Inter Miami CF II was defeated at home against Crown Legacy FC in another afternoon of MLS NEXT Pro action. The team played the second half with 10 men after a red card. The match featured a goal from Yuvan Cohen, as well as Mateo Saja’s first professional goal.
Inter Miami CF II, coached by Federico HiguaÃn, took to the field in a 4-3-3 formation with Cole Jensen in goal; captain Nykolas Sessock, Ryan Sailor, Giovanni Ferraina, and Samuel Basabe in defense; Lawson Sunderland, Ricardo Montenegro, and Jose Casas formed the midfield; while Alejandro Flores and Ryan Carmichael flanked striker Cohen Yuval in attack.
For the first 15 minutes of the match, Inter Miami II created a couple of chances from the flanks, notably a great opportunity generated by defender Basabe. In the 17th minute, the visitors scored from an inswinging corner which was tapped in to make the score 0-1. Inter Miami faced more challenges in the 31st minute when Crown Legacy doubled their lead, once again from a set piece that found a header inside the six-yard box.
Inter Miami responded immediately when forward Cohen scored his fifth goal of the season after capitalizing on a short pass from the opposing defense and converted the one-on-one to halve the deficit. Crown Legacy, with a long-distance shot, struck again against the Herons to go into halftime with a 1-3 lead. During the added time of the first half, Inter Miami was reduced to 10 men following the red card of midfielder Casas after a foul at the edge of the penalty area.
The second half was a continuation of the first where the visitors dominated the game and capitalized its opportunities. In the 76’ minute, Mateo Saja scored his first professional goal but it was not enough to help the team overcome the deficit.
This result places Inter Miami in fourth position of the Eastern Conference with 45 points coming from 13 wins, eight losses, and six draws.
Up next, Inter Miami CF II will visit Carolina Core FC for its final match of the 2024 regular season, where securing a point would guarantee the Herons a playoff spot.
