Chase Stadium – A patchwork Starting XI for Inter Miami CF played to a 1-1 draw against NYCFC at home on Saturday night. The Herons took an early lead on a Luis Suarez header off a Julian Gressel cross, while an Alonso Martinez goal tied the match for NYCFC.
Patchwork Starting XI
Tata Martino got creative with his starting lineup due to injuries to key players, especially in the defense. Sergio Busquets played center-back alongside Ryan Sailor who was making his first start of the season. Yannick Bright started in the youthful midfield paired with David Ruiz and Diego Gomez. Robert Taylor, Luis Suarez, and Julian Gressel provided the heavy artillery on the attack.
The Herons with a lineup mashup 🆚 NYCFC tonight
Busquets plays center back due to multiple injuries, alongside Ryan Sailor
Weigandt starts at right back, Yannick Bright gets a start in the midfield
Let’s see how Tata’s creative Starting XI performs#InterMiamiCF #MLS pic.twitter.com/3i1PSZigeT
— Xavier Guerrero (@XGLAVOZ) March 30, 2024
Game Action
It wasn’t long before Inter Miami found the back of the net against the Pigeons. Luis Suarez placed a lovely header past Matt Freese to put the Herons in the lead 15 minutes into the match.
Luis Suarez EL PISTOLERO with the header off a Gressel set piece pass…#InterMiamiCF leads 1-0#MLS
— Xavier Guerrero (@XGLAVOZ) March 30, 2024
The half continued to be an interesting back-and-forth with both squads creating opportunities, but the Pigeons got through on goal when Miami seemed to be in control of the match. A miscue between Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba led to an Alonso Martinez blast past Drake Callender in the 34th minute of play.
NYCFC gets on the board after a lost ball in transition by #InterMiamiCF
1-1 Martinez with the blast 💥 #MLS— Xavier Guerrero (@XGLAVOZ) March 31, 2024
It would be the only scoring in a fun match that both teams had an opportunity to win. Inter Miami had greater possession 53.1% to NY’s 46.9%, more shots 14 to 10, and more shots on goal 6 to 3 than NYCFC. NY goalie Matt Freese kept them in the match with 5 saves that thwarted clear chances for Miami. Drake Callender made 2 key saves to keep the Pigeons from flying out with a win.
The match would end in a 1-1 draw, a favorable result for NYCFC and 2 lost points at home for Inter Miami.
Postgame Press Conference
Tata Martino made a lot of forced moves to the Starting XI due to injuries to key players. At center back, the Herons were without Nicolas Freire and Sergeii Kryvtsov, two experienced defenders who have started games for Miami. The lack of available central defenders led to Martino giving Ryan Sailor his first playing time of the season.
I asked Martino to give me his thoughts on Ryan Sailor’s performance,
He was very attentive when their forwards ran in behind his back, attentive in the anticipation…I believe it was a really good game by Ryan
I asked Tata what he thought of Ryan Sailor’s match play 🆚 NYCFC,
“He was very attentive when their forwards ran in behind his back, attentive in the anticipation…I believe it was a really good game by Ryan”#InterMiamiCF #MLS pic.twitter.com/Y4rdGRw8lq
— Xavier Guerrero (@XGLAVOZ) March 31, 2024
Ryan Sailor was a “Break in case of emergency” piece for Martino versus NYCFC, and he performed admirably. The young defender had been relegated so far down the bench that he had become an afterthought for Martino. Sailor took advantage of his opportunity and played a strong game against the Pigeons. He seized the moment, which could lead to more opportunities on the pitch moving forward.
Final Thoughts
The 1-1 draw at home left some bad sensations for Inter Miami fans, with the consensus being that Miami gave two points away. NYCFC played a good match and the Pigeons held on despite Inter Miami’s multiple opportunities on goal. It’s not all gloomy for Inter Miami after the draw with some positives coming out of the match.
Marcelo Weigandt walked right into a starting spot at right back for Miami immediately after signing with the Herons. He looked like he had been playing for Inter Miami for years with his seamless incorporation on the pitch. Marcelo looked good on the ball charging forward on the right side, and he defended nicely. This looks to be a quality acquisition for Inter Miami.
Diego Gomez has played at a high level in every match so far. Gomez has grown as a player improving his technical ability while having a high motor defensively. Diego Gomez is the type of box-to-box midfielder that is highly coveted by European clubs. Hopefully, Inter Miami will have him long enough to enjoy winning some trophies with the young Paraguayan phenom.
Ryan Sailor dusted himself off the bench and produced an admirable performance next to Sergio Busquets at center back. Sailor showed he can play in this league and be trusted by Tata and his teammates.
Many young and talented players got onto the pitch for Inter Miami versus NYCFC. Afonso, Casas, Gomez, Ruiz, Bright, Aviles, Sailor, Weigandt. The future is now for Miami and it’s not just savvy veterans but also a nice mix of youthful talent.
Wednesday night April 3rd the Herons will face Monterrey in Champions Cup. The biggest star on the planet, Lionel Messi, should be ready to go, which is wonderful news for Inter Miami.
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