Gonzalo Higuain scores game-winning golazo for Inter Miami in 2-1 win at NY Red Bulls

Inter Miami, playing on the road with a patchwork lineup and five starters missing, survived a rocky first half and beat the New York Red Bulls 2-1 on a sizzling free kick from Gonzalo Higuain, the recently signed Argentine star.

Higuain, who joined the team three weeks ago for a league-high $7 million salary, wore the captain’s armband in the absence of injured goalkeeper Luis Robles. He drew defenders in numbers all night, which opened space for fellow-Argentine Matias Pellegrini to score Miami’s first goal in the 55th minute.

And then, in the 81st minute, Higuain showed why he was one of Europe’s top scorers over the past decade, unleashing a curling free kick with power and precision to give Miami a win it desperately needed. It was his first goal in three MLS games.

“A work of art, they should hang that up in the New York Museum of Modern Art,” exclaimed TV commentator Ray Hudson.

The other huge play of the night came from Higuain’s former Juventus teammate, midfielder Blaise Matuidi, who made a long sprint for a goal-saving clearance off the goal line in the 18th minute just as the ball was about to dribble into the net.

Inter Miami (4-10-2) snapped a three-game losing streak and moved up to 12th place in the Eastern Conference standings, two spots shy of the final playoff spot with seven games remaining in the regular season. The win avenged a 4-1 home loss to the Red Bulls two weeks ago.

“Emotionally it was a very tough game for us because we were down five starters, but the backups who were waiting to help us did a great job and then Gonzalo’s goal lifted us with very high emotions,” coach Diego Alonso said.

“We waited a long time for a player of his quality, and he showed what we expected from him, someone who finishes plays. We saw great performances from him his first two games but didn’t get the results. [Wednesday] we saw a great performance and got a great result.”

Higuain said he was delighted to be named captain and help the team earn the win, but he did not feel pressure to score.

“I have played in the top teams in Europe, and my function has always been to score goals, so I did not feel anxiety or pressure to score,” Higuain said. “I am very proud of our team to come through and win a difficult game like this with so many players missing.”

It was a breakout night for Pellegrini, the 20-year-old player who arrived with high expectations but has struggled through much of the season. Two minutes after New York took a 1-0 lead on a goal by Omir Fernandez, Pellegrini responded with a left-footed half-volley goal off an assist from Lewis Morgan.

He said he has been inspired by the arrival of Higuain, one of his boyhood heroes.

“Honestly, it is incredible for me to have ‘Pipita’ as my teammate, and I enjoy it every single day,” Pellegrini said. “Sometimes I can’t even believe we are teammates. I never imagined I would play with someone of his quality, especially at my young age.”

Alonso said he was proud of Pellegrini’s performance.

“Matias is a very young player, away from his country for the first time, living alone, and feeling pressure of being one of our Designated Players, so he has suffered a lot,” Alonso said. “This was massive for him because he fought the entire year to show his talent. It was gratifying to see. He deserved it and this will help him regain his confidence.”

Robles, who is having surgery to repair his fractured left forearm, was one of five players missing from the Inter Miami lineup. Playmaker Rodolfo Pizarro was in the Netherlands, where he started for Mexico in a 1-0 friendly win over Netherlands earlier in the day. He is expected to miss five games while on duty with the Mexican team.

Also missing were defender Leandro Gonzalez Pirez (yellow card accumulation), defender Andres Reyes (injured), and forward Juan Agudelo (injured).

John McCarthy replaced Robles in goal, his first MLS game in two years. He held his own, making a big save in the first half to keep Miami in the game.

Pellegrini started for Pizarro in the midfield, A.J. De la Garza started his second game in a row on the back line, alongside first-time starter Christian Makoun and rookie defender Dylan Nealis.

It was a special game for Nealis, whose older brother Sean plays for the Red Bulls. They became the fifth pair of brothers to face each other in MLS history.

Alonso explained that he named Higuain captain because he typically likes a field player to be captain, making an exception for Robles because he is a highly respected leader. Higuain has played at the highest levels in Europe and World Cups, Alonso said, and is a great example for his teammates of how to be an elite player through hard work. Higuain was mobbed by his teammates after scoring his goal, clearly already beloved by his new team.

Inter Miami returns home for a Saturday 5 p.m. game against the Houston Dynamo.