Welcome in ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, to RFK Refugees Podcast. Michelle Kaufman from the Miami Herald discusses the impact of Lionel Messi's arrival on Inter Miami and MLS. She shares her experience covering Miami soccer before Messi and how the team's profile has risen with his presence. Kaufman also discusses the challenges of roster compliance and negotiations, as well as the motivation of players to stay with Messi. She highlights the difference Messi makes on the field and the team's performance without him. Kaufman also shares her predictions for the upcoming game against DC United. Chapters 00:00 Introduction 00:39 Covering Miami Soccer Before Messi 01:17 Miami's Rise in Soccer Relevance 03:08 The Pursuit of Messi 04:18 Global Interest in Inter Miami 05:03 Impact of Messi's Arrival on Miami Herald 06:11 Messi's Arrival as a Game-Changer 07:21 MLS Compliance and Roster Challenges 08:01 Tension and Negotiations in Roster Changes 09:23 Players' Motivation to Stay with Messi 10:21 The Impact of Messi on Miami and MLS 11:44 Messi's Influence on Teammates and Opponents 15:36 Messi's Impact on Miami's Performance 20:53 Messi's Availability and Traveling with the Team 29:30 Expectations for the DC United Game 35:23 Prove It Game for Inter Miami 39:14 Scoreline Prediction 39:57 Where to Find Michelle Kaufman's Work Join us Live Monday at 8:30PM and Subscribe so you can get this and every episode wherever you get your podcasts! Thank you for listening! If you like what you hear and you want to help support our show and get exclusive content, head on over to our Patreon or subscribe to our Twitch page with your free Amazon sub (or your American Fiat Currency!) Follow us on Twitter, Threads, Facebook, Instagram, BlueSky, Youtube and Golz.tv. Vamos! RFKRefugees.com