Grading Inter Miami After 2-1 Loss

Inter Miami is the soccer version of the pre-tank Dolphins of the 2000s. You can see the flashes of brilliance and the capability to go toe-to-toe with anyone, anytime…but you can also see the brain farts, the lack of a killer instinct and the overall lack of discipline of a team that is not only still looking for its first ever MLS win, but also is on life support in the MLS Is Back tournament. Grading Inter Miami is not easy.

All Inter Miami can hope for now is to advance as one of the four best third-place teams with a win against NYCFC next Monday and a combination of other results.

Let’s get into the individual grades for Miami, shall we?

Important note: Only those who played at least 30 minutes will be graded. Those who didn’t will receive an Incomplete unless they did something otherworldly or were vital to the final outcome of the match.

Grading Inter Miami

Luis Robles (6): Second consecutive match with two goals allowed for the captain and 36-year-old veteran, but he bore no real responsibility in either one and prevented the final score from being 3-1 with a couple of key interventions during injury time.

Jorge Figal (2): The 26-year-old from Argentina was mediocre in the tournament debut, but straight up awful against Philadelphia. Incredibly naïve, out of position and nowhere to be seen during the Union counterattack that caught the Inter defense with its pants down after a basic free kick in its favor.

Román Torres (4): Made the crossbar tremble in what would have been the 83rd minute equalizer, but also fell into the defense´s general confusion and did nothing to fix it.

¡El Mazinger 🇵🇦 @romantorres05 le pega al palo y parecía que llegaba el empate del @InterMiamiCF!😲#PHIvMIA | #MLSisBack pic.twitter.com/XIwaHR4sGm

— MLS Español (@MLSes) July 15, 2020

Andrés Reyes (3): Received two yellow cards that turned into a red and left Miami without his services for the final match of the group stage. Slow and indecisive, that may not be such a bad thing.

Ben Sweat (4): Got caught with his metaphorical pants down as the last man standing between the Union attackers and Robles during the second goal. Would not have been that much more embarrassing if his shorts had been pulled down.

Got ‘em 🔥

pic.twitter.com/odKRO8gPg8

— PhilaUnion (@PhilaUnion) July 15, 2020

Víctor Ulloa (5): Got lost in the shuffle, nowhere near as good as against Orlando City. Couldn´t establish himself and seemed torn between trying to lend a hand to a confused defense or help the offensive effort. Did neither in the end.

Will Trapp (3,5): A night to forget as he was personally responsible for the first Union goal, out of position and couldn´t cover his man down the right side before the cross. Yellow carded in the 38^th minute, unceremoniously replaced in the 68^th.

Opening Whistle? Enter ⚙️The Machine ⚙️
Kai puts us ahead in the 5!#DOOP | #PHIvMIA 1 – 0 pic.twitter.com/vM7Z5P6w3Z

— PhilaUnion (@PhilaUnion) July 15, 2020

Rodolfo Pizarro (6,5): His back-heel pass and goal were a thing of beauty, but he also came and went in the match without being able to assert himself like Miami needed him too. He made a difference, but needs to do it more consistently for 90+ minutes.

That build up… a thing of beauty
Morgan » Pellegrini » Pizarro #PHIvMIA | 1-1 pic.twitter.com/YMRsdWVkvT

— Inter Miami CF (@InterMiamiCF) July 15, 2020

Other Grades:

Lewis Morgan (7): The best Inter Miami had to offer in the entire night. The way he orchestrated the goal blazing down the middle before connecting with Pizarro. Finding Pellegrini at full speed was something that should be taught to kids everywhere. His speed was trouble for the Union defense all night long.

Matías Pellegrini (5): Assisted Pizarro for the goal, and nothing else. Muted effort for the Argentinian winger. Replaced by Kiesewetter in the 68^th minute.

Julián Carranza (3): I said he is a better striker than Agudelo, but he wasn´t against Philly.   Scatterbrained and wasteful. Could have scored once in the first half and twice in the second. Especially in the 72nd minute with the score 1-1 and a golden opportunity all alone against the goalie that went for naught. He thought he was offside and reacted too late when he realized that he wasn´t.

Jerome Kiesewetter (5): An almost-header of his deflected by a Union defender nearly resulted in a penalty kick for Miami. But VAR reversed it correctly.

Lee Nguyen (4): Missing in action for 30 minutes after coming in for Trapp.

Mikey Ambrose (Inc.): Not much he could do after coming in for Sweat in the 87th minute.

Jay Chapman (Inc.):   Unable to generate much of anything after entering the match alongside Ambrose.