Inter Miami CF fell 3-1 to the New York Red Bulls on the road after going down a man in the first half.
Lineup Notes
Inter Miami made two changes to the starting XI from its last match. Drake Callender started in goal; DeAndre Yedlin, Damion Lowe, Chris McVey and Kieran Gibbs lined up in defense; Jean Mota, captain Gregore and Alejandro Pozuelo formed the midfield three; Indiana Vassilev and Ariel Lassiter started on the wings alongside striker Gonzalo Higuaín in attack.
Gibbs and Vassilev returned to the team’s starting XI for the match in place of Ryan Sailor and Robert Taylor respectively. Attacker Corentin Jean, meanwhile, returned to a matchday squad for the first time since his Inter Miami debut against FC Cincinnati on July 30.
Match Action
Inter Miami fired a pair of early warning shots with chances for Higuaín and Lassiter, but the breakthrough came in the 19th minute; Lassiter drew a foul just on the edge of the box, and Higuaín stepped up to take the free kick, replicating his first-ever Inter Miami goal, and blasting a free kick into the top corner of the net at Red Bull Arena. The free kick brought his goal tally to a team-leading nine in MLS on the season, and seven goals in his last nine matches.
The match took a turn in the 29th minute, however, when Pozuelo was sent off, giving the hosts a man advantage. New York capitalized just before halftime, when John Tolkin slipped Lewis Morgan into the box, and the winger hit a low shot into the back of the net for the equalizer.
The Red Bulls then took the lead early in the second half. Daniel Edelman latched onto a loose ball after a defensive header and struck to make it 2-1 on the night.
In the 70th minute, Kyle Duncan received a second yellow card, leveling the sides at 10 men apiece, but New York netted a third goal just minutes later when Caden Clark touched a pass down off his chest and volleyed a shot into the back of the net to make it 3-1.
Inter Miami continued to push in attack for the final 20 minutes of the match, with substitutes Taylor, Jean, who returned from injury, and Bryce Duke all creating chances, but the match finished 3-1, snapping the team’s five-match unbeaten run.
Post-Match Reaction
"This one is a tough one to take and we’ve got to bounce back very quickly. We’ve got a big game on Wednesday, so we have to make sure everyone’s right and keep positivity in the camp," said head coach Phil Neville.
Next Match
Inter Miami faces a quick turnaround ahead of its next match. The team will continue its road trip on Wednesday, Aug. 31 at 7:30 p.m. ET when it visits the Columbus Crew for an important Eastern Conference matchup.
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:
RBNY - 45%
MIA - 55%
Shots:
RBNY - 20
MIA - 11
Saves:
RBNY - 4
MIA - 5
Corners:
RBNY - 2
MIA - 5
Fouls:
RBNY - 16
MIA - 8
