NRG Stadium- In a clash of Leagues Cup contenders, Tigres UANL and Inter Miami CF played a tight match with the Mexican side coming out on top by a score of 2-1. The goal scorers were Juan Brunetta and Juan Pablo Vigón for Tigres and Leo Campana for Inter Miami. Tigres advance as the top team in the group and wait for the loser of the Toronto FC vs. Pachuca match. The Herons will play the winner between Toronto and Pachuca.
Starting XI
Drake Callender was back in goal for Inter Miami CF with a four-man backline of Jordi Alba, Hector David Martinez, Tomas Aviles, and Marcelo Weigandt: Matias Rojas, Federico Redondo, and Yannick Bright in the midfield, Robert Taylor, Leo Campana, and Julian Gressel formed the frontline of attack for the Herons.
Drake Callender back in goal for #InterMiamiCF while Leo Campana 🔔 gets the start at striker…
Tomas Avilés pairs with David Martínez at CB..Busquets will get some rest on the bench…
The Herons are fighting for 1st place in the group 🆚 Tigres..#MLS #LeaguesCup2024 pic.twitter.com/p9jdN1kSkz
— Xavier Guerrero (@XGLAVOZ) August 3, 2024
Game Action
An early back-and-forth by both teams did not have a dominant side, but in the 18th minute, Tigres took advantage of a defensive mistake by Tomas Aviles to take the 1-0 lead. Aviles attempted to lob a pass out of the defensive box and had it intercepted, the ensuing sequence by Tigres ended with a masterful Juan Brunetta shot into the upper right corner of Drake Callender’s goal.
Tigres gets on the board first with a right-footed finish by Brunetta after a bad Avilés lob out of the box is intercepted & turned into a goal for the Mexican side ..1-0 Tigres leads #InterMiamiCF #MLS #LeaguesCup2024
— Xavier Guerrero (@XGLAVOZ) August 4, 2024
Miami created several scoring chances in the first half but was unable to get the ball past Nahuel Guzmán, the outstanding Tigres goalie. The squads went into halftime with Tigres holding the 1-0 lead in a game between two evenly matched teams.
Leo Campana put the Herons on the scoreboard after blasting a penalty kick shot past Guzmán to tie the game at 1-1 in the 74th minute. Guido Pizarro pulled Campana from behind as he made a run toward an incoming pass in front of the Tigres net. Referee Ismael Cornejo did not hesitate in indicating a penalty in Miami’s favor.
Gol de Leo Campana para igualar el partido y hacer historia! VAMOS 👊💥 pic.twitter.com/lQzLTRydI0
— Inter Miami CF (@InterMiamiCF) August 4, 2024
Campana’s penalty kick score was his 29th goal in an Inter Miami jersey, tying Gonzalo Higuain as the team’s all-time leader. The goal sparked the Herons into some of the team’s best minutes against Tigres, but it would be the team from south of the border that would get on the scoreboard for a second time. Juan Pablo Vigón corralled a weak clearance by Sergeii Kryvtsov and simply smashed a shot past Callender for the game-winning goal in the 84th minute.
Vigón with the rocket 🚀 to give Tigres 🐯 the 2-1 lead late in the match…#MLS #InterMiamiCF #LeaguesCup2024
pic.twitter.com/nLB6vfshfk— Xavier Guerrero (@XGLAVOZ) August 4, 2024
Tigres won a tight and highly contested match between two of the better teams in Leagues Cup 2024. Despite the loss, the Herons showed some positives playing toe-to-toe against one of the top teams in Liga MX without three of their star players starting the match. These two teams could meet again later on in the tournament in the knockout stage.
Postgame
Tigres versus Inter Miami showcased two of the best teams in the tournament facing off in the group stage already qualified for the Round of 32. Both squads were playing for first place in the group, and more importantly for prestige.
This is a prestige game for us; it was an opportunity for us to play against a very good opponent and show ourselves that we are capable of acting like we did tonight, Tigres head coach Veljko Paunovic.
Inter Miami CF was unable to tame the tigers in Houston but was able to show that even without Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez they are a formidable opponent for anyone.
Final Thoughts
Two mishaps by Miami and a silly foul by Tigres were the catalyst for the scoring in their match. The teams showed they are very evenly matched and that if they meet again in the knockout stage it could come down to focused attention to detail.
Leagues Cup is a moneymaker and anyone who thinks it’s going away anytime soon is delirious. Purists criticize the effect it has had on the US Open Cup, the traditional United States tournament. The large crowds and exciting matchups make the tournament attractive for sponsors and TV viewers. Maybe incorporating some Mexican or Canadian lower-division sides in the tournament would broaden its appeal.
Benjamin Cremaschi and Diego Gomez return to Inter Miami and will provide an immediate boost to an already strong team. If Lionel Messi can make an appearance in the tournament, Miami will have a great chance to fight for the repeat of their title.
Sergeii Kryvtsov continues to be involved in negative plays for the Herons. Several times during the season he has been victimized in one-on-one situations that have led to opponents scoring. Saturday night his weak clearance landed meekly for Juan Pablo Vigón who blasted a shot in for the game-winning goal. Kryvtsov continues to get opportunities while players like Ryan Sailor and Ian Fray sit waiting for their chance. At this point, either one could probably do a better job than Sergeii who has been in a rut.
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