FC Cincinnati is preparing for a critical match against Inter Miami after defeating them last week. But this match could look different.

Inter Miami have not been a good team without Lionel Messi this season, and are more reliant on him than ever. Meanwhile, they are also down to unnatural left backs, allowing Evander and FC Cincinnati to take advantage out wide, giving them the favorite tag heading into the clash.

FC Cincinnati will take the pitch Saturday against Inter Miami, but the status of Miami's most notable player is still up in the air after he no-showed MLS All-Star festivities.

Forty-eight hours earlier, six players on the Snapdragon Stadium field for San Diego FC’s 1-0 win against Nashville SC were 1,164 miles and two time zones away in Austin, Texas, running around on a humid night in Major League Soccer’s All-Star Game.

Swapping one disgruntled star for another has landed Evander in the MLS All-Star Game and in the MVP conversation.

Conceding after building a lead has become a trend for FC Cincinnati. Players called the team's Hell Is Real loss a "reality check."

In February, long before FC Cincinnati were anyone’s pick to win the Supporters’ Shield, a handful of Cincy players sat on an outdoor patio overlooking the beach in Clearwater, Florida.

FC Cincinnati rotated their lineup against Real Salt Lake. But after securing a late winning goal, they left atop the MLS table.