Inter Miami’s season hits the skids with another loss

Inter Miami 0 – 3 Orlando City

FORT LAUDERDALE, FL–Inter Miami continued their bad run of form with another defeat, this time at the hands of local rivals Orlando City, who were too strong across the pitch.

It was another poor defensive display from Miami, who were carved open with ease a number of times, and had Orlando brought their shooting boots, could have conceded more.

Having now shipped fifteen goals in five games, the Herons need to find a combination at the back that is going to click, because as it stands, they struggle to cope.

Marco Pasalic danced his way through the defense at one stage and was unlucky not to finish with a goal, but for a good challenge that saved Miami’s blushes.

It felt like a matter of time, and they were undone for the first goal when a long ball from keeper Pedro Gallese caught the defenders asleep. A great first touch by Luis Muriel took him away from the chasing defenders, and he fizzed the ball into the far corner with Oscar Ustari left exposed.

Miami complained that Orlando had played a back pass moments earlier, and should have had a free kick, but the referee wouldn’t entertain it and I think he made the right decision.

Lionel Messi and co surrounded the referee to continue their complaint, but they would have been better served discussing how and why they were so easily opened up for the goal.

With Luis Suarez back in the starting lineup, Jordi Alba was deployed in an advanced role, and with Messi a persistent threat, Miami can attack with ease, but their Achilles heel has become their defending.

The speed of Martin Ojeda was a challenge for Noah Allen, and the front man should have scored from a number of openings, but his poor finishing let Miami off the hook.

Ustari was at fault for the second goal from an Orlando corner. He initially punched the ball when under no challenge, when catching it seemed like a relatively routine option.

That gave the ball back to Orlando, who recycled it quickly back into the danger area, where the keeper was embarrassed by Luis Muriel, whose shot went through his legs.

It was another cheap goal to give away, and something that is becoming a feature of Miami’s game. Teams accept that they will face an attacking threat throughout the game, but know they can score goals themselves against a weak defense that leaks goals.

And despite the Herons’ attacking prowess, somehow, you got the feeling in this match that they could play all day and not score, confidence seems low, and the team looks disjointed.

They no longer have the swagger that they had earlier in the season and struggle to break down a well-organized side like Orlando, that frustrated Miami, and restricted the home side to half chances and long-range efforts.

Indeed, it was Orlando who added to the scoreline late on when Dagur Thorhallsson connected with Duncan McGuire’s cross.

Having enjoyed over sixty percent of possession, Miami had enough of the ball to dominate this game, but they didn’t, and coach Javier Mascherano has his work cut out trying to find a fix for his side’s poor performances.