Inter Miami CF earned a 2-1 win over the Portland Timbers at DRV PNK Stadium to extend its unbeaten streak at home to six on Saturday night. Forward Leonardo Campana, who earned Heineken Man of the Match honors, and midfielder Robert Taylor scored the goals to lead the team to its second consecutive victory. Ecuadorian international Campana leads the team in goals with eight this season, seven in the 2022 MLS regular season, while Finnish international Taylor netted his second goal for the club.
Lineup Notes
Inter Miami lined up with a starting XI with six changes in relation to its midweek U.S. Open Cup match; Drake Callender started in goal, Deandre Yedlin, Damion Lowe, Ryan Sailor and Chris McVey made up the team's defensive line; captain Gregore, Jean Mota and Bryce Duke once again started in midfield; and Robbie Robinson and Ariel Lassiter flanked striker Campana in attack.
Match Action
Inter Miami opened the proceedings on the front foot in search of the opener. The team came close in the 14th through a shot by Duke, who created a chance just outside the box after receiving a pass from Mota, but his curling shot was denied by the goalkeeper.
Inter Miami then took the lead in the 27th minute of action; Duke pinged a ball over the top of the defense to find McVey, who then crossed the ball to Campana’s run in front of goal. The striker then hit a delicate glancing header inside the post and past the keeper for the opening goal. The goal marked Campana’s seventh in MLS this season and eighth across all competitions, while the assist was McVey’s first for Inter Miami. The secondary assist brought Duke’s tally up to two on the season. Despite the team’s continuous efforts on the offensive end, the match went into the half with the 1-0 lead for the hosts.
The team made a substitution ahead of starting the second half, with Robert Taylor coming on in place of Duke. Shortly after, Taylor extended Inter Miami’s lead. In the 59th minute, Taylor drove forward from midfield and played a ball out wide to Lassiter, who hit a powerful low strike that bounced off the far post and then fell to Taylor in front of goal. The midfielder then calmly placed the rebound into the back of the net to double the lead with his second goal of the season.
Despite the team’s continued efforts in attack, the Timbers were able to cut the lead in the 78th minute; the visitors took a short corner before Santiago Moreno sent a cross into the box that was headed into the back of the net by Bill Tuiloma.
The scoreline held 2-1 for Inter Miami to claim a second consecutive win at home and extend its unbeaten run at DRV PNK Stadium across all competitions to six.
Heineken Man of the Match
Campana was again voted Heineken Man of the Match after opening the scoring in the 27th minute to register his eighth goal of the season across all competitions.
Post-Match Reaction
“I’m proud of their efforts over the first third of the season… We had a really poor start [of the season], we had to take some criticism, it was a new team, young team… and we had to battle through the storm in the early part of the season. Then we came into some confidence, some victories, we started to gain momentum, a culture, an identity. And I thought tonight was a massive game for us, probably our biggest game of the season to finish off the first third of the season before we go to the international break,” said head coach Phil Neville. “I’m super proud of them. It’s only the start of this team, and we can now just breathe a little bit.”
Next Match
The MLS regular season will now enter an international break. Inter Miami will return to action on Sunday, June 19 at 3 p.m. ET when it faces Atlanta United on the road at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
Individual match tickets for each remaining regular season home match on the Inter Miami CF schedule are available by visiting https://www.intermiamicf.com/tickets/single. Fans can also call 305-428-0611 to learn more.
Inter Miami CF 2022 adidas Primeblue Jersey
Inter Miami also debuted its 2022 Primeblue adidas jersey which is made with recycled ocean plastic and was launched underwater in an impressive photoshoot in the Cayman Islands. The club teamed up with acclaimed underwater photographer Jason Washington, and Cayman Islands-born freediving model and competitive swimmer Coral Tomascik. The Primeblue jerseys are part of a League-wide initiative with Major League Soccer and adidas to raise awareness around plastic pollution. Inter Miami CF Primeblue jerseys are available for purchase on MLSstore.com and at the stadium team store while supplies last.
Second Annual Equipment Drive
Inter Miami CF hosted its Second Annual Equipment Drive at DRV PNK Stadium before the match, where fans donated soccer equipment at the Fan Equipment Drop-Off Zone. Items collected will be distributed to different soccer groups and organizations in the South Florida community that need it the most to help provide access to the beautiful game of fútbol.
Stats
Possession:
MIA - 52.7%
POR - 47.3%
Shots:
MIA - 15
POR - 16
Saves:
MIA - 4
POR - 4
Corners:
MIA - 9
POR - 8
Fouls:
MIA - 6
POR - 10
