By Nick Lee, Bleacher Brothers Staff Writer & Inter Miami Correspondent
Miami defeated Charlotte FC 1-0 in their MLS home matchup in an unlikely victory. Goalkeeper Ustari was sent off in the first half, but Charlotte failed to capitalize with zero shots hitting the target. Messi was once again claimed “healthy” by coach Javier Mascherano despite being an unused substitute
Miami started with a slightly different formation on paper, playing a 4-2-3-1 with Noah Allen moving into central defense and Gonzalo Lujan started at right fullback. Yannick Bright was in holding midfield with temporary captain Sergio Busquets. Red hot new signing Telasco Segovia debuted in Messi’s traditional roll of central attacking midfield, having started his previous games on the wing. Allende, Cremaschi and Luis Suarez rounded out the attack. Also returning to the lineup after suspension was Tomas Aviles, who Mascherano criticized through a thin veil when he said his red card in their first game of the season was “certainly preventable.” The coach did offer support and advice to the young defender, stating that he would learn to better manage the risk of making tackles and the balance between allowing goals and getting sent off.
Former Premier League star Wilfried Zaha started at left midfield for Charlotte. The visitors were on the front foot early through Zaha on the left side, crossing for an attempt and then dribbling through four Miami defenders before Avilas made a late block on the second across. Miami contributed to their own struggles and made a number of mistakes by turning the ball over too easily. Bright, Busquets, Segovia and Cremaschi were all caught on the ball by the midfield press of Charlotte. Miami also struggled to work the ball up the wings, with Jordi Alba’s crossing opportunities limited to just three in the first half. Unable to capitalize on good pressing for most of the game, only two of Charlotte’s thirteen shots were in the first half, and their team managed to create a total of 13 corner kicks (five in the first half), however not a single one of their shots this match was on goal.
Charlotte’s pressure would pay off as a long ball from the midfield over the top of the Miami defense caught both central defenders on their heels. Zaha latched on to the cross, cutting across his own striker and in front of Inter keeper Ustari, who didn’t see the winger cutting in. Ustari tripped Zaha with a dangling leg, unable to avoid the collision ten yards outside of the penalty box. The referee issued a straight red, which was questioned due to the fact that Miami had players retreating to cover, but VAR upheld the decision. Rocco Rios Novo, who was signed from Boca Juniors and previously played in the MLS with Atlanta, debuted in goal as Mascherano was forced to sacrifice a player to restore a keeper to his lineup, withdrawing Cremaschi. Both teams finished the first half with 0.16 xG, highlighting their struggles in front of net.
Kicking off the second half, Inter would shock the opposition by scoring from a fast break manufactured from the first whistle. Tadeo Allende received a long ball over the top, controlling beautifully and laying the ball off for Suarez to manage. Suarez would return the favor with a chipped ball over the defense to the streaking Allende, who hammered the ball home into the bottom corner. Allende arrived on loan for the season from Spain’s La Liga club Celta de Vigo, and the young Argentine already has four goals – two in MLS, two in the CONCACAF Champions Cup. Charlotte would search for an equalizer, but ultimately failed to produce anything from their repeated attacks against 10-man Miami. Their best chance fell to Zaha, who failed to hit the target from inside the box on the left side.
Mascherano will be concerned with the discipline of his defensive unit, with three red cards in only three MLS games, all from players at the back (defenders Fray and Avila, and keeper Ustari). While the suspension to Fray was eventually overturned, and the red card he received was technically after the match was over against Houston, there is reason to believe that discipline may be an issue. Javier Mascherano was known as a hot-headed player during his career, and his role as Inter Miami manager is also his first top-flight professional gig. Questions remain whether he can moderate the tempers of a hard-working side. The depth of the squad will also continue to be tested, with suspensions and the resting of Messi and eventually their other aging stars such as Suarez, Busquets and Alba. However, the manager should be pleased with his third-string goalkeeper managing a shutout despite not facing any shots on target. The back line was managed well by the substitute keeper Rios Novo, and he handled a slew of corner kicks without conceding.
Miami faces a week-long road trip which includes a flight to Jamaica for the second leg of the Champions Cup versus Cavalier SC, Thursday 3/13 at 8:00PM. This is followed by their next MLS matchup, away to Atlanta on Sunday March 16th at 7:00PM.
As a dedicated Inter Miami correspondent, Nick Lee also covers the MLS, the Premier League and Serie A for Bleacher Brothers. He is a regular guest on their soccer podcast, Kicking It Back with Matt, Tuesdays at 6PM available on YouTube, X, Facebook and Twitch.