Inter Miami starts flat, finishes strong after five subs, but loses 1-0 at Nashville
Playing on the road is tough enough in normal times, but when you are forced to fly out the day of the game, it makes things even more challenging.
Inter Miami found that out Sunday night, and it may have been a contributing factor in a 1-0 loss to Nashville SC in a battle of the expansion clubs.
To limit travel time and contact during the pandemic, MLS is requiring teams to take charter flights on the morning of the game and fly back immediately after the game. Inter Miami’s plane landed in Nashville at 12:30 p.m., eight hours before kickoff at Nissan Stadium.
The home team appeared to be sharper and have fresher legs the first 25 minutes as Miami started off flat and took a while to get warmed up and organized. Miami improved as the game wore on, and started to dominate as soon as coach Diego Alonso subbed five players at once in the 75th minute.
It looked like a hockey line change as Juan Agudelo, Lee Nguyen, Brek Shea, Robbie Robinson and Dylan Nealis came in for Julian Carranza, Wil Trapp, Matias Pellegrini, Nico Figal and Ben Sweat. Almost immediately, the energy and pace of the game turned in Miami’s favor. Nguyen took pressure off Rodolfo Pizarro in the midfield and dished off several good passes that led to scoring chances.
Alonso conceded that his players were not focused enough in the first half but did not use the travel plans as an excuse for the loss.
“There are no excuses, and I don’t think it was anything physical with us,” Alonso said. “The proof is we played better in the second half, and even improved. If you look at the stats, we outshot them 16 to 5, and that does not even show the crosses and other possibilities we had. I just think our team simply wasn’t focused enough in the first half.”
Winger Lewis Morgan felt Miami was “a little bit slow” to start both halves, but like Alonso, did not want to use the travel issues as an excuse. He felt Miami dominated late in the game and was just unable to finish chances.
“Freshness is always welcome and the five guys who came in had a massive impact in the game,” Morgan said. “We were able to keep them penned in their half the last 20 minutes or so. It’s only natural for Nashville to drop off a little, but I thought the guys came in and brought a lot to the game. Only thing we were missing was that finishing touch, that last pass. There were encouraging signs, but we didn’t get the victory tonight, so we’re hurting at the moment.”
Nashville, playing its first game at home since its league debut in front of 59,000 fans in February, had an apparent goal disallowed in the 17th minute for a push in the box and the teams remained deadlocked 0-0 at halftime.
Nashville scored in the 53rd minute when Miami defender Andres Reyes blocked a crossing pass with his shin and it landed in the path of Nashville’s Anibal Godoy, who knocked it into the upper right corner from about 20 yards out. Nashville players celebrated by sitting on the field in a row, like a bobsled team, and doing a choreographed dance.
Robinson was tackled football style in the box late in the game, but the referee made no call. Miami had a few scoring chances in the closing minutes, but couldn’t find the back of the net.
After a one-game player walkout Wednesday to protest police brutality and racial inequality, Inter Miami was eager to re-focus on the season after an emotional couple of days. That game against Atlanta was rescheduled for Sept. 9.
Inter Miami coaches and players were eager to build on the momentum from their historic first victory – 3-2 over Orlando City on Aug. 22. They had lost their first five games, so that win was a huge weight off their shoulders.
Alonso stuck with the same Miami lineup from the victory over Orlando: Luis Robles, Figal, Andres Reyes, Leandro Gonzalez Pirez, Sweat, Trapp, Victor Ulloa, Lewis Morgan, Pellegrini, Pizarro, Carranza.
Rookie forward Robinson, the No. 1 MLS draft pick, was back on the active roster after taking a personal leave of absence six weeks ago. Veteran defender Roman Torres was left off the roster per coach’s decision.
Inter Miami (1-6-0) will be back on the road Wednesday night at Atlanta before returning home Sept. 6 for a re-match against Nashville SC.
