DRV PNK Stadium – Tomás Avilés scored a second-half stoppage-time header to salvage a point for Inter Miami at home in a draw versus NYCFC. The Herons remain four points out of the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference with four games left to play but with a game in hand against its competitors.
Kick Off
Tata Martino once again tinkered with his Starting XI, this time placing David Ruiz as a right wingback in a 5-3-2 formation replacing the suspended DeAndre Yedlin, who was out due to an accumulation of yellow cards.
Tata’s tinkering again…last game it didn’t go so good…let’s see how it goes tonight…Ruiz @ right wingback is interesting…#InterMiamiCF #MLS pic.twitter.com/L0uHcfN0WJ
— Xavier Guerrero (@XGLAVOZ) September 30, 2023
New York had better scoring chances than Inter in the first half but could not capitalize, while Miami maintained possession without really threatening New York. A scoreless and rather dull first half sent the teams to the locker rooms.
Thrilling Goals
The second period brought excitement as both teams looked to go forward in search of the elusive goal. Santiago Rodríguez sparked the NYCFC contingent at DRV PNK Stadium with a stunning solo effort banger in the 77th minute. Rodríguez received a pass just outside the box and turned on Tomás Avilés who was left chasing the play, with Santiago scoring a banger over a hapless Drake Callender.
Rodriguez slams the ball past Drake Callender after a great individual effort… Aviles gets left behind on the play…#NYCFC is up 1-0…#MLS #InterMiamiCF https://t.co/Dvz29IKgAj
— Xavier Guerrero (@XGLAVOZ) October 1, 2023
Just when the three points seemed to be headed to New York, Tomás Avilés hammered a corner kick past Matt Feese to tie the match five minutes into stoppage time.
Avilés with the last minute header to tie the match for #InterMiamiCF !!! #MLS https://t.co/1DvHSJT45y
— Xavier Guerrero (@XGLAVOZ) October 1, 2023
The goal gave Miami a second wind and the Herons almost won the match on a David Ruiz shot that hit the crossbar and painfully bounced out to be cleared by NY. Inter Miami salvaged a crucial point against NYCFC in a match where the NY team seemed to have outplayed Miami.
Postgame
Tata Martino was asked about a report by @CadDelisa which alleged that Lionel Messi had suffered a small hamstring tear and would likely not play Inter Miami’s remaining games. Martino brushed off the report saying Messi was day-to-day as he has been reporting,
It is what I said, We’re going to see this game to game..We’re going to evaluate him against Chicago…If he’s going to be on the bench, if he’s going to be out of the bench, whether against Chicago or Cincinnatti… He’s training on the field apart from the group, but he’s feeling better and better … time will tell whether what I am saying is true or whether that person who made the report is right
A rather interesting situation is happening in Miami with Coach Tata insisting Messi is day-to-day and a report claiming Lionel could possibly be out for the remainder of the season. It seems both could be true, with Messi having a slight hamstring tear that could possibly be managed enough to play him some minutes in a crucial match. The reporter has added further context saying as much since the news first broke. The next four games will give us an opportunity to see first-hand how the situation unfolds and if Tata was telling the “truth” or giving us “half-truths”.
Final Thoughts
Inter Miami is still alive in the playoff hunt and they look to be in it until the final match day. The effort this team has given to turn this wretched season around has to be appreciated. That grandiose effort has come at a price; piling injuries for Miami with Lionel Messi’s injury being the most influential. The team as a whole looks fatigued and is playing in that manner, tired and without energy.
News of Lionel Messi’s injury broke before Saturday night’s match against NYCFC with all outlets reporting on it. Tata has challenged the validity of the report saying that in the end, we will all see if he or the reporter were correct in regards to Messi. The current soap opera atmosphere around Miami has to be distracting to the players.
Tata mentions the fatigue the players are feeling with the inordinate amount of games they have played this season, but he has several players on the roster that he barely plays that could give some of the starters a breather. Ryan Sailor, Chris Mcvey, Victor Ulloa, Robbie Robinson, Nico Stefanelli, Edinson Azcona, Lawson Sunderland. Spot-starting some of these guys here and there could have saved some mileage on the usual starters. Some coaches just stick to the players they “trust” even if it means running them into the ground. Perhaps a little time management would have prevented some of the injuries and definitely some of the fatigue.
Four games to go for Miami, and four finals left in the season. If Miami manages to make the playoffs, more wear and tear on the players. If Tata doesn’t trust any of the players I mentioned enough to play them this season when there was a great amount of games, I fear many of those guys might not be around next season.
Buckle down, the next four games should be exciting.
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