How Inter Miami could lineup with Luis Suarez
- Suarez finally joins the Herons on a one-year contract
- He reunites with former Barcelona teammate Lionel Messi
- 36-year-old is set to continue his goal-scoring ways in MLS
The legendary striker Luis Suarez has officially joined Inter Miami to reunite with Lionel Messi, and there a few ways head coach Gerardo 'Tata' Martino could feature the 36-year-old in his future team selections.
The ex-Barcelona and Atletico Madrid forward has finally made the switch to Major League Soccer, looking to bring his goal-scoring prowess that's seen him net over 450 goals so far in his illustrious career to south Florida.
Suarez becomes the latest iconic striker to join the Herons following Gonzalo Higuain's stint from 2020-2022 and will be a welcomed addition after longtime MLS veteran Josef Martinez's departure.
He's found himself on the scoresheet in leagues all across the world and he'll hope to continue that theme with Miami alongside Messi, Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba.
Miami supporters have plenty to be excited about with so many iconic figures headlining their squad not only for MLS but for the upcoming CONCACAF Champions Cup (their first-ever appearance in the competition), and here's how Martino could lineup with the clinical forward now in the ranks.
Suarez as an out-and-out striker
Given his age, this seems like the most likely option for Martino.
He's going to score plenty of goals, so it makes sense to not have him drop deep as much and just poach in the opposition's penalty area as the likes of Messi and Alba send in crosses for him to tap home.
Martino will want to have him available as much as possible, so having him do less running and more poaching in the box is definitely one way to do that. It's not like Suarez will be in a situation to create chances for himself when he'll be playing alongside his best mate, Messi.
Potential lineups
- Farias - Suarez - Messi (4-3-3)
- Taylor - Suarez - Messi (4-3-3)
- Robinson - Suarez - Messi (4-3-3)
- Suarez - Messi (3-5-2)
- Suarez - Messi (3-5-2)
- Campana - Suarez (3-5-2)
Suarez as a false nine
Martino could also opt to play the Uruguay international in more of a playmaker role from time to time as he remains one of the best in soccer at setting up teammates for goals. Suarez's 263 (!) career assists as a center-forward speak for themselves.
As we know that MLS defending tends to be all over the place at times, it wouldn't be a surprise to see Martino experiment with his lineups in this light as Suarez has been one of the best, if not the best, at linkup with teammates in-and-around opponents' penalty areas.
Potential lineups
- Farias - Suarez - Messi (4-3-3)
- Taylor - Suarez - Messi (4-3-3)
- Robinson - Suarez - Messi (4-3-3)
Suarez as a winger
Let's be honest, there's probably a near-zero chance of Suarez lining up at left or right-wing with Miami. But who knows, especially when Miami get into the thick of the season as injuries start to pile on, Martino may be forced into this solution.
He's made over 110 appearances as a winger, although those came years ago when he was establishing himself as one of the world's best strikers. He's also been just as effective when playing out wide, as he could additionally showcase his playmaking abilities with the likes of Alba and DeAndre Yedlin making overlapping runs.
It would be surprising to see Martino put Suarez out on the wider areas of the field, but dreaming is free after all.
Potential lineups
- Suarez - Campana - Messi (4-3-3)
- Suarez - Messi - Taylor (4-3-3)
- Farias - Messi - Suarez (4-3-3)
- Robinson - Messi - Suarez (4-3-3)