' lookout for the near future? Inter Miami has 13 regular season matches remaining; with a record of 11-4-6 for 39 points, the Herons trail Nashville SC (15-2-4, 49 pts.) and the Vancouver Whitecaps (12-4-4, 40 pts.) in the Supporters' Shield race and are second in the Major League Soccer Eastern Conference, three points ahead of the Chicago Fire (11-6-3, 36 pts.) They've played seven matches in August, roughly one every three days, but have the next two Wednesdays off -- and their next two games, Saturday against Montréal and Sept. 5 against Atlanta, are at home, so the Herons should have time to rest, for their injured players to get healthier, and to spend some serious time regrouping in training.

And for Guillermo Hoyos to come up with some answers; they better be good ones. The Supporters' Shield is slipping away, and the MLS Cup playoffs could be the Herons' only hope to lift a trophy this year and the last chance to qualify for next year's CONCACAF Champions Cup.

No pressure, Mr. Hoyos.

Add us as a preferred source on Google