Inter Miami and Lionel Messi are “in good shape” as the MLS Cup chase begins

After accomplishing just about everything possible in the regular season, Inter Miami is now focused on its Audi MLS Cup Playoffs adventure, which begins Friday night (8:30 p.m. ET | Apple TV – Free) against Atlanta United at Chase Stadium Hope culminates with an MLS Cup lift at the same venue on December 7th.

The Herons are not holding back in their intentions for this best-of-three first round series against the bottom-seeded Five Stripes.

“I think we're in a good place, we're doing things well,” left back Jordi Alba told reporters in Spanish Thursday morning at the Florida Blue Training Center. “They will be a complicated opponent. We have the advantage of playing the first game here at home in front of our people and hopefully we can finish the series in their stadium.”

WATCH: Player Spotlight – Messi on TikTok

IMCF brings plenty of momentum into the postseason. They haven't lost a league game since July 6, a remarkable run of form that took them to the Supporters' Shield – ensuring next Saturday's second game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium will be their only away game in the playoffs – and a new MLS single-season points record.

“I think it’s huge for us to start the playoffs at home. “Having a very important first game sets the tone,” goalkeeper Drake Callender said Tuesday.

“There is still a chance to win another trophy and compete. I think it's great, it's great for the club. We are on a forward trajectory and see these playoffs as an opportunity to lift another trophy and prove why we were awarded the Supporters' Shield.”

Their 6-2 comeback win on Decision Day against New England provided an opportunity to celebrate it all with the home fans, plus visiting FIFA President Gianni Infantino officially announced they finished last in the Club World, which will be held in the USA next summer, received the cup.

That page has already turned, they say, with the collective belief that all this success will mean little unless they go ahead and win the hardware that earns them a star above their crest.

“(Celebrating the shield) does not allow us to lose sight of the fact that the most important thing begins now,” head coach Gerardo “Tata” Martino said in Spanish.

A series of IMCF mishaps gave the Revolution an early 2-0 lead on Saturday before Luis Suárez and Leo Messi led a fierce fightback, prompting Martino to warn his team that there is plenty of scope for such mistakes in the playoffs will be lower.

“That happens a lot, that’s football. And the truth is that with work you fix them. “We honestly played a fantastic game (against New England),” center back David Martínez said in Spanish. “It was a game that had everything – very good things and also bad things. But if we continue to work on it, I think we will correct these small mistakes.”

Such is their attacking prowess that it's understandable if their defenders don't sound particularly unsettled when they make mistakes, which could be another sign of the strong culture their superstar veterans have helped build in the locker room.

“The key to breaking the points record and everything else was the way we competed and wanted to win, even though we were leading the table for most of the year. We wanted to keep winning and playing well. And that’s how we go into the playoffs: to try to win,” Alba noted. “It won’t be easy, but I am convinced that we can do it because we have a very good team and the home game factor, which is very important.”

It's an MLS truism that the postseason is a whole new ball game. Although Miami has little organizational experience in this environment – IMCF has played in two playoff games in its short existence and lost both without scoring a single goal – much of the current roster can prepare for the Leagues Cup season last year Looking back on summer. And Martino and utility man Julian Gressel helped ATLUTD navigate the challenging road to the MLS Cup title in 2018, adding another layer to this first-round clash with this club.

“My story with Atlanta was very nice, we enjoyed it a lot. It was an expansion team (2017), we had fun building it and we enjoyed those two seasons regardless of the final result,” Martino said. “So playing against Atlanta will always be special.”

Miami is the heavy favorite, in part because they recovered and prepared for Friday's game, while Atlanta traveled a thousand miles to eliminate CF Montréal in Tuesday's dramatic Eastern Conference wild-card game. However, that advantage pales in comparison to Herons' main asset: the mild-mannered Argentine who wears their number 10 jersey.

Messi scored six goals and provided four assists in Miami's loss to the Revs last week and in his Albiceleste team's World Cup qualifier against Bolivia. He appears well-prepared and ready for his MLS Cup playoff debut.

“With the same naturalness with which he is able to score six goals in five days,” Martino said of the GOAT. “He also lives his life in this natural way. He had a normal week, worked well and prepared for these finals together with the others.”

While the discussion turns to Messi's prospects of taking over Landon Donovan's MLS MVP award, Martino insists the No. 10 is clearly one of the best players in the world.

“If I ask you,” replied Martino, “which player gets the ball 25 meters from the goal when there are seven opposing players in front of him and you feel like there’s a goal?”

“There is no one else.”

WATCH: Player Spotlight – Messi on TikTok