Inter Miami CF played its first international eFriendly in a clash between two Mexican National Team stars, when Designated Player Rodolfo Pizarro defeated Wolverhampton Wanderers F.C.’s Raúl Jiménez from the English Premier League by a 3-2 aggregate scoreline in a EA SPORTSTM FIFA 20 matchup. The match was streamed worldwide through TUDN.com, the TUDN app, the Inter Miami Twitch, YouTube and Facebook channels, on the Club’s official app, and Wolves’ digital platforms. Inter Miami has now claimed victories in the Club’s three eFriendlies.
Pizarro’s signed, game-worn RosaNegra jersey will be given away to an Inter Miami app member. To download the Club’s app, visit https://www.intermiamicf.com/en/club/app.
The first matchup featured a tight showdown between Pizarro’s Inter Miami and Jiménez’s Wolves. It was Jiménez who struck first though, going ahead 0-1 in the 24th minute via a right footed shot from Jonny Otto, who finished inside the box after a trademark Adama Traoré run down the flank before providing the assist.
The first half finished with the 0-1 scoreline in Jiménez’s favor, but after the brief halftime break, Inter Miami’s No. 10 flipped the script. In the 50th minute, Pizarro stole the ball and charged forward with midfielder Wil Trapp before laying the ball off to himself, to then show off some skill moves in front of the defenders and finish the play with a tidy left-footed finish inside the box to tie the scoreline 1-1. In the 85th minute, following a headed assist from Pizarro, attacker Juan Agudelo scored from close-range with a left-footed shot to give Inter Miami’s attacking midfielder a 2-1 victory in the first game of the international eFriendly.
The second and decisive match of the battle between the Mexican internationals, presented another matchup between Inter Miami and Wolves. The tension was high as there was a lot at stake. It was Jiménez who once again opened the scoring, taking an early 1-0 lead in the 17th minute with a left-footed curled shot by Rúben Neves inside the box after again assisting with Traoré. The happiness didn’t last long, as Pizarro tied the match 1-1 in the 30th minute, dancing past a defender before beating goalkeeper Rui Patricio in a one on one with his virtual self. Inter Miami’s midfielder grew in confidence from there on, taking control of the ball and showcasing his skill moves, gaining praise from hosts Ramses Sandoval and Luis Omar Tapia, members of the TUDN and Inter Miami broadcast team.
“Don’t hype me up!”, replied a cautious Pizarro, who focused on leading Inter Miami to victory.
The halftime whistle blew with the match tied 1-1 and the winner was set to be decided in the second half. The last 45 minutes were a display of FIFA 20 defending abilities from both competitors, as no goals were scored. Pizarro came close to taking the lead in the 61st and 64th minutes, but keeper Rui Patrício saved Jiménez with two impressive stops on what seemed to be certain goals. In the end, the match finished 1-1 and Inter Miami’s No. 10 came out victorious in the matchup against his Mexican National Team teammate with an aggregate score of 3-2 in the Club’s first international eFriendly.
“There will be a rematch. I will start practicing these days and I’ll be waiting for my revenge,” stated Jiménez.
Pizarro is no stranger to virtual competitions during the season’s pause due to COVID-19, as he participated in and won Inter Miami’s FIFA 20 tournament as part of Twitch’s Stream Aid 2020, a virtual event that raised over $2.7 million for the World Health Organization’s COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund. The midfielder also represented Mexico in the FIFA eNations Stay and Play Cup on April 24, defeating Peru’s and Vancouver Whitecaps FC forward Yordi Reyna, 2-1.
