Grading Inter Miami's Important Win Over Colorado Rapids in Front of Historic Crowd

Inter Miami got the Guillermo Hoyos era off to a winning start, defeating the Colorado Rapids 3–2 on Saturday with a brace from Lionel Messi, after the now-former sporting director took over as manager following the split from previous boss Javier Mascherano.

Taking to the pitch at Empower Field at Mile High, Miami were playing in front of the most fans in club history, with the official attendance of 75,824 ranking as the second-highest in MLS regular-season history—outshining the 75,673 that attended the season-opening loss to LAFC.

And those fans weren’t left without entertainment, as the Herons made the most of their early chances and Messi scored a brace, while the Rapids put on an inspiring second-half performance, before the loss.

Pressing the Rapids’ backline aggressively, Miami earned a penalty kick after Yannick Bright fell to the ground following a collision with Colorado’s Josh Atencio. Messi then scored the 905th goal of his career for the 1–0 lead from the penalty spot in the 18th minute.

Even as the Paxten Aaronson Rapids controlled the game in the moments after, they fell victim several times to Miami’s press, often featuring a trio to isolate the Rapids’ ball carrier. In the 45th minute, the setup led to Telasco Segovia forcing the ball away from a Rapids defender, before Messi set up Mateo Silvetti for a cross and a headed finish from Germán Berterame.

GERMÁN. BERTERAME.

Two goals in two games for the @InterMiamiCF man. 🔥 pic.twitter.com/P82QIfXKFc
— Major League Soccer (@MLS) April 18, 2026

Once again, the aggressive approach paid off for the Herons, and the direct goal from Berterame marked his second in as many games, as he hit a run of form after nine straight games across all competitions without a goal.

The Rapids didn’t go away easily, though, taking advantage of Miami’s defensive missteps, as the South Florida side pushed ahead, leaving players out of position and exposed for a skillful Rapids attack to take advantage.

Colorado made it 2–1 through a nifty dribble from Rafael Navarro in the 58th minute, before an over-the-top pass to Darren Yapi sliced Miami’s midfield and defense for the 2–2 marker in the 62nd minute.

MESSI MAGIC AT MILE HIGH! 🤩 pic.twitter.com/cJaO56dDhI
— Major League Soccer (@MLS) April 18, 2026

Yet, as has become the case so often for the Herons, Messi had to step up to save an otherwise underwhelming effort, as the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner scored a solo effort and skillful, side-footed finish from distance to put his team up 3–2 in the final 10 minutes, securing the three points, but not before Bright picked up a red card in the 87th minute.

While the victory brought an end to Miami’s winless streak, it wasn’t an incredibly impressive team performance, once again relying on one of the best players of all time to avoid another disheartening finish.

Here is Sports Illustrated’s breakdown of the match, featuring report card grades for each Inter Miami player who saw the pitch.

Inter Miami Report Card vs. Colorado Rapids (4-2-3-1)

GK: Dayne St. Clair—D: The Canadian backstop has not lived up to the standards he set with Minnesota United last season, but has been left out to dry several times. Despite making two stops, he was unable to find heroic moments with struggling center backs.

RB: Gonzalo Luján—C: Luján got the opportunity to start ahead of Ian Fray at right back and offered a calmer defensive approach, controlling the pressure from Colorado’s Georgi Minoungou.

CB: Maxi Falcón—F: Falcón’s positional awareness against counter attacks continued to plague his abilities as a physical defender, after he was caught out of position by a large margin on both of Colorado’s goals. At the same time, soft passes back to St. Clair were nearly picked off by the Rapids several times.

CB: Micael—F: After a positive first half, the Brazilian defender had an atrocious showing in the second half, first side-stepped around after diving in to defend Navarro on the Rapids’ first goal, before being caught in no man’s land on the second goal.

LB: Facundo Mura—C-: Miami were caught with an extremely narrow approach, leaving Mura out of the key moments for most of the match, and the 27-year-old was unable to combine with Segovia up the left side.

CDM: Rodrigo De Paul—C: Another game, another step further off the Argentina roster, one could guess. Rodrigo De Paul could be seen trying to organize defenders around him, but failed to adjust his approach to Colorado’s second half direct attacks.

CDM: Yannick Bright—D: Yannick Bright had a standout showing in the first half, drawing the penalty and hopping up in the attack when Miami held possession. The second half, however, saw him drawn into a narrow setup, unable to defend against Colorado's second marker, and he earned a red card in the 87th minute, canceling out most of his positives.

RM: Mateo Silvetti—C-: Silvetti looked to be in immense pain after pulling up on his leg before leaving the match in the 70th minute. The young Argentine is one of the few Herons players who thinks the game at a similar level to Messi, and that familiarity played a key role in the anticipation for the assist on the opening goal.

CM: Lionel Messi—A+-: Messi is solely responsible for this result for Miami, scoring the first goal from the penalty spot, making the key pass to Silvetti on the second goal, before scoring a world-class solo effort in the 79th minute to put his team ahead. He might be in the twilight of his career, but the Argentine remains a stunning difference-maker.

LM: Telasco Segovia—D: It takes quite an effort to put in as underwhelming a performance as Telasco Segovia. Often a key offensive driver down the wing, he amassed just 35 touches and was never involved in any key moments outside of giving up a free kick in the late stages and earning a yellow card.

ST: Germán Berterame—A: This is the Germán Berterame so many were waiting for. While Miami struggled with a narrow approach as they often have this season, the key moment where Silvetti brought the ball wide and sent in a floating cross for the Mexico international to finish signified the type of chances he can thrive on.

SUB: Noah Allen—D: The young defender did little to convince Hoyos of a starting role in the new setup after entering the game in the 70th minute, despite Miami not allowing any goals after his introduction.

SUB: Dániel Pintér—C: The 18-year-old winger jumped into a right back role and didn't look incredibly out of position, but failed to make any substantial contribution.

SUB: Alexander Shaw—N/A: Shaw entered the match in the 90th minute and helped the Herons see out the lead.

SUB: César Abadia-Reda—N/A: Abadia-Reda entered the match in the 90th minute and helped the Herons see out the lead.

Subs not used: Rocco Ríos Novo (GK), Ian Fray, David Ruiz, Luis Suárez, Tadeo Allende.

Winners and Losers

Winner: Germán Berterame

Reports emerged earlier in the week that Mascherano was not keen on the club’s move to bring in Berterame ahead of the 2026 season. Instead, that decision was made higher up, by Hoyos in his role as sporting director.

Throughout the first half in particular, it was clear that Miami had re-adjusted how they were going to supply the former Liga MX star with chances, and it paid off with his second goal in as many games.

Loser: Maxi Falcón

Since the start of the 2025 season, Maxi Falcón has been one of the most regular starters for Inter Miami. While his lack of speed has been an issue in the past, this season has seen him struggle tactically, no more so than in the second half on Saturday.

In the image above, he can be seen pushing significantly up the field, leaving his side exposed to a simple ball over the top, which eventually led to the second goal. Those struggles, combined with his evident frustrations, could cost Miami a similar result on another day.

What’s Next For Inter Miami?

Lionel Messi was key in Inter Miami’s win over the Colorado Rapids to start the post-Mascherano era. | Jamie Schwaberow/MLS/Getty Images

With the win, Miami are now up and running in their post-Mascherano era and will hold onto at least third place in the Eastern Conference by the time the weekend comes to a close.

Yet, they won’t have much practice time just yet with Hoyos at the helm, given the demands of the pre-World Cup MLS schedule, which sees them take on Real Salt Lake on Wednesday in Utah before returning to Nu Stadium to host the New England Revolution on Saturday, April 25.

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