Tag Archive for: MLS

Inter Miami CF

Player Ratings: Inter Miami vs the New York Red Bulls

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Inter Miami get themselves within one point of the playoff line with a 2-0 home victory over the New York Red Bulls.

With the most complete performance Miami has put on to date, Phil Neville’s men played with confidence on both sides of the pitch.

Led by an in-form Drake Callender, his saves gave Miami the confidence to push on.

With the Herons hitting their form at the right time, they’ll have to keep it consistent if they want a real shot at the playoffs.

Here are the player ratings from Inter Miami’s win vs the New York Red Bulls.

*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 – 9: Gave another Man of The Match performance. Made the case to stay as Inter Miami’s number one starting goalkeeper.

Defense

Chris McVey – 8: Comfortabably making that left-back spot his own. His right foot opens up another passing option for Miami in case the opposition decides to push him wide. Was solid on the ball and had several switches of play that tilted the field in Miami’s favor.

Ryan Sailor – 7.3: Another solid game from the rookie. Did just enough to keep the Red Bull attack at bay. Developing a nice partnership with Lowe.

Damion Lowe – 8.5: Arguably the first name on the teamsheet, Lowe’s been a rock for the Herons every time he has started. His performance against the Red Bulls showed once again he’s one of Miami’s best defenders. The Jamaica international ended the match with six clearances, five headed clearances, four interceptions, and seven recoveries.

DeAndre Yedlin – 8: Once again showed his class and experience. Didn’t put a single foot wrong up against ex-Heron Lewis Morgan.

Midfield

Bryce Duke – 7.4: The creative spark in Miami’s midfield right now. His endless running, tackling, and progressive passing has been the link from defense to attack that the Herons’ missed in their first few games of the season. Against the Red Bulls, his technical skills and knack for finding pockets of space saw him end the game with four chances created.

Gregore – 7.3: Was solid the entire match. Picked up a yellow card which could’ve gone horribly wrong against a tricky Red Bull offense, but, he did well to manage that and was the ideal single pivot to stop any attacks.

Jean Mota – 8.2: Had his best game for Inter Miami. His passing range and defensive ability were on display. Ended the game with an 81% pass completion percentage and a whopping 16 recoveries.

Attack

Indiana Vassilev – 6.5: Didn’t have too much of an impact on the game, but his runs in behind the Red Bull defense did cause some problems.

Leonardo Campana – 6.7: Was largely isolated most of the match. Had a few touches here and there but nothing too convincing. Missed a wide-open chance to put the Herons up 2-0 in the first half, but made up for it with some playful technique.

Ariel Lassiter – 8.2: Has been in amazing form for Inter Miami. His goal against the Red Bulls was well taken and on his less dominant foot. His speed and dribbling were a nuisance to the Red Bull back line all night long.

Subs

Robbie Robinson – 6.7: Came on and had a couple of good looks. Did well to peel off the shoulder of defenders on the counter. Opened the game up well for Miami.

Robert Taylor – 7.3: Got the game-killing goal. Finally getting into full form for the Herons. His speed and technical ability threw the Red Bulls off balance.

Gonzalo Higuain – 7.1: Did very well off the bench. Showed some hustle and combined well with Ulloa and Taylor to get the second goal:

Victor Ulloa – 7: Was lively and plugged the gaps in the midfield well as the Red Bulls pushed for a goal. Did nicely to slot it over to Taylor to get the goal.

Aime Mabika – (n/a): Didn’t have too many touches, but it’s a welcomed sight to see the big man back on the field for Inter Miami.

Coaching

Phil Neville – 8.5: His best-coached game for Inter Miami so far. The tactics were spot on, the personnel was correct, and his substitutions won the game. Neville has put on an impressive string of results that has seen Miami shoot up into playoff contention. The team is much more balanced, tactically aware of their jobs on the pitch, and attacking with more conviction.

Inter Miami CF

Player Ratings: Inter Miami vs the Philadelphia Union

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Inter Miami keeps one foot in the playoff door with a 0-0 draw vs the Philadelphia Union.

The Union is one of the top teams in MLS, and thanks to the heroics of Drake Callender, Miami was able to hold back their high octane offense to see through a draw.

Here are the player ratings from Inter Miami’s draw against the Philadelphia Union.

*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 – 8.3: Another excellent game from the 24-year-old. He had eight saves and was in total command of the penalty box. Callender is making a serious case to stay the team’s first-choice goalkeeper.

Defense

Chris McVey – 7.3: Another solid performance by McVey. Despite playing in every game of the season, his incredible work rate and ability to play multiple positions across the backline make him undroppable.

Ryan Sailor – 7: Started a bit shaky, which is understandable, but slowly grew into the game. Had several great headed clearances and fancies a line-splitting pass. Will be interesting to see how he settles into MLS play as the season goes on.

Damion Lowe – 8.2: An outstanding game for the Jamaica international. Another tremendous defensive display by the center back. Played well alongside Sailor and had a commanding presence on the backline.

Victor Ulloa – 6.3: Unfortunately, Ulloa was the odd one out vs the Union. Through no fault of his own, he was shoehorned into a position where he didn’t look natural. He had moments on the overlap but his connection with right winger Indiana Vassliev looked forced.

Midfield

Bryce Duke – 8: One of the best players on the field for Miami. His boundless energy, technical ability, and agility to evade defenders give the midfield some real bite. Got himself into good spots to score but couldn’t finish them off. Ended the game with two chances created, 10 recoveries, and two clearances.

Gregore – 7.9: Put on a brave performance for the Herons. Had the most tackles in the match (five) and was the perfect anchor to deal with the Union’s midfield diamond. Finished the match with eight recoveries, and two blocks.

Jean Mota – 6.8: One of the underperformers in Miami’s midfield, Mota had flashes quality but they were few and far between.

Attack

Robert Taylor – 6.5: Looked slow and sluggish. Had a couple of good one v. one moments but couldn’t capitalize on too many. He ran his legs off and looked visibly gassed after the game.

Leonardo Campana – 6.7: Was isolated most of the match, and didn’t have too many chances. Still managed to get a couple on target, but without a true creator in the middle, he was always going to suffer vs a direct team like the Union.

Indiana Vassilev – 7.2: Looked hungry and dangerous. His left foot prove to be valuable as he cut inside several times to pull Philly’s defense out of shape. Ended the game with a 93% pass completion percentage and two chances created.

Subs

DeAndre Yedlin – 6.3: Provided some spark, but was out of the game rhythm. Did well to see out the draw.

Ariel Lassiter – 6.2: Much like Yedlin, looked out of rhythm and struggled to connect with his teammates. Was solid on defense to help Miami keep the point.

Gonzalo Higuain – 6: Looked motivated and was that creative spark Miami need to get three points. Unfortunately, a lot of his ideas didn’t connect and fell flat.

Emerson Rodriguez – 6.2: Didn’t do much during his cameo off the bench. Had some flashy moments but didn’t make a real impact.

Coaching

Phil Neville – 6.8: Another solid tactical match from the Englishman. Got the starting eleven spot on except for the inclusion of Ulloa. McVey could’ve slotted over to right back and Joevin Jones could’ve started on the left. Besides that, Miami’s attack had plenty of chances and more possession. As the season continues on, expect Neville to build upon the counterattacking 4-3-3 they’ve stuck with.

 

Inter Miami CF

Player Ratings: Inter Miami vs DC United

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Inter Miami couldn’t wash out their opponents on a rainy Saturday evening, as they settled for a 2-2 draw against DC United.

With arguably the best first half of football the club has played this year, carelessness at the back saw the lead slip through their hands.

Besides the defensive blunders, Miami’s attack on the other hand looked balanced, fluid, and had real intent in the final third.

As Miami’s schedule begins to get even more congested, dropping points at home will only hinder their playoff chances.

Here are the player ratings from Inter Miami’s draw against DC United.

*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 – 6.5: Tried his best to keep a clean sheet. Had a couple of solid saves and had a good command of his penalty box.

Defense

Kieran Gibbs – 6: Injury issues continue to plague his season. Didn’t look 100% and it showed in his performance. Shouldn’t have started the match if his condition was that poor.

Chris McVey – 6.5: “Steady Eddy,” once again. Other than the nasty yellow card he picked up in the 2nd half, McVey had a decent game. He was also integral in getting Miami’s first goal as well.

Damion Lowe – 8.3: The best game he’s had all season. He was strong, had a good presence on the back line, and got his first goal of the year.

DeAndre Yedlin – 6.2: Had a bad game, and it was probably due to fatigue. Miami doesn’t have a backup right back at the moment, so Yedlin is forced to play in almost every match. With the team’s fixture list becoming even more congested, expect him to rotate a bit more.

Midfield

Jean Mota – 7.5: Another very good performance from the Brazilian. Was the perfect box-to-box midfielder to compliment Gregore and Bryce Duke. Ended the game with an assist and created three chances.

Gregore – 8.5: A metronome. Dictated and controlled the tempo very well. Stepped his game up in attack as well. Ended the game with a 90% pass completion percentage, three chances created, and seven recoveries.

Bryce Duke –7.3: Young, brave, hungry. The exact type of player Miami needs during this period of transition. Duke has the mind of an attacking midfielder and the work rate of a number six. He did well to balance out the Brazilian duo behind him. He also showed some good physicality.

Attack

Ariel Lassiter – 7: Played much better on Miami’s left wing. He was a constant threat on the counter and provided an outlet for the team in case they were under pressure.

Leonardo Campana – 7: Was anonymous for large parts of the first half. Got back on the score sheet with some slick passing and good positioning. He has six goals in the league this season.

Robert  Taylor – 7.5: Put Brad Smith on skates all game. Nifty on Miami’s right wing. One of the team’s most dangerous players.

Subs

Ryan Sailor – 6.7: Did a good job on the defensive side, but had some moments of shakiness at times. Cleared his lines well, and was great in the air.

Joevin Jones – 6.5: Working his way back from injury and put in a decent shift.

Indiana Vassilev – 6.5: Came on and tried to make something happen. Technically excellent on the ball, but couldn’t get into a good area in the final third to have a big enough impact.

Gonzalo Higuain – (n/a): Had a few good touches but nothing too threatening.

Coaching

Phil Neville – 6.5: Got the timing of substitutions in the 2nd half wrong. Arguably the two most dangerous players on the pitch in Robert Taylor and Bryce Duke were taken off too early. It’s no shock that Miami conceded just two minutes after that. Besides the questionable timing, in the first half, Miami was well-coached and tactically disciplined. The wingers hugged the touchline and the midfielders were active. Miami also had more possession of the ball compared to previous matches.

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.

Inter Miami CF: The Problem With Passivity

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Inter Miami is going through a rough patch, to say the least.

Despite an encouraging result against the Chicago Fire in their home opener, Phil Neville’s men have struggled to look competitive through their first four games.  Miami’s latest loss to FC Cincinnati was another example of how, at times, tactically poor the South Florida club has looked this season.

What’s going wrong? Can it be fixed? 

Let’s dissect.

Lack Of Consistent Creation

The biggest issue facing Inter Miami on the field as of today is the lack of a consistent creator. Though Gonzalo Higuain has put it on himself to be the main distributor for the Herons, the team’s tactical shape and lack of real penetration in the final third has caused the attack to sputter.

Let’s take a look at some numbers:

In Miami’s last match, they had 26 progressive carries while Cincinnati had 37. A progressive carry is any movement that moves that ball at least five yards towards an opponent’s goal, or any carry into the opposition penalty area.

When a team can’t progress the ball well, they won’t create chances in the attacking third. 

Due to this, Miami’s SCA (shot-creating action) number against Cincinnati was poor. The Herons had 19 SCA to Cincinnati’s 30.

The Heron’s inability to progress the ball out of the back has hindered them.

Their heatmap against Cincinnati gives us an even clearer picture. The majority of Miami’s touches were on the right side of the defensive third:

The pass maps from the game also show that the bulk of Miami’s passes were towards DeAndre Yedlin, Damion Lowe, and Chris McVey who are all defenders – not ideal:

If Miami wants to dig themselves out of this hole, they need to start progressing the ball up the field quicker and be a bit braver in their passing.

Defensive Passivity

Not only is Miami struggling on the offensive side, but defensively, they don’t fair much better either. This could be due to the lack of high press.

MLS is a high-intensity league where high pressing is valuable. In Miami’s case, they are happy to sit back in a midblock and keep their shape. They’ll often let the opposition have the ball until they threaten in the final third:

However, this strategy hasn’t been working too well. Miami’s passivity in defense has seen them concede 10 goals in four games.

Passing Patterns and Situational Awareness

Lastly, though it may seem trivial to some, the importance of working on progressive passing patterns and being situationally aware is important.

Based on their last four games, Inter Miami looks like they struggle with this. 

Oftentimes, whoever has the ball will outstretch their arms, shrug their shoulders, and ask a teammate to come closer to them so they don’t lose possession.

On the flip side, like in the video below, a player will wave their hands frantically asking for the ball to be passed to them only to be ignored or unchecked:

Take this instance from Miami’s loss to Austin FC. Christopher McVey gets impatient and forces the ball into a heavy traffic area:

When he does this, Austin’s attackers pounce and punish Miami’s slack passing.

This could’ve been prevented had the Herons slowed the game down, gotten Gregore to drop in between the two center backs, and build out from there. Or McVey could’ve passed to ball over to his center-back partner Jairo Quinteros.

Four games in and these issues pop up repeatedly. The failure to find the open man has cost them and opposing teams take advantage of that. 

The same instance happened against Cincinnati as well, but this time on the offensive side. 

Robbie Robinson plays a good ball into Gregore who does well to get a shot off, but, had he picked up his head, seen Ariel Lassiter lurking in the penalty box, and tried to squeeze through a pass, perhaps Miami would’ve tested the keeper a tad more:

Situational awareness, defensive passivity, lack of progressive ball movement, and the inability to create consistent chances see Inter Miami lingering at the bottom of the Eastern Conference. 

What’s Next?

If Miami want to bounce back, unfortunately, their upcoming fixtures don’t look promising:

This is crunch time for Inter Miami and Neville.

At the beginning of the season, Chris Henderson stated that despite the sanctions the team wants to remain competitive.  Though it’s early days, Miami is struggling to do so. 

Of course, they can always turn it around.

MLS is a league where teams can start slow and still make the playoffs later, but, the South Florida club currently looks far off the pace.

With their upcoming home match against the Houston Dynamo, the Herons will have a solid opportunity to kick start their season into gear.

Will they be able to bounce back?