Gillette Stadium- Inter Miami CF lost its sixth consecutive MLS match Saturday night falling 3-1 to New England Revolution. Carles Gil, Matt Polster, and Bobby Wood scored the Rev’s goals, while Josef Martinez discounted for Miami.
Kick Off
The Starting XI had four Academy products for the first time in team history with Noah Allen, Benjamin Cremaschi, Ian Fray, and David Ruiz taking the pitch versus New England. Allen started in place of Franco Negri who was placed in concussion protocol by the team.
Franco Negri is out of the Starting XI #InterMiamiCF Noah Allen starts at left-back …Young Heron’s Rui, Cremaschi, & Fray in the midfield…Martinez up top..4-2-3-1 pic.twitter.com/VonkDCw20r
— Xavier Guerrero (@XGLAVOZ) June 10, 2023
Inter Miami started the match with possession of the ball while attacking through Nicolas Stefanelli and Josef Martinez but in the 25′ minute DeAndre Yedlin committed a penalty on Matt Polster. Carles Gil lined up and scored on the kick to put New England up 1-0.
The amazing pass by Gil into the box for Polster leads to a penalty being committed by DeAndre Yedlin…Carles Gil scores the penalty at the 27’ minute… #NERevs lead 1-0..#InterMiamiCF #MLS
— Xavier Guerrero (@XGLAVOZ) June 11, 2023
New England took command of the game after the penalty gave them the lead, and they did not look back. Matt Polster headed the ball past Drake Callender off a corner kick cross by Carles Gil in the 34′ minute to extend the Revs lead to 2-0.
Matt Polster scores the header off a corner kick for #NERevs .. 2-0 NE over #InterMiamiCF … not looking good right now…#MLS
— Xavier Guerrero (@XGLAVOZ) June 11, 2023
A nightmare first half would end with New England on top 2-0, and with Coco Jean suffering what appeared to be a serious knee injury for Miami. Robert Taylor entered the match in place of the injured Coco Jean.
Javier Morales made a change to start the second half bringing in Rodolfo Pizarro in place of Benjamin Cremaschi in an attempt to bolster the Heron attack.
Booby Wood scored the final New England goal in the 51′ minute blasting a shot past Drake Callender for the 3-0 lead.
Bobby Wood 🪵 scores the third goal for #NERevs … #InterMiamiCF is down 3-0 and look terrible…I hope Lionel is not watching the match…#MLS
— Xavier Guerrero (@XGLAVOZ) June 11, 2023
Morales changed formation by bringing in Leo Campana to accompany Josef Martinez at forward for Miami in the 55′ minute. The move gave the Herons a boost as they began to attack New England more aggressively and with greater cohesion. Campana was fouled in the box leading to a penalty kick in favor of Miami late in the match.
Josef Martinez stepped up and scored his fourth goal of the season and 102nd of his MLS career. The goal places Martinez in tenth place on the MLS All-Time Goal Scorers list. It was too little too late as Inter Miami CF lost in perhaps the worst showing of the season.
Josef Martinez lets out his frustration scoring the penalty kick for #InterMiamiCF #MLS
— Xavier Guerrero (@XGLAVOZ) June 11, 2023
Postgame Press Conference
Throughout the game, the Inter Miami CF squad seemed frustrated and anxious. Players could be seen making gestures and arguing with each other at times on the pitch.
The player that stood out the most was Josef Martinez, he screamed out loud several times when attacking sequences ended with a bad pass or mistake by a Miami player. Martinez’s negative body language clearly transmitted his annoyance with the way the team was playing.
I asked Coach Morales about Josef’s display during the match and how he handles it in the locker room.
I love, I love it when players are frustrated because it means that they like to compete. We need more players like that.
Javier gave the answer that a former high-level competitor would give. He understands Josef’s frustration because of his teammates’ shortcomings, but he needs to see the situation as a coach.
Noah Allen, Edinson Azcona, Ian Fray, and David Ruiz are all under twenty-one years of age. Each one is in the initial stages of their respective professional careers, and they need to be guided not lambasted. It does the team no good to have leaders ridicule players during matches for all to see. That correction is done at practice and in the locker room.
Final Thoughts
They say you only get one chance to make a good first impression, and for the fans tuning in to see Inter Miami for the first time Saturday night’s game was a terrible first impression. The Herons looked frustrated, anxious, and weak against New England.
Inter Miami is in the middle of a nightmare season where injuries to key players have decimated the squad. Coco Jean is the latest in the list of serious injuries to core players. The young Herons have been cast into action and the growing pains have been painful. The time off will be therapeutic for everyone.
I think by now it’s evident that Phil was not the only reason Inter Miami CF lost games. The injuries to Gregore, Jean Mota, Leonardo Campana, Ryan Sailor, and now Coco Jean have taken their toll on the team. In pro sports, it’s always the next man up, but in Miami’s case, it’s the next young man up with five players under the age of twenty-one playing big minutes on the First Team.
Lionel Messi is coming into a mess in Miami, can he save this team’s season? It’s going to be must-see TV because either Lionel pulls off a miracle turnaround or he sinks with this ship. Messi to Miami is a dream come true happening in the middle of a nightmare season.
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