Inter Miami CF suffered a narrow defeat at Lower.com Field on Wednesday night, falling 1-0 to the Columbus Crew.
Lineup Notes
Inter Miami fielded a starting XI featuring four changes from its last match. Nick Marsman manned the net; Ryan Sailor, Damion Lowe and Chris McVey formed the team’s back three in defense; captain Gregore and Jean Mota lined up in the heart of midfield flanked by wing backs DeAndre Yedlin and Robert Taylor, while Bryce Duke slotted in midfield just behind the forwards; Ariel Lassiter and Gonzalo Higuaín led the line in attack.
Marsman returned to the starting XI for the first time since the match against the New England Revolution on April 30; Marsman made his 28th start for the club, currently ranking as the goalkeeper with the most appearances and starts in club history. Sailor, Taylor, and Duke, who recorded assists against New York City FC and CF Montréal in his last two starts, also returned to the starting lineup. Meanwhile, Harvey Neville, who was promoted from Inter Miami CF II last week and became the third player to make the jump this season, made an MLS matchday squad for the first time.
The first 45 minutes of the matchup were highly competitive and featured strong defensive efforts from both sides. Inter Miami tested the Columbus defense on a handful of occasions, particularly late in the half as slick passing combinations unlocked the team’s best chances for Higuaín. Despite the growing attacking threat from the visitors, the team wasn’t able to connect on the final ball and find the back of the net before the halftime whistle.
On the other end of the pitch, Sailor’s contributions proved vital throughout the half. In the 18th minute the rookie defender tracked the run of Derrick Etienne Jr. to snuff out a promising counterattack. Then, just before halftime, Sailor blocked a pair of strikes by Cucho Hernández, first clearing a bouncing effort off the line with a defensive header, and moments later positioning himself in the path of a strike from the edge of the box. The young center back’s efforts, along with one notable save from Marsman, helped maintain the clean sheet heading into halftime.
Nearly 20 minutes into the second half, though, Columbus scored what would eventually prove to be the winner when Luis Díaz capped a quick counter with a strike at the near post to make it 1-0.
Inter Miami pushed for an equalizer til the final whistle, notably creating a pair of big chances in stoppage time. First, Lowe played provider with a low cross to Higuaín that led to a shot, then later with a swinging, clipped pass to second-half substitute Vassilev in the box, but his header drew a diving save from Eloy Room in the dying moments of the match, giving Columbus a 1-0 win.
Post-Match Reaction
"I think when your experience tells you that in the last seven games you’re going to drop points. And it’s how you recover from dropping those points, it’s how you bounce back, it’s how you accept going a goal down," said head coach Phil Neville.
Today, Inter Miami CF and Cervecería La Tropical announced a partnership to unveil a co-branded limited edition Inter Miami CF and La Tropical themed beer can. The Inter Miami CF can holds La Original, Ámbar Lager, the brewery’s most popular beer, a refreshing Vienna Style Ámbar Lager with underlying notes of honey perfectly balanced with noble hops for a very clean finish. The can was revealed tonight at a watch party event where supporters, Season Ticket Members and partners watched the road match-up against Columbus Crew.
Next Match
Inter Miami will now have over a week to recover ahead of its next match, when the team travels to Illinois to face Chicago Fire FC at SeatGeek Stadium on Saturday, Sept. 10 at 8 p.m. ET.
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:
CLB - 50%
MIA - 50%
Shots:
CLB - 14
MIA - 4
Saves:
CLB - 1
MIA - 2
Corners:
CLB - 4
MIA - 2
Fouls:
CLB - 13
MIA - 13
