Tag Archive for: Inter Miami

Inter Miami CF

Four Takeaways From Inter Miami’s US Open Cup Win vs Tormenta FC

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Inter Miami advances to the Round of 16 in the US Open Cup with a 3-1 win over Tormenta FC.

While the Herons went into the match looking for a comfortable victory, Tormenta did a phenomenal job of putting the pressure on the hosts.

Miami was pinned back into their side of the field for the majority of the first half.  The visitors looked far more threatening than the home side, and it took several Drake Callender saves to keep the game level.

Eventually, Miami took the lead with a nicely worked goal from Ariel Lassiter just before halftime:

Though Tormenta fought hard, Miami was able to extend their lead with goals by Robbie Robinson in the 46th minute and Lassiter in the 83rd.

Although Miami got the win, there were plenty of storylines that will make for some intriguing talking points as the team gets set to take on DC United this weekend.

Here are four takeaways from Inter Miami’s US Open Cup win against Tormenta FC.

Neville Not Satisfied

Normally, advancing to the next round of a major tournament would be something to celebrate. But for Phil Neville, he wasn’t happy with the team’s performance:

Looking at the match, this isn’t an inaccurate assessment. Tormenta was the more dangerous side in the first half. Miami’s defense was sluggish, the midfield left gaps in behind, and the offense wasn’t clicking.

It was, quite frankly, ugly!

If it weren’t for Callender standing on his head to make numerous saves, Miami would’ve been down at least two goals:

The Herons inevitably found their way through Tormenta’s defense, but for a couple of moments in the game, it could’ve been disastrous for the men in pink.

Neville also mentioned in his post game conference that there were various players who started the match that asked for game time but, weren’t up to the standards he demanded:

Strong words from the Englishman that will, surely, continue to be dissected as the week goes on.

Drake Callender, Future Number One?

On the flip side, not all of Neville’s post comments were negative. Drake Callender is steadily showing why he could be starting more consistently:

The 24-year-old made his presence known as he saved multiple shots from a solid Tormenta attack. If Nick Marsman continues to have injury issues, it may not be too far-fetched to say that Callender is slowly cementing himself as the future number one goalkeeper for Inter Miami.

Lassiter Scores

Other than Callender, Ariel Lassiter had a great game for Miami.

The Costa Rica international was lively down Miami’s right downside before switching to the left where he looked much more comfortable:

His two-goal performance against Tormenta earned him the Man of the Match award.  Lassiter is showing why he’s becoming one of the first names Neville writes down on the teamsheet. His pace, speed, and experience are valuable for a rebuilding team like Miami.

WWE or Drive Pink Stadium?

Lastly, just after he scored to put Miami up 2-0, Robbie Robinson and Tormenta defender Jake Dengler got into a bit of a scrap:

It was reminiscent of a school yard fight that didn’t have too much in it besides two people losing their cool. Both of them got sent off which saw their teams end the game with 10 men.

Because of this, Robinson will now miss Miami’s next match in the tournament, which will be a huge blow to Neville and his plans.

Inter Miami CF

Player Ratings: Inter Miami vs Charlotte FC

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It’s back to the drawing board for Inter Miami.

After a stunning April that saw them win four straight games in all competitions, they started off May on the wrong foot with a 0-1 loss away at Charlotte FC.

This match saw the return and debut of Indiana Vassilev and Ryan Sailor. Both players had a standout game, but unfortunately, their efforts (through no fault of their own) weren’t enough to help Miami get three points.

The Herons had a myriad of chances to score, but due to a lack of awareness in the penalty area, they failed to capitalize on three big chances.

Here are the player ratings from Inter Miami’s loss against Charlotte FC.

*Anything under a six is below average/poor. A six is average and or good. A seven through ten is great and or excellent.*

Goalkeeping

Drake Callender – 8: Outstanding game from the 24-year-old. Had several incredible saves to keep Miami in the game.

Defense

Kieran Gibbs – 6: Decent game back from injury. Had a couple of good moments to get Miami a goal, but didn’t take his chances or pass it to a teammate. Was slow getting back defensively.

Ryan Sailor – 7.5: An excellent first start by the young center back. Was calm, cool, and collected against a tricky Charlotte offense. Ended the game with a whopping nine clearances, six headed clearances, four recoveries, and two blocks.

Chris McVey – 7: Looked much more comfortable as a center back than a full back. Did well to keep Charlotte’s attack at bay for most of the match. He was also a very good center-back partner to Sailor.

DeAndre Yedlin – 6.8: Got into good positions on the overlap and once again used his pace to put out any fires. He created two chances and ended the game with an 83% pass completion percentage.

Midfield

Jean Mota – 6.7: A vastly improved performance compared to the Revolution match. Despite leaving gaps behind in the first half, he did well to fix that and stymie Charlotte’s attack for the time being in the second.  Ended the game with eight recoveries and one big chance created.

Gregore – 6.8: Another player that improved since Miami’s last game against New England. He was lively, drove the team forward when they needed a push, and was a constant thorn in Charlotte’s side. He ended the game with 12 recoveries, six clearances, and three headed clearances.

Bryce Duke – 6.8: Solid game from the 21-year-old. Created four chances and won 60% of his ground duels.

Attack

Robbie Robinson – 6: An unspectacular game from Robinson. He is coming off an injury and playing on turf did him no favors. Hopefully, he’ll be able to regain full fitness by this weekend.

Leonardo Campana – 6.5: Nothing too fancy from Campana in this match. He did find himself in plenty of very good scoring positions, but his teammates couldn’t quite find him.

Indiana Vassilev – 7: A very welcomed return for Vassilev. Looked snippy, spry, and threatening offensively.

Subs

Ariel Lassiter – 6: Only had 29 minutes to come on and do some damage. Didn’t see too much of the ball either.

Victor Ulloa – (n/a): Played seven minutes, only had nine touches.

Emerson Rodriguez – (n/a): Like Ulloa, Emerson only played seven minutes. Had 11 touches and had two successful dribbles.

Coaching

Phil Neville – 6.5: Got the formation and personnel correct. Unfortunately, due to some dodgy decision-making on the pitch from his players, Miami was unable to get a result. Still needs to find a way to get this team to play more possession based football:

 

Inter Miami CF

Player Ratings: Inter Miami vs the New England Revolution

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Inter Miami’s win streak has come to an end.

After an exciting month of April that not only saw them go 4-2-0 but also get Miami Freedom Park approved, the Heron’s luck ended on Sunday.

Two early injuries forced Phil Neville to change the game plan. Leonardo Campana, the talisman that has spearheaded Miami through their win streak, went down in the 12th minute with a lower leg problem. Minutes after that, Aime Mabika was taken off due to what appeared to be a hamstring injury.

What subsequently followed in the match was Miami struggling to get a hold of a game that only went from bad to worse:

Here are the player ratings from Inter Miami’s loss against the Revolution.

*Anything under a six is below average/poor. A six is average and or good. A seven through ten is great and or excellent.*

Goalkeeping

Nick Marsman – 6.5: Some lackadaisical passing at the beginning saw Miami concede early. However, he did keep the game from getting out of hand by saving a handful of shots.

Defense

Chris McVey – 6.6: Didn’t do anything too spectacular. Was solid throughout the match despite having to play multiple positions.

Aime Mabika – (n/a): Got subbed off early due to a nasty hamstring injury. Didn’t do enough in the game to warrant a rating. Hopefully, he can recover quickly.

Damion Lowe – 5: Just a poor game from the Jamaica international. The turf also didn’t help him much. A weird bounce in the 60th minute saw him misjudge the flight of the ball and concede his defensive position which lead to a foul and second yellow.

DeAndre Yedlin – 6.5: Like McVey, was solid throughout the game. Used his recovery speed and defensive awareness to put out a couple of fires. Ended the game with three recoveries, three interceptions, and one key pass.

Midfield

Gregore – 6.4: Struggled as one of two of the number 8’s in the Miami midfield trio. Looked much better in the second half when pushed back. Finished the match with seven recoveries, four clearances, and one key pass.

Jean Mota – 6.3: Had a tough night. Neville deployed him as a deep-lying playmaker that didn’t necessarily work against New England’s 4-2-3-1. Started to have an impact on the game when he pushed up a bit more.

Bryce Duke – 6.3: Decent first start for Duke. Had some good tackles in the first half to disrupt the Revolution’s attacking flow. Unfortunately, Miami didn’t have enough of the ball to show off his technical skills.

Attack

Robert Taylor – 6.3: Looked much more comfortable on the wing than in midfield during the first 12 minutes.  Had to play striker for large portions of the first half after Campana went down which didn’t do him any favors.

Leonardo Campana – (n/a): Like Mabika, he got subbed off too early to warrant a rating. Should be fit enough to start vs Charlotte this weekend.

Ariel Lassiter – 6.5: Spent the majority of the game defending. Had a couple of good moments on the break using his speed. If there was one player that was going to score, it was – arguably, going to be him.

Subs

Emerson Rodriguez – 6.4: Came and looked flashy. He’s a very cheeky player that, with more time, can be an impact player for Miami.

Jairo Quinteros – 4.5: Woefully out of form. Did not look comfortable on the turf. Came on as a substitute and got sent off.

Kieran Gibbs – 6.4: Looked decent in his return from injury. A little rusty, but with more playing time, he’ll get better. Will probably start against Charlotte this weekend.

Mo Adams – 6.3: Only had six touches in his 22-minute cameo. The game, unfortunately, passed him by.

Coaching

Phil Neville – 6: Managed the match well, at times. The second-half switch to put Lassiter as the number nine was a good move. The decision to start Mota as the number six was an interesting one, but it didn’t work out as planned. Should’ve brought on Gibbs and slotted McVey in as the left-center back instead of subbing on an out-of-form Quinteros.  He still needs to find a way to get his team to play with more of the ball.

Player Ratings: Inter Miami vs Atlanta United

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Inter Miami is on a roll.

After a tumultuous start to the season that saw them lose four of their first five games, the Herons have made amends by getting their fourth straight win in all competitions by beating Atlanta United 2-1.

It was a difficult match, to say the least. Atlanta has plenty of quality on and off the bench and they fought till the end. Fortunately for Miami, they managed to escape with another 3 points.

Here are the player ratings from Inter Miami’s win against Atlanta.

*Anything under a six is below average/poor. A six is average and or good. A seven through ten is great and or excellent.*

Goalkeeping

Nick Marsman – 7.0: His distribution was a bit off on the day, but he had several huge saves in the end that prevented Atlanta from scoring.

Defense

Chris McVey – 6.8: Didn’t do anything out of the ordinary. He was solid and was a willing runner down Miami’s left-hand side despite being right-footed. Ended the game with six clearances and three recoveries.

Aime Mabika – 6.8: Stood tall, was a little shaky at times (hence the yellow) but still put in a good performance to ward off Atlanta’s offense. He ended the match with three recoveries, two-headed clearances, and three interceptions.

Damion Lowe – 6.8:  Similar to Mabika, Lowe did well to stymie off Atlanta’s crisp passing. Was a bit of a struggle at times, but he did just enough to keep them at bay.

DeAndre Yedlin – 8.5: Got the opening assist. His recovery speed and positioning saved Miami’s defense out of tricky situations. The best defender on the field for the majority of the game.

Midfield

Mo Adams – 6.7: Was the ‘muscle’ in Gregore’s absence. Was a snappy tackler that messed up the flow of Atlanta’s passing triangles. Gave Miami some energy in midfield as well.

Jean Mota – 8: Dictated tempo to perfection. Was excellent as Miami’s number six. He sat deeper, screened the defense, and kept the ball moving.

Robert Taylor – 7: With each game, the Finland international grows in confidence. He was active, trying to make things happen (got dispossessed a couple of times), and was a crisp passer of the ball. Once he gets used to the South Florida weather he’ll have even more of an impact for the Herons.

Attack

Robbie Robinson – 6.8: Didn’t play too bad, was himself. Was very active on Miami’s left-hand side. Tried to combine with McVey, but didn’t quite pull it off. Each game, he’s growing in confidence. Against Atlanta, however, it just wasn’t his day. Ended the game with one key pass.

Leonardo Campana – 8.5: Once again, the 21-year-old showed his class. Not only did he score a gorgeous goal that deserved to be put in The Louvre, but he was also unselfish and got the game-winning assist that put the game to bed for Miami.

Ariel Lassiter – 7.3 After being underestimated in pre-season by beat writers and fans alike, Lassiter has slowly found his place in the squad. Against Atlanta, his pace and combination play with Yedlin caused issues for Andrew Gutman and Caleb Wiley. Ended the game with one key pass and one big chance created.

Subs

Bryce Duke – 7.5: Excellent. The perfect substitute appearance. Came off the bench with energy and endless legs. Got the game-winning goal.

Noah Allen – 6: Came on and did well to alleviate some pressure. Was VERY lucky not to have a penalty called against him. He’s still young, so he’ll only grow in confidence.

Emerson Rodriguez – 6.5: Electric. Came on and dazzled the crowd. Pressed well and got into decent positions to try and get Miami another goal.

Victor Ulloa – (n/a): Returned from injury. Only had nine touches.

Gonzalo Higuain – (n/a): Only had eight touches. Did well to draw a foul at the end to milk the clock.

Coaching

Phil Neville – 7.5: Well-coached game from Neville. Stuck with the hotfoot of Campana instead of starting Gonzalo Higuain who’s returning from injury. In the second half, he recognized that Atlanta was attacking with width through their deepest lying midfielder and he switched to a 3-5-2 to deter their progression.

Inter Miami CF

Player Ratings: Inter Miami vs the Seattle Sounders

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Inter Miami picked up their second win of the season with a well-earned victory against a rotated Seattle Sounders side.

Robbie Robinson got his first goal of the year as he led a Gonzalo Higuain-less Miami to a 1-0 win.

Though Seattle started the game without several of their starters, Miami took advantage of that and exploited the Sounder’s lack of pace on the flanks.

Both Robinson and Ariel Lassiter used their speed and strength to run at and stretch Seattle’s backline.

Eventually, the dam broke.

In the 41st minute, DeAndre Yedlin played in a gorgeous cross that was finished off by Robinson:

Robinson may have gotten on the scoresheet, but the real stars on the night came in defense.

When the Sounders made a last-ditch effort to get the equalizer, Damion Lowe and Aime Mabika stood tall (literally) and stymied any attack that was thrown at Miami’s backline.

All in all, it was a very good night for the Herons. Here are the player ratings from Inter Miami’s win against Seattle.

*Anything under a six is below average/poor. A six is average and or good. A seven through ten is great and or excellent.*

Goalkeeping

Nick Marsman – 7.2: Was integral in keeping the clean sheet for Miami. Had several good stops, in the end, to keep Seattle at bay.

Defense

Chris McVey – 7: Had a solid shift at left-back though he’s right-footed. Ended the game with four clearances, three interceptions, and five recoveries.

Aime Mabika – 8: Arguably his best game in Inter Miami colors. His ability to read the game and height made it a nightmare for Seattle’s attack. He also ended the game with an 85% pass completion percentage.

Damion Lowe – 8: Also had a very good game. Alongside Mabika, Lowe made it difficult for Seattle to get a tying goal. He was strong and put his body on the line for the team.

DeAndre Yedlin – 8.5: Got the game-winning assist on his return home. Defended well and got Miami’s defense out of troublesome situations with his recovery speed.

Midfield

Jean Mota – 7.2: Put in a good shift. Played the box-to-box role well as shown by his six recoveries. Was energetic on both sides of the ball. Ended the game with two key passes.

Gregore – 6.8: Played better in this match, but he did lose the ball under pressure in dangerous parts of the field. Also picked up a yellow that will see him suspended against Atlanta United. Finished the match winning nine of his duels.

Robert Taylor – 6: Looked sluggish in this game. Got into decent positions but tended to hold on to the ball too long. His subpar shift saw him pulled in the 64th minute for Bryce Duke.

Attack

Robbie Robinson – 9: Got the game-winning goal, and was active in the buildup to the goal as well. Selfless in defense and played a full 90 minutes which is a welcomed sight to see.

Leonardo Campana – 8: His hold-up play was spot on all night. Was good with his feet and led the line well.

Ariel Lassiter – 7.5: Was lively on the right-hand side. Used his speed to stretch Seattle’s backline. His movement in the buildup to Miami’s first goal allowed Yedlin to run into space and get the cross off.

Subs

Bryce Duke – 7: His snappy tackling and tireless legs were key in the last 25 minutes of the match when Seattle was pushing for a goal.

Noah Allen – 6: Did well to clear any danger. Didn’t get to attack much, but he did just enough to prevent the Sounders from scoring.

Mo Adams – (n/a): Picked up a yellow card and only had four touches.

Coaching

Phil Neville – 6.5: Got the formation and personnel correct. Put in the right players to play his counterattacking style. The switch to the back three when Seattle was threatening on the wings was the right move. Defensively the team was well drilled but should’ve had more attacking chances.

Player Ratings: Inter Miami vs the Houston Dynamo

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A nearly three-hour rain delay couldn’t stop the inevitable.

Inter Miami suffered their fourth straight loss of the season as they fell to the Houston Dynamo 3-1. Though Phil Neville made a formation switch to a 4-3-3, that wasn’t enough to overcome a potent Dynamo attack.

Led by Fafa Picault, Houston took advantage of an emotionally fragile Miami to carve through the midfield and capitalize on the Heron’s defensive mistakes.

As Miami continues to go winless, it’s natural that alarm bells start to ring. With the rest of their schedule increasing in difficulty, there’s the potential that the team could go winless in April.

Before that happens, let’s take a look back at Saturday’s game. Here are the player ratings from Inter Miami’s loss against Houston.

*Anything under a six is below average/poor. A six is average and or good. A seven through ten is great and or excellent.*

Goalkeeping

Nick Marsman – 5.9: Though Dutchman looked sharp in his Inter Miami return, he gave away a foul that led to a Houston penalty. Before that, he had several good saves that kept Miami in the game. Had the Herons put away a couple of offensive chances, he wouldn’t have been put under so much pressure.

Defense

Noah Allen – 6.0: The 17-year-old had a decent outing against Houston. He tried his best to make something happen on Miami’s left-hand side, but none of the attackers could capitalize on their chances. He also held his own against a physically demanding opponent.

Damion Lowe – 5.5: Had a strong passing game which saw him end the match completing 88% of his passes. Unfortunately, failure to hear Marsman claim a high ball at the back saw Miami give up a penalty.

Chris McVey – 6.0:  Shaky at times, but grew into the match. Completed 91% of his passes and ended the game with four recoveries and two clearances.

DeAndre Yedlin – 6.0:  Was quite lively down Miami’s right side where he combined well with Ariel Lassiter.

Midfield

Jean Mota – 6.6: Had more attacking freedom in this game compared to previous ones. Alongside two other central midfielders, Mota had the space to drive up the pitch to create and or have a shot on goal. Finished the game with four key passes and five shots.

Gregore – 6.4: Did well in the first half as the single pivot. He screened the backline while putting out fires and was decent as a holding midfielder in the 4-3-3 setup. Ended the game with seven recoveries and three interceptions.

Robert Taylor – 7.1: Defensively sound for an attack-minded player. Won a penalty and had the best chance of the game.

Attack

Robbie Robinson – 7.0: The only Inter Miami player besides Taylor that looked like scoring. Ended the game with three key passes and five shots.

Gonzalo Higuain – 6.5: Combined well with Robert Taylor in the 40th minute that nearly ended in a goal. Scored the only goal in the match, but once again was outshot by his teammates.

Ariel Lassiter – 6.3: Was a nuisance on the right side with his speed, but just could finish his chances. Combined well with Yedlin and ended the game with four key passes.

Subs

Leonardo Campana – (n/a): Didn’t do much in his 10-minute cameo. Only had nine touches.

Mo Adams – (n/a): Like Campana, didn’t have too much to do when he came on. Had a couple of nice interceptions, but nothing more than that.

Emerson Rodriguez – (n/a): Desperately wanted to make something happen. Had 12 touches and a successful dribble. Perhaps if Neville put him on earlier in the match, Miami could’ve salvaged a point.

Coaching

Phil Neville – 5: Got the formation correct, but waited too long to get the substitutions on the field.  Defensive lapses in concentration and inability to finish in the final third have been reoccurring mistakes during Neville’s reign. Miami has only scored three goals in five matches, with only one of them coming from open play.

Four Observations From Inter Miami’s Loss To LAFC

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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.

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:

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:

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:

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:

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:

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:

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. 

 

Three Ugly Observations From Inter Miami’s Loss Against Austin FC

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Inter Miami’s dire performance against Austin FC is sounding some alarms.

While it’s still very early in the season, and Miami may very well turn it around, there were some concerning trends during Sunday’s loss that, hopefully, won’t continue throughout the year.

With that said, here are three ugly observations from Miami’s loss vs Austin.

Formation Merry-Go-Round 

Football is a peculiar sport, but it is also very simple.

Oftentimes, the need for various formations seems frivolous. In its essence, every formation can be traced back to the standard 4-3-3, including Phil Neville’s preferred back three:

That being said, with Sunday afternoon’s result in Austin the “Inter Miami back three experiment” could very well be over. 

Miami couldn’t get control of the game in the first 20 minutes. They struggled to build out of the back and Austin’s high press stymied any progress they wanted to make through the middle.

With it being an away match, it was Austin’s responsibility to play attacking football. But, as the game went on Miami never gave themselves a chance at getting back in it. By halftime, Miami was down by two and never seemed to have a game plan.

At the start of the second half, Neville switched the Herons to a more conventional 4-4-2. Realistically, the team only looked better in that formation once Austin stopped pressing because they had a multiple-goal lead. 

The Problem with Higuain

This begs the question: why a back three?

In short, Miami needs to find a way to get the best out of their only Designated Player on the field, Gonzalo Higuain. Despite the poor team performance, Higuain had a decent game that saw him get an assist and four key passes.

With the 3-5-2, it disguises a lot of the 34-year-old’s weaknesses. Looking fbref’s advanced stats, Higuain is in the 17th percentile of pressures per 90:

That’s not good. 

This essentially means that Higuain is not going to press the opposition defense that much.

Because Higuain won’t press, Neville has to switch up his tactics in order to accommodate him:

Miami pressed less in the final third in 2021 compared to the 2020 season. Against Austin, that much was evident.

The Herons sat in a midblock 5-3-2 formation, daring Austin to pull them out of their defensive shape. The only press that Miam implemented was when Austin pushed the ball out wide:

In modern football, you need 11 players to defend starting at the front.

Higuain, as stated above, doesn’t do that.

Neville has a dilemma here.

Higuain is without a doubt, one of Miami’s most potent passers. The 34-year-old had 11 key passes in Miami’s first two matches. At the same time, it’s difficult to play a high press style with him starting up top.

How does Miami fix this? Switch to a 4-4-2 or keep the 3-5-2? 

Lowe Was Missed

Naturally, when a defense concedes five goals, fingers will point to the starting center backs. The presence of Damion Lowe was missed. Not only is the Jamaican a vocal leader on the backline, but he also has enough recovery speed and positional awareness to mop up any mistakes.

When fit, Lowe is an automatic starter. Unfortunately, per Neville, the 28-year-old will be out for 10 days, which is a huge blow.

Hopefully, Lowe will be able to make a swift recovery and return to action as quickly as possible.

What’s Next?

It’s a long season, and this result may have hurt, but Miami has the opportunity to bounce back against LAFC at home this weekend.

It’ll be a tough match.

LAFC has some of the best attackers in the league with Carlos Vela, Christian Arango, and Brian Rodriguez, and if Miami’s game against Austin was any indication, LA will be able to slice and dice the Herons open on the counter if they find an opening:

Depending on what formation Miami rolls out in, they must bounce back from the 5-1 drubbing they received on Sunday.

What better time to do that than at home against one of the best team’s in the league? 

Recapping Inter Miami’s 5-1 Loss in Austin

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Coming off their first-ever point in a season opener in the club’s history, Inter Miami CF was looking to carry any positive momentum from the Chicago Fire match last Saturday into Austin, Texas, at Q2 Stadium on Sunday. Unfortunately, with injuries at play and an attack that has now scored just once in over 180 minutes, Miami couldn’t come away with any points following a dominant 5-1 performance by Austin FC.

First-half goals from Sebastian Driussi and Julio Cascante set the tone for the game, especially in the first half, where Austin FC controlled the match with over 67% possession. Noah Allen, Miami’s 17-year-old wing-back who made his second consecutive MLS start, was beaten to the byline by MLS Veteran Diego Fagundez on the first goal, who found Driussi beautifully with a pass at the back post. Driussi slotted his shot past Miami’s keeper Clement Diop, who seemed slow to attempt a save. Cascante’s goal, which followed the 22nd-minute goal from Driussi by just four minutes, was an easy header from a set-piece play in which Miami’s defender Brek Shea held him onside.

Going into the second half, Phil Neville decided to make changes to get back into the match. From a back five to a back four, Allen and Mo Adams were replaced by Robert Taylor and Leonardo Campana, who played on the left-wing and as a striker, respectively, in a 4-2-3-1 (or 4-4-2, depending on where Higuain was). Lassiter was switched from a striker to the right-wing, and Shea went from a third center back to a left-back with Jairo Quinteros and Christopher McVey handling the middle.

Offensively, based on a single statistic, and the most important one at that (goal-scoring), the change in formation was positive. Campana, the Ecuadorean International, bagged Inter Miami’s first goal of the season after receiving a pass at the top of the box from Gonzalo Higuain in the 54th minute. Unfortunately for the Heron’s, that wasn’t before Austin FC had scored their third to put this game out of reach.

In the 51st minute, for the third of Austin FC’s five goals in the match, Miami’s two center backs were split wide open, then caught completely too narrow as Austin toyed with the ball in the area and, after an abundance of passes, slotted home a chance with Diop nowhere to be found.

After Campana’s goal, Austin FC went a little on the back foot and was starting to concede a barrage of chances as Miami was looking more and more lively. Robert Taylor, who was working along the left side, was responsible for five of Miami’s eight shots in the second half, netting an xG (expected goals) number of 0.21. That number is 37.5% of Miami’s total xG (0.54).

Another statistic here: Of Miami’s thirteen total shots in the match, only four came inside the 18-yard-box; one of those four was Leonardo Campana’s 54th-minute goal. For Austin FC and their eight total shots (which netted an xG number of 1.34), all but two shots came from inside the box, and of those six, five went in.

Defensively, Miami struggled to stay compact and shut down Austin attacks before they worked their way into the area. The absence of Damion Lowe was truly felt. As a leader and organizer of his stature, and one who is also able to help distribute out of the back, he was missed on Sunday night.

Obviously, by going down two goals, Neville had to instruct Miami to go for goals in the rest of the match. That, along with the switch to play with one less central defender, was a considerable risk that ultimately didn’t pay off, as Austin FC scored three in the second half and threatened most the time as well.

Austin FC’s final two goals were both scored by Ethan Finley (64′, 90′). A header near the six-yard box from an Alex Ring cross and a shot rifled past Diop from a Fagundez pass set him up beautifully in the penalty box. Those two, and probably the first alone, was enough to do Miami in and send them home with nothing to take from the match.

Miami’s next match is at DRV PNK Stadium against a heavy opponent in LAFC, who roster one of MLS’s best, attacker Carlos Vela.

Miami will look to grab at least another point at home next Saturday before going on another away trip to TQL Stadium in Cincinnati.

Inter Miami CF

Three Observations from Inter Miami’s Draw Against The Chicago Fire

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Inter Miami kicked off their 2022 season with a 0-0 draw against the Xherdan Shaquri lead Chicago Fire.

Donned in their “Heartbeat” pink kits, Phil Neville’s men came into this game looking to turn a new leaf after their awful 2021 campaign. 

With nine debuts in starting eleven, Saturday night’s match wasn’t pleasing to the eye. But, there were plenty of positives to build upon for the Herons.

2nd Half Resurgence

2022 Inter Miami is, essentially, an expansion club. 

The sheer amount of outgoing and incoming players would make it difficult for any team to play a consistent style of play for ninety minutes.  For Inter Miami, that much was evident in the first half.

The team struggled to play out of the back and looked nervous as Chicago pressed high. At one point, the Fire had 70% of possession while Miami was pinned in their own half of the field.

Leonardo Campana had two good chances during the first 45’ but, the 21-year-old couldn’t get them on target.

In the second half, however, Miami started to look a bit more lively. The substitutions of Ariel Lassiter and Robert Taylor changed the complexion of the match. 

Once those changes were made, the Herons began to attack with pace, drive and managed to put Chicago on their back foot. Lassiter had several excellent chances to give Miami the win, but Chicago’s defense held up.

Equally as impressive, Finland international Taylor impressed in his 24-minute cameo. The 27-year-old showed his quickness, dribbling ability, and knack for finding pockets of space.

Neville mentioned in his post-match conference that last year, Miami would’ve “lost that game.” It’s a testament to the offseason work the Herons have done that they were able to fight till the end.

Need For Speed

There were numerous moments during the game where Miami needed more speed in behind.

In pre-season, Neville’s go-to strike partnership up top would be Campana and Gonzalo Higuain. While at times, the relationship between the duo worked well, neither striker is particularly quick.

Once Campana was subbed off in the 66th minute, the game started to open up a bit more with the inclusion of Lassiter and Taylor.

The 3-5-2 formation can work well when a team has runners in behind. When Lassiter came on, his speed and aptitude for running at defenders gave Higuain the perfect outlet. Taylor, on the other hand, showed that he has the potential to be a real playmaker once he gets up to fitness.

That begs the question: will either Taylor or Lassiter start when Miami takes on Austin FC later this week? 

If the second half of Saturday’s game was any indication, the answer should be: yes. 

Future is Bright

Last but not least, Saturday night’s match marked the first team debut of 17-year-old Noah Allen. Allen held his own against a tricky Chicago Fire team and seemed the least nervous out of anyone on the pitch.

He put in a solid shift and managed to find himself in decent scoring positions. Allen ended the night with two interceptions, four recoveries, and two clearances.

With Neville confirming that Inter Miami will be able to call up MLS Next Pro players for a certain amount of games this season, expect Noah Allen to get meaningful playing time with the first team.