Four Observations From Inter Miami’s Loss To LAFC
Inter Miami suffered their second loss of the season with a 2-0 defeat to LAFC.
Though the Herons played better than they did against last week’s opponents Austin FC, the South Florida club still couldn’t manage to get a win.
Much like the weather that day, it’s starting to get a bit ugly in Fort Lauderdale.
Rain coming down now!#InterMiamiCF pic.twitter.com/5f58N6P2Np
— Alex Windley (@aaw_1998) March 12, 2022
Here are four observations from Inter Miami’s loss to LAFC.
Higuain The Playmaker?
Where does Gonzalo Higuain fit into this team?
Going into 2022, there was talk (mainly from media and fans) about the 34-year-old taking on a more creative role on the pitch.
Three games in and it’s not going as planned.
While Higuain’s passing ability is arguably the best on the squad, when he’s not providing dangerous passes into the final third, unfortunately, there appears to be no real upside besides that.
The match against LAFC was a perfect example.
Higuain ended the match with only 25 touches (the second least out of the starting eleven) and zero key passes. When he wasn’t on the ball, oftentimes you could see him walking around, not pressing and when he did have the ball he would get caught in possession and cause a turnover. His poor performance on Saturday saw him substituted out in the 68th minute.
However, despite all this, Phil Neville has insisted that the 34-year-old “hasn’t changed positions.”
Looking through the statistics, this doesn’t seem true. Through three games this season, Higuain has had more key passes (11) than total shots (2).
It seems as if the Argentine has taken it upon himself to be the main playmaker for the team even though Neville has said this isn’t what he wants him to do:
Neville on Higuain: "Just because he has a number 10 on his back, doesn't mean he shouldn't score goals. He is our best finisher."#InterMiamiCF
— Alex Windley (@aaw_1998) March 12, 2022
Inter Miami has a dilemma.
These comments suggest that there is a tad bit of miscommunication between Neville and Higuain.
On the pitch, Higuain is playing as a creator when Neville wants him higher up the field. In order to accommodate that in previous games, Miami deployed a 3-5-2 to counteract some of the Argentinian’s weaknesses. But, seeing as though Neville has gone back to a more traditional four at the back, that experiment looks to be over.
Whatever change Neville does next needs to be quick. Miami’s next opponents are FC Cincinnati. Though they had a slow start to the year, Pat Noonan’s men are talented enough to be able to hurt the Herons – especially at home:
Really entertaining game in Orlando right now! Inter Miami’s next opponents FC Cincinnati are up 2-1 on Orlando City and look like they can get a third as well.
Brandon Vazquez with a brace for Cincy so far…
#ORLvCIN #AllForCincy #OrlandoCity
— Alex Windley (@aaw_1998) March 13, 2022
Damion Lowe
The return of Damion Lowe can’t be understated. The Jamaican international played a key part in keeping LAFC’s offense at bay. Not only did he play as a “sweeper” effectively tackling every LAFC player in his path, but he was also a calm and steady presence that got the best out of his teammates:
Yedlin mentions that having Lowe back is huge.
"It gives me a lot of confidence playing beside him. He's a huge addition. Hopefully, we can keep building on that."#InterMiamiCF
— Alex Windley (@aaw_1998) March 12, 2022
When fit he is, arguably, the first name on the team sheet.
The Endless Cycle of Route One Football
Playing with four of the back may have helped Miami in defense, but offensively, once again the Herons seemed lost.
Looking at the statistics, LAFC had more possession in Miami’s half of the field:
— ⚽️ (@tacticsbyalex) March 13, 2022
Miami’s passive defensive tactics and lack of inability to play out of the back have been a recurring theme during Neville’s reign.
A majority of Miami’s touches came in their defensive half:
— ⚽️ (@tacticsbyalex) March 14, 2022
That doesn’t bode well for the offense.
The long ball style that the Herons have been playing is antithetical to possession. Saturday’s passing maps tell an even bigger story:
— ⚽️ (@tacticsbyalex) March 14, 2022
The disconnect between the attack and midfield is evident.
Miami struggles to play through their middle third. Because of this, they will resort to punting the ball upfield with the hope of a central forward winning the header, only for them to lose possession and start the cycle all over again.
The team doesn’t have a true creative midfielder that could help connect defense to attack. That’s the main reason why Higuain took it upon himself to drop deeper in order to collect the ball, but it’s just not clicking for the Herons.
The match against LAFC was just another case of Inter Miami’s tactical setup going poorly.
Mota and Mo impress
Lastly, the midfield duo of Jean Mota and Mo Adams impressed.
Adams had his best game in an Inter Miami kit. The Englishman ended the match with the most duels and the most tackles. He also completed 86% of his passes and had seven recoveries.
Deployed in a right-wing role, Mota was equally as impressive. The 28-year-old had the most key passes in the match (2) and had six recoveries.
Neville says that Gregore needs to step up.
(I will say, he did have a bit of a shocker today.)
Also mentions that Mota will get up to speed quickly and that he trusts him to do that. #InterMiamiCF
— Alex Windley (@aaw_1998) March 12, 2022
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