Inter Miami CF came from behind twice to earn a hard-fought 2-2 road draw with CF Montréal at Stade Saputo on Saturday night. Gonzalo Higuaín netted in the first half, second-half substitute Emerson Rodríguez scored a late equalizer and midfielder Bryce Duke earned Heineken Man of the Match honors, claiming a point in Montréal to close the long-distance road trip with a total of four points.
Lineup Notes
Inter Miami made three changes to its starting XI from its midweek win over San Jose. Drake Callender started in goal; Chris McVey, Aimé Mabika, and Ryan Sailor slotted into the center of defense with DeAndre Yedlin and Robert Taylor in front of them as wingbacks; Mota, captain Gregore and Duke lined up in midfield; Alejandro Pozuelo and Higuaín led the line in attack.
Defenders Mabika and Sailor, as well as midfielder Duke, returned to the starting XI for the visit to Stade Saputo.
Match Action
Montréal took advantage of their home field in the opening moments of the match, scoring the first goal of the night in the fifth minute; Samuel Piette sent a cross from the right wing to Romell Quioto at the far post, who volleyed it back across and into the back of the net for the early 1-0 lead.
It took Inter Miami less than a minute to respond. In the sixth minute, the team built out from the back before Duke took a perfect touch to meg a pressing defender and drove ahead and played a pass forward to Pozuelo. The Spaniard then turned upfield and threaded a through ball to Higuaín in the box, and the striker took one touch and dinked his shot over the onrushing goalkeeper to equalize. The goal was Higuaín’s fourth in his last three matches, and his eighth of the season in MLS, tied with Leonardo Campana for the most on the team. The assist, meanwhile, was Pozuelo’s second for Inter Miami and seventh overall this season
Montréal was the next to strike, however, reclaiming its lead in the 21st minute after being awarded a penalty following a video review for a handball in the box. Quioto stepped up from the spot and scored his penalty to double his tally and take the 2-1 lead at Stade Saputo. Montréal held this lead for the remainder of the first half.
A handful of defensive interventions by Inter Miami kept the deficit at one for the visitors in the second half, including a pair of early saves from Callender and a crucial recovery run and tackle in the box by Yedlin.
The team’s defensive efforts were rewarded with an equalizer in the 79th minute when a pair of substitutes connected for a goal. Joevin Jones hit a perfect ball over the top for Rodríguez down the left wing, and the Colombian winger then cut in and fired a shot at goal that was saved, but he got back to his feet quickly and attacked the rebound for a second and third effort that he eventually slid into the back of the net to make it 2-2. The goal was Rodríguez’s second of the season and earned Inter Miami the crucial point on the road.
Heineken Man of the Match
Duke earned Heineken Man of the Match honors in his return to the starting XI after playing a key role in the buildup to Inter Miami's first goal and helping drive the team's midfield and attack throughout the match.
Post-Match Reaction
"I think what you’ve seen tonight is everything that we’re trying to build at this fútbol club. The players I thought performed a miracle tonight in terms of their effort, their spirit, and their togetherness," said head coach Phil Neville.
Next Match
Next the league will enter a brief midweek break for All-Star Week action, including the 2022 MLS All-Star Game presented by Target on Wednesday, Aug. 10 at 8:30 p.m. ET that will feature Inter Miami defender Yedlin. Inter Miami will then return to action on Saturday, Aug. 13 at 8 p.m. ET when it hosts New York City FC at DRV PNK 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.
Stats
Possession:
MTL - 51%
MIA - 49%
Shots:
MTL - 13
MIA - 8
Saves:
MTL - 2
MIA - 3
Corners:
MTL - 6
MIA - 4
Fouls:
MTL - 9
MIA - 8
