English Premier League: 5 Craziest Matches So Far In 2020/21 Season

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At the time of writing, we are just approaching the quarter-way mark of the 38-game English Premier League season. And, we say this without exaggeration, it has already packed more drama and weirdness into the first nine rounds as any season in the past. From huge upsets to goals being awarded after the full-time whistle was blown, this campaign has been unlike any other. 

 Above all, though, there have been some bizarre results and performances over the autumn period, and we are going to look back at five of those below: 

Aston Villa 7-2 Liverpool

The biggest shock in English football history? Certainly, we can’t think of many upsets to match Aston Villa’s demolition of the champions (perhaps Southampton beating Manchester United 6-3 in during the 1996/97 season). Nevertheless, this was Villa’s day, with Ollie Watkins leading the charge with a hat-trick against the Reds. Liverpool conceded just 33 goals across the entire season in 2019/20, so to let in over a fifth of that tally in a single game was shocking, to say the least. All credit should go to Villa, though, who looked masterful when gaining their greatest result in many a year. 

Man City 2-5 Leicester

Man City still remain the betting favourites with 888 to win the Premier League this season. In truth, though, they haven’t looked like potential champions in most games, most notably when receiving a hiding from Leicester City. The main man was the evergreen Jamie Vardy, whose pace and guile tortured the City defence throughout the 90 minutes. Pep Guardiola, normally the coolest man on the sidelines, looked helpless. 

Manchester United 1-6 Tottenham

This was horrific if you were watching as a Manchester United fan. Normally when two big clubs clash, the games can be tentative, certainly in the beginning. Both teams flew out of the traps here though, with United going ahead after two minutes. That was as good as it got for United, though, as Tottenham had the lead five minutes later. United fans might point to Anthony Martial’s red card as an excuse, but that’s almost a moot point. Tottenham battered United before and after the sending off, and we could have been looking at double figures by the end. A great day for former United boss, Jose Mourinho; one to forget for current manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. 

Leicester 0-3 West Ham 

The week before Leicester City were giving Pep Guardiola nightmares, the team was on the receiving end of their own comprehensive defeat at the hands of West Ham. The Hammers were expected to flop this season, but manager David Moyes has got a tune out of a team that looks weak on paper. They were perfect here in thwarting much-fancied Leicester City. Moyes had been tipped as the first manager likely to be sacked, given West Ham’s tough fixture list. But the Scot has guided his team astutely, and earned the respect of fans in the process. 

Aston Villa 3-4 Southampton 

If any club is emblematic of the crazy Premier League season, it is Aston Villa. They have put Liverpool, Leicester and Arsenal to the sword, but lost games 3-0 at home to Leeds and this one at the hands of Southampton. In truth, the 4-3 scoreline flatters Villa a bit because they were never really in the match. Saints were 4-0 up after an hour, and they took their foot off the gas after that. After the game, Southampton spent a brief period at the top of the Premier League. The club duly released “Stop the Count” t-shirts in a cheeky imitation of a certain US President’s call to stop votes being tallied in the election.  

Inter Miami Fall 3-0 to Nashville in First Ever Playoff Match

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In the battle of the expansion sides Friday night, Nashville SC’s dominant performance over Inter Miami CF was more than enough to see their season past the play-in round of the MLS Playoffs. By a scoreline of 3-0, Nashville showed out on both sides of the ball and sent Inter Miami packing with questions about the future.

In what was a lackluster performance, to say the least, Inter Miami found themselves down by two goals by the 23rd minute. A Randall Leal stunner and a penalty from the star man Hany Mukhtar put the Herons down early.

Tactically, Diego Alonso had this game all wrong from the start. The first 25 minutes of this match were an absolute disaster. The five at the back formation provided Nashville the chance to control the game and possession, then score twice. There was no sense of urgency from Inter Miami off of kickoff and no cohesion within the team.

Defensively, Miami struggled to clear the ball off the pitch. And what I mean by that is, Alvas Powell instinctively cleared the ball to the middle of the field what felt like every chance he had, and it ruined Miami’s chances early on. Other defenders were the same way, but Powell just did this very noticeably, considering it led to the first goal.

When on the ball, the passing was never crisp, rarely positive, and provided nothing. The movement off the ball from the players when in possession was also shambolic, and this team, after a full season together, still had not seemed to find the chemistry they were meant to.

Why? Well, in A.J. DeLaGarza’s words,

“Communication has to be better. Language barriers have to be better. Too many guys don’t speak Spanish, too many don’t speak English, and that leads to not communicating on the field.”

Franco Panizo of SBI Soccer said on his Twitter page that he noticed earlier on in the year at the MLS is Back Tournmanent that he caught Victor Ulloa translating words back to Diego Alonso.

Now, DeLaGarza is quoted as saying that the language barrier among players and staff has been a problem not just for this game but all year long.

How is a team meant to play cohesively when things cant be communicated among the players? How are they meant to succeed if the manager’s tactics may not come across clearly? Maybe I’m overblowing this. Maybe this is a minor issue that hadn’t had a drastic effect this season. If it’s not? Then man, was this club doomed from the start or what.

Moving on past those first 25 minutes, even being down 2-0, things were looking a little better. Diego Alonso was forced to make an early tactical change. Matias Pellegrini was subbed on for Dylan Nealis in the 33rd minute, and Alonso switched the formation to a back four. It might have just been a simple fact that they played two-nil down, but this change seemed to make this game a little bit more bearable to watch.

The possession numbers ended up being an even 50-50 by the 54th minute. That says a lot considering at the 25th-minute mark, the possession numbers were 73-27 in favor of Nashville. The game was changed greatly once Alonso decided to ditch his original tactics, but my word, there are still so many things to question from the rest of this game.

Lewis Morgan has started every single game for Inter Miami on the right-wing. Matias Pellegrini was used mostly on the left-wing this season, although he had spent some time as a number 10. When Pellegrini was subbed on, he and Morgan were on opposite wings most of the match for some very odd reason. Why? If there was anything this team had been consistent with this season, it was receiving service from their right-winger, Lewis Morgan. For them to have been on opposite sides the majority of the match after the substitution is truly mind-boggling and likely had an effect on this team going forward.

Then you look at the third goal conceded. Fair play to Dax McCarty, who took the space he was given and found the back of the net, but no one closed him down. Matuidi barely tried to catch him after being beaten while we lightly jogged in the midfield, and not one defender thought to close down. They let Dax legitimately run from the half-way line to the top of the box and still let him get a shot off. Woeful is the best word I could use to describe how poor the defending was on this play.

Outside of the three goals conceded, that was about it. At times, the game was dead, and Miami struggled even in possession to get any clear chances inside the box. Even with the formation change, it was still the same Miami side we had seen all year that struggled to create and convert chances. To concede three goals to a team that had only done so four times all year and is known for their defense is awful. Both defensively and offensively, Miami struggled and put out a poor showing.

It’s a disappointing but deserved result. Yes, Higuain and LGP were out with COVID. But that doesn’t change the fact that you had all week to set this match up tactically, and you came out with possibly the worst 25 minutes of the season! More has to be done; more should’ve been done earlier, considering the team’s expectations. Making the playoffs in your inaugural year is a great feat, but to scrape by and barely make it then put on a poor showing in a do-or-die game, isn’t good enough.

This match and the entire season should be enough to give management and the players a reality check, and hopefully, they can improve in 2021. The city and the fans deserve it.

It might’ve been disappointing; it might’ve really sucked to lose a lot of games this year. But professional soccer is back in South Florida, and that’s a win in my book.

 

 

Inter Miami to Make MLS Playoff Debut

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Through a year of tremendous adversity in their inaugural season, Inter Miami was able to sneak into the MLS Playoffs by way of the 10th position in the Eastern Conference standings. The club’s first-ever playoff game takes place tonight at Nissan Stadium as they take on fellow MLS expansion side Nashville SC.

But of course, there’s not an Inter Miami match that hadn’t had trouble going into it, and this game is no different.

Reviewing the First Two Ties

Before we get into that, Inter Miami and Nashville SC faced off twice in the regular season. Although MANY things have changed since those matchups, it’s still important to note the scorelines and how things went.

The first match between the two sides took place on August 30th in the same place the game will be tonight. Nashville SC has identified themselves as a solid defensive side, and this game proved to be one of their good defensive performances. Despite Miami creating 11 chances in the match, they ended the 90 minutes scoreless and saw defeat after a poorly cleared cross found Anibal Godoy open at the top of the box. Godoy was able to beat Luis Robles from long range, and that goal stood as the only one in the entire match. With Miami unable to convert their chances in the final third, Nashville saw out the win and kept all three points at home.

Fast forward to September 6th, where they met again but in Fort Lauderdale this time. Both teams took a point to their season totals as this game ended in a nil-nil draw. Nashville created a total of 13 chances that resulted in nine shots but only four on target. The offensive approach from Nashville in this match was the complete opposite from the first time, where they only had five shots, with two on target. I guess you could say less is more. However, Miami did fire all on fronts but again failed to convert any of their chances.

Also noteworthy that Gonzalo Higuain was not a part of either match as his signing was not completed this early on in the year. Blaise Matuidi, though, was a part of the second match between the two teams, and it’s safe to say he’ll be part of the one tonight as well.

Player News and Expectations for Tonight’s Match

So what should tonight’s matchup bring? Due to reports yesterday, the general public was informed that three Inter Miami players had not traveled due to positive COVID-19 tests. Both Higuain brothers, Gonzalo and Federico, along with Leandro Gonzalez Pirez, were the ones that have not made the trip to Nashville.

In other player news, it was confirmed by Inter Miami manager Diego Alonso that Rodolfo Pizarro, Brek Shea, and Nico Figal are all available tonight despite each player’s own complications.

Pizarro had recently left South Florida for two international friendlies with the Mexican National Team. His availability was not likely until MLS released a protocol in which they would charter flights for MLS players abroad to bypass the 10-day quarantine process. Along with Victor Wanyama for Montreal, he and Pizarro were two key players MLS wanted back for their postseason.

Brek Shea was on the “not medically cleared to play” list for quite some time. The thought is that when a player is on that list, they have tested positive for COVID-19, but the club or the league confirmed nothing. Shea is back, however, and Alonso now has a fan favorite at his disposal.

Nico Figal went down with an injury in Inter Miami’s game against FC Dallas on October 28th. The club confirmed that the defender was dealing with a muscle injury in his leg. Fortunately for Inter Miami, he is available tonight. He will be needed, too, as LGP is out with COVID, and Andres Reyes is suspended for this game after picking up a red card in the season finale vs. FC Cincinnati.

With these returnees and players that are out, how should Miami line up tonight? That’s for Diego Alonso to decide, but me to speculate.

With the defensive options running extremely thin, Figal will have to start at the center back position. A late bloomer this season in the defense has been A.J. De LaGarza, who has seen time both at center back and at right-back. I think it’d be smart for Alonso to utilize A.J.’s versatility and play him at CB alongside Figal. The wing-backs have come down to the coach’s preference all season. On the left, Ben Sweat played most of the year as the starter but has been replaced in recent weeks by Mikey Ambrose, who scored an absolute worldie last time out. Alonso should feed the hot and leave Ambrose as the starter. With no Figal or A.J. to play on the right, Alonso will have to decide between the rookie, Dylan Nealis, or the MLS veteran, who he sat all year after a poor performance in the club’s inaugural game in LA, Alvas Powell. Powell got his chance against FC Cinincianntti and put in a very decent performance. Personal preference would be to go with Nealis, who has had more game experience this season, but Powell is a solid option.

The midfield will consist of both Blaise Matuidi and Wil Trapp, as that’s been the best duo the team has had in the latter half of the year. If Alonso sticks with his 4-2-3-1 formation, these will be the guys in front of the backline.

Up front is now where things get interesting. Lewis Morgan is the OBVIOUS choice to start, and really that goes without saying. The other three attacking positions might be up in the air. No Higuain means the team has to address the striker role and who plays around him. The last time Higuain did not play, Julian Carranza was the striker of choice for Alonso. However, we have seen Robbie Robinson start this year up top as well as Juan Agudelo. It’ll likely be Carranza since Alonso has also used Agudelo on the left-wing after Matias Pellegrini lost his starting spot.

Is Pizarro ready to play 90 minutes as a number 10? On international duty just three days ago, he played 89 minutes as a starter for the Mexican National team against Japan. This game was on Tuesday, and on Friday, Rodolfo may be asked to do it again. Quite the test of fitness for Inter Miami’s first-ever Designated Player.

Oh, and John McCarthy will be starting in goal as Robles is still healing from a fractured arm, and Drake Callender has not yet made his mark on an MLS stage.

My prediction for the starting XI tonight is as follows:

4-2-3-1

Carranza (ST)

Agudelo / Pizarro / Morgan (LM, CAM, RM)

Matuidi / Trapp (CDM, CDM)

Ambrose / Figal / AJD / Nealis (LB, CB, CB, RB)

McCarthy (GK)

Predictions

Both clubs are in their first-ever playoff match. Their first ever win-or-go-home games that could shape their future for the next couple of years. The stakes are massive for both sides and mean a ton for both franchises and fan bases.

With that said, when you factor in how Nashville and Miami have played against each other in the past, and how Miami lacks goal scoring in their side and Nashville is a VERY defensive team, this game will be close.

Don’t expect a goal-fest. Expect a very gritty, get stuck in the mud kind of game where both teams play not to lose until the opening goal actually comes. As the leading team in clean sheets recorded, Nashville will look to keep that up while Miami may try and play the same way but break on a counter.

With Lewis Morgan to worry about on the wing and Pizarro’s creative genius, I think they may counter early out of the half time break and make it 1-0 within the 50′ minute mark. Nashville will equalize quickly after. Then, in dramatic fashion, Miami will find themselves with a late winner to put them on the right side of a 2-1 scoreline, and they’ll be headed to Philadelphia.

The game is at 9 pm EST on ESPN2.

Multiple Positive COVID-19 Tests Ahead of Inter Miami Playoff Game

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In breaking news Thursday night, it was reported that there had been multiple positive COVID-19 tests within the Inter Miami squad. This news comes about 24 hours before the club is scheduled to play their first-ever playoff game against fellow MLS Expansion Team, Nashville SC.

It is not certain at the moment who has tested positive, how many have, or when the results came in. According to reports from SB Nation’s Franco Panizo and Sun Sentinel’s Khobi Price, at least five total players have tested positive with the possibility of at least three being starters.

Miami is set to take on Nashville at Nissan Stadium at 9 pm EST tomorrow. Depending on when the club was notified of the positive tests and how it was handled at the training facility in Fort Lauderdale throughout the week will determine if the game can still be played.

After the Orlando Tournament, MLS had specific same-day travel rules for road teams in the regular season, and it’s thought that it’s the same for the post-season. This rule has probably done Inter Miami a favor here as they still have not arrived in Nashville for tomorrow’s match, and the club can prohibit the players who have tested positive from traveling.

With the thought that the positive tests came earlier in the week, it’s important to note that the last time the official Inter Miami social media accounts posted videos from training as early as three days ago, but none since then. The last training video’s identifiable players include Juan Agudelo, Matias Pellegrini, Julian Carranza, and Dylan Nealis. Other players are visible in the background but are not clearly shown.

Rodolfo Pizarro, Brek Shea, and Nico Figal were all said to be available yesterday morning.

As previously mentioned, it’s not clear about who has tested positive or how many. The adversity continues for Inter Miami as they now go into their first-ever playoff match with a weakened side when previously thought they would be at full strength.

The match is available for fans to watch nationally on ESPN2 tomorrow at 9 pm Eastern.

Champions League betting: English teams pose threat to Bayern

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The Champions League proper is set to begin in October and online betting sites have already released the outright odds for this season’s tournament.

 

Bayern Munich lifted the trophy in Lisbon after beating Paris Saint-Germain 1-0 in the final, and it is the Germans who start as co-favourites for the 2020-21 tournament.

 

Hansi Flick’s team are priced at 9/2 with most bookmakers to go back-to-back, and with Leroy Sane’s arrival strengthening their attacking options, they are likely to be just as difficult to beat in this campaign as they were during the last.

 

Manchester City, Sane’s former club, are also 9/2 even though they have never won the Champions League. Lyon knocked them out in a shock 3-1 result at the quarter-final stage, meaning that Pep Guardiola’s wait to win the European Cup at City goes on.

 

One English club that have had plenty of experience in lifting ‘Old Big Ears’ is Liverpool, who are 5/1 in places but 7/1 best price. The addition of Thiago Alcantara will be a huge boost, and confidence within the squad will be at an all-time high after they followed up their 2019 Champions League success with a maiden Premier League triumph this year.

 

Like Man City, Paris Saint-Germain are searching for their first Champions League and the Ligue 1 outfit are 9/1 with Paddy Power to finally go all the way. Having reached the final for the first time in 2020, many may be tempted by that price for them to go one better.

 

You can never keep Real Madrid away from Champions League finals for too long, so it is no surprise to see them at 9/1 with some betting sites, while they can be snapped up at a more generous 12/1 elsewhere. That price may change depending on what happens between now and the end of the transfer window. There have been plenty of departures from the Bernabeu, many of which will surely be replaced.

 

Barcelona, meanwhile, have already spent big on midfielder Miralem Pjanic from Juventus and the exciting Portuguese winger Trincao from Brago. But their biggest coup is being able to keep hold of Lionel Messi, who at one stage looked likely to be heading to Manchester City. The Catalan giants, five-time winners of the European Cup, are 16/1.

 

There are some 17/1 quotes available on Serie A champions Juventus, while Chelsea, who have bolstered their squad massively, are 22/1. Manchester United are also 22/1, but that may have something to do with their pedigree in the Champions League rather than their current squad.

 

It may be surprising to see Atletico Madrid, Inter Milan, and Borussia Dortmund as big as 33/1 with some bookies, and an even bigger long shot is Atalanta at 45/1. The Italian side were highly impressive with their attacking football last season as they reached the quarter-finals of the Champions League and finished third in Serie A.

 

Sevilla have an incredible record in European competitions, having won the Europa League six times this century, but the Champions League may be a step too far from them and 70/1 is probably fair.

Match Recap: Inter Miami CF vs. Orlando City SC

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Inter Miami sealed their first-ever win over Orlando City Saturday night. Julian Carranza led the Herons with a brace as Miami sealed a 3-2 victory at Inter Miami CF Stadium.

The long-awaited first home match for Inter Miami did not disappoint. After a fabulous first 45 minutes of play, Miami saw out the victory on its home turf. Orlando was unable to snatch a point late in the game, and Miami came away with its first points of the 2020 MLS Regular Season.

First Half

In the 12th minute of play, Carranza had won a ball in midfield that fell to Rodolfo Pizarro. The Mexican International dribbled right at a defender with his striker alongside. Carranza received a perfectly weighted and timed pass from Pizarro as he overlapped him, and tucked the ball into the near post for a 1-0 lead.

Miami’s defense was beaten just 6 minutes later, as Orlando rookie Darryl Dike bodied Leandro Gonzalez Pirez to the ground, which led to a turn and a shot on target. Goalkeeper Luis Robles did well to make the first save, however, Andres Reyes or Ben Sweat couldn’t clear the ball, which led to Dike striking home the rebound.

At 1-1, Miami was still playing inspired. Winning balls in the midfield and organized defending translated into some positive play. A lot of the first half featured Inter Miami progressing into the final third with countless forward dribbles and passes. The use of Lewis Morgan on the wing seemed to be in the game plan for Diego Alonso’s side, but ultimately the opposite side provided Miami’s second goal.

In the 22nd minute, Sweat had received a pass from the midfield as he ran down the wing. With his head up, he saw Carranza making a run at the back post. Immediately Sweat put in a fantastic cross that Carranza was able to head perfectly. From the left side of the keeper at the back post, the striker lofted his headed attempt across to the top of the goal in an unreachable position. Just like that, Miami was back on top at 2-1.

Pizarro and Carranza were a delight to watch in the first 45 minutes. The play from the two going forward showcased what this team can bring on the offensive front. Carranza was extremely active in the entire match. He won a handful of freekicks for Miami and bothered Orlando defenders for the majority of the first half. The 2-1 lead at the halftime break was a result of inspiring play from the whole team.

Second Half

Inter Miami was able to carry this momentum straight out of the gate. The tactics from the first half did not change as Miami found themselves in a scoring position only three minutes into the restart.

Defender Nicolas Figal, who found himself a lot of freedom to go forward this game, played a backheel pass to Morgan on the wing. Morgan was able to put a ball into the box that found a backward header from Victor Ulloa that landed perfectly to Pizarro’s foot. In the most composed manner, Miami’s Number 10 slotted the ball into the bottom corner to give them a 3-1 lead.

Just seconds later after the goal, Carranza was on a break and found Pizarro with a headed through ball. He took a shot just inside the box and barely missed his chance for a second as he struck the inside of the far post. Even up 3-1, Miami fans were able to watch a hungry, attacking side.

After three yellow cards in a quick 13 minutes for Miami (53′, 62′, 66′), it was evident legs became heavy. Orlando had subbed on Chris Mueller at the half, who made quite the impact in the latter part of the match.

Immediately following a triple substitution for Miami, which featured Brek Shea, who made his first appearance for the club, Orlando scored a second goal. Dike did well to body LGP yet again and played a back pass to Mueller on the corner of the box. Mueller did well to send in a cross to the head of Luis Nani on the back post, and Robles had no chance. Now 78 minutes in, Miami was pressured to hold on.

Orlando threw numbers forward in the last 10 minutes plus 5 of added time, but ultimately Miami stood strong. Just like that, Inter Miami had finally won a game.

 

The 3-2 win will go down as a monumental day for Inter Miami. The first win and the first home game are two huge steps to take as a club. Miami will look to carry this momentum into Wednesday as they take on Atlanta United for the first time.

Five Reasons to be Excited about Inter Miami (4/5)

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Inter Miami return to MLS action on August 22 against in-state rivals Orlando City. For each day leading up to the game, I’ll be going into detail explaining one of my five reasons to be excited about Inter Miami.  These five reasons, and dates of all and each coming piece, are listed below:

Reasons to be Excited About Inter Miami

  1. New Signings (August 17)
  2. Return of Robbie (August 18)
  3. Playing with More Experience (August 19)
  4. Potential Acquisitions (August 20)
  5. First Home Game (August 21)

Matchday will feature a pre and post-game piece as well.

Potential Signings

With the MLS Transfer Window open, Inter Miami has already made the biggest splash in the league. Blaise Matuidi is taking his talents to South Beach. The signing of Leandro Gonzalez Pirez before the MLS is Back Tournament is also going to be impactful in the restart. Fans still question if both these guys will fix all of the club’s problems.

Miami needs help in most areas of the field. If LGP and Matuidi cover the backline and the midfield, what does the club do about goalscoring? Daniel Sturridge, Roger Martinez, Edinson Cavani, are all a couple of names that have been in the mix for a while.

A Number 9

The Roger Martinez rumors were true, however, the clubs never reached an agreement in the pre-season. The Colombian international is a name that should still be considered. He’s a young, talented, prolific striker that may be able to create scoring chances for Miami in the final third.

Daniel Sturridge’s name was thrown around after he had contract issues in Turkey. Shortly around the time of Miami’s first game in Los Angeles, Sturridge seemed to be an intriguing acquisitio.n. As a player whos had major roles at major clubs, MLS would not be much of an issue for him. As he gets older though, the club has t question if it’s worth wasting a Designated Player spot on him, compared to other top tier strikers available.

Recently, Edinson Cavani’s name has been thrown around all over the world. Due to the rise of Kylian Mbappe and the signing of Mauro Icardi at PSG, Cavani has no place in Paris. Reports have come out that he has reached an agreement with Portuguese club Benfica. As a free agent, Inter Miami would be able to bring Cavani in for free, and on a short term deal as a DP, its hard not to say, “why not?” Cavani became a top tier striker in his seven years at PSG, and a move to MLS or Liga Nos would benefit him as he gets into the latter part of his career.

Best fit?

Miami needs a number 9. Miami also needs a wing-back as well as another midfielder to pair with Matuidi.

Roger Martinez would be a great get if the club can put him under the salary cap. This would leave room for Miami to leave the DP slot open for a world-class midfielder.

Arturo Vidal is likely on the move after the demise of FC Barcelona. As the club looks to move on from some older players, Vidal would be the ideal pairing for MAtuidi in a 4-2-3-1 formation.

Another older player like Vidal who could be on the move is Antonio Valencia. The Ecuadorian spent most of his career with Machester United. As he became older, he lost his role at the English club and has since moved to a club in Quito, Ecuador. His veteran presence could prove to be impactful as Miami looks to develop rookie Dylan Nealis.

Missed Out

Before Inter Miami signed even half their roster, David Silva was meant to be headed to Miami this summer. The talks ended up being far off, and now Miami has officially lost the Manchester City maestro to Spanish club Real Sociedad. After the early talks, it was hardly mentioned again as he was still an impactful player for City. Silva still has the talent to offer good service to any European club.

Miami take the field this Saturday and no signing looks to be coming before then.

Make sure to look for tomorrow’s piece talking about the club’s debut at the new and improved Lockhart Stadium!

 

 

 

Inter Miami

Five Reasons to be Excited about Inter Miami (1/5)

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Inter Miami return to MLS action on August 22 against in-state rivals Orlando City. For each day leading up to the game, I’ll be going into detail explaining one of my five reasons to be excited about Inter Miami.  These five reasons, and dates of all and each coming piece, are listed below:

Reasons to be Excited About Inter Miami

  1. New Signings (August 17)
  2. Return of Robbie? (August 18)
  3. Playing with More Experience (August 19)
  4. Potential Acquisitions (August 20)
  5. First Home Game (August 21)

Matchday will feature a pre and post-game piece as well.

New Signings

Suddenly and surprisingly, Inter Miami went out and acquired Blaise Matuidi. At 33 years old, Matuidi instantly fills in a hole in the midfield that Inter Miami struggled with in the recent Orlando tournament.

Matuidi’s role over the last couple of years has varied in terms of position. As a left-back, left midfielder, and primarily a center defensive midfielder, Matuidi proved to both Juventus and the French National team he’s a vital asset to any cup winning side. At the world cup in 2018, Didier Deschamps used Matuidi on the left side of the field the entire tournament. He played in five of the seven tournament games, started in four which included the final, that of which they won.

His qualities are more focused on winning the ball in the midfield Diego Alonso will likely use him in this way. Alonso’s formations vary between a 4-2-3-1 and a 3-4-3. Both would cater to a player like Matuidi as he’s capable of being a ball winner, but also connecting play between the center backs and any attacking players. The French National team did use a 4-2-3-1 in which Matuidi played a left mid role, but with players like N’golo Kante and Paul Pogba, the midfield being locked down wasn’t in much trouble. Victor Ulloa and Wil Trapp were not of much help at any point in the Orlando tournament for Miami’s midfield, and oftentimes Rodolfo Pizarro was having to trackback. To relieve Pizarro of these duties is exactly what Matuidi will likely do. With Pizarro getting to focus more on creating while relying on Matuidi midfield to win the ball, hopefully, more chances are created.

Before the tournament, Inter Miami also announced the signing of Leandro Gonzalez Pirez from Club Tijuana of Mexico. Another major issue with Miami’s tournament games had been individual mistakes and “shakiness” at the back.

Pirez has a tremendous MLS resume at just 28 years old. Before leaving for Tijuana, he was named an MLS All-Star for the first time in 2019. Pirez also won the MLS Cup with Atlanta in 2018, one of the best teams the league has ever seen and was fourth in voting for MLS Defender of the year in 2017 and 2018. Pirez was the anchor for Atlanta United’s over the three years he was with them, having started every game he appeared in, even all 5 playoff matches that led them to MLS glory.

Miami’s defense, which is led by Nicolas Figal at the moment, hasn’t been too promising. Alonso has switched between both a three-back and four-back formation, but both have led to massive slip-ups. Bringing in Pirez will give Alonso solid starting quality which the team desperately needs. Looking at three in the back with Pirez included, he’d likely see himself playing alongside Figal and Andre Reyes. Figal is an aggressor and enforcer who likes to get up the pitch at times, and a player like Pirez would be able to allow this to happen as he is so solid defensively. The wing-backs have also struggled massively in this formation, mostly on the left side. Pirez like Figal is also a dominant physical presence that may have opposing sides struggle with their attacking play.

Matuidi and Pirez are set to make instant improvements to the Miami side. We will likely see Pirez hit the field first as Matuidi is not set for an appearance for a couple of weeks.

Look for tomorrow’s piece on the potential return of our striker Robbie Robinson.

 

 

Blaise Matuidi Officially Signs for Inter Miami

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Inter Miami CF have gone out and signed a World Cup winner in Blaise Matuidi.

The midfielder will depart Juventus for free, a year before his contract was set to expire. Juventus had recently won the Serie A, but were knocked out in the UEFA Champions League Quarter Final last week. Following the loss, eyes were on Juventus to make major changes at the club. It started with the firing of Maurizio Sarri, and the hiring of Italian legend Andrea Pirlo as manager. Matuidi is thought to be the first of a number of players on the roster set to leave Turin, as they look to restructure the squad.

The Announcement

Bringing in Matuidi was talked about and declared “official” days before Inter Miami officially announced it. When the words “Here we go” are in any tweet from Fabrizio Romano, that’s when you know a deal is done. Romano, a world renowned football journalist and reporter, broke the news suddenly on the morning of August 10th.

Questions were asked about how Inter Miami would bring him in under the MLS Salary Budget. For a player of Matuidi’s quality, it’d be expected that Paul McDonough would have to waste a Designated Player (DP) slot on him. However, McDonough has pulled off the unthinkable here by signing Matuidi as a TAM player. TAM, or Targeted Allocation Money, is defined by MLS as “funds strategically provided by the league to teams to add or retain players that will make an immediate impact on the field.” This leaves the club with one more DP slot available . In a simple sense, a DP is a player who’s salary does not take effect and can exceed the MLS Salary Budget. Therefore, Inter still have a massive opportunity to sign another big name player.

On the Morning of August 13th, Inter Miami posted this tweet to tease Miami fans, “Who controls the field?”:

It was quickly followed with the actual announcement of the clubs new Number 8.

Blaise Matuidi: The Player

At 33 years old, Matuidi contributed heavily to the Scudetto winners in 2019-2020. Of the 38 games this year, Matuidi started in 23 and was subbed on in 12. An important piece to such a top team, Matuidi’s move to MLS may come as a surprise as it doesn’t seem his career was dwindling just yet.

Blaise Matuidi has been on more title winning sides than someone can count on both hands. He’s won the Ligue 1 title five times with PSG, the Serie A three times with Juventus, 12 cup titles in France, and another cup in Italy. Matuidi’s greatest accomplishment however, is his World Cup win with France in 2018.

Normally a center defensive midfielder, and a solid one at that, Matuidi has also proven he can play as a left midfielder, or left back too. In every game Matuidi featured in at the 2018 World Cup for France, he was asked to play on the left side. As a player, Matuidi is a more defensive minded midfielder who excels at winning the ball. Inter Miami, an MLS Expansion Side who’s struggled so far to retain possession and protect its backline, may have found a match made in heaven.

Overall, this is a huge signing by the club. David Beckham has brought in his former teammate to help solidify his midfield and team as a whole. It should be noted that Matuidi likely won’t play in Miami’s first couple of 2020 regular season matches and it is not known exactly when he will be available.

With that said, Miami fans should still be excited to bring in a proven winner like Blaise Matuidi.

Inter Miami are set to host Orlando City at Lockhart Stadium on August 22nd as the 2020 MLS Regular Season returns.

Grading Inter Miami after another loss

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Losses: 3. Goals: 2. Answers: None.  That is how you could sum up Inter Miami’s winless and point-less (but not pointless) performance in the MLS Is Back tournament group stage, which ended with a 1-0 defeat at the hands of NYCFC on Monday morning and a last place finish with 0 points in Group A. Grading Inter Miami reflects the team’s uncertainty.

We saw old mistakes and new questions arise for Diego Alonso’s squad, which played very much like an expansion team in a must-win game that turned into an uninspiring one-way ticket back to Miami.

On to the grades.

Important note: Only those who played at least 30 minutes will be graded. Those who didn’t will receive an Incomplete unless they did something otherworldly or were vital to the final outcome of the match.

Grading Inter Miami

Luis Robles (5):

He bore no responsibility in NYCFC’s goal, left out to dry by a defense that took a nap at the most inopportune time. Having said that, he never was a savior in this tournament and the final match was no exception.

Mikey Ambrose (3):

Ambrose was daydreaming about the new Splash Mountain ride when he got caught ball watching and Ismael Tajouri-Shradi slipped by him. Contributed nothing on offense either, got replaced by Ben Sweat in the 68th minute. Just a forgettable night overall.

Jorge Figal (4):

Figal had a good first half and could have scored with a header in the 35th minute, but he was once again exposed as one of the main culprits in NYCFC’s goal, losing sight of Shradi by no communicating with Ambrose and with no closing speed to make up for it. Alonso and the Inter Miami fans expect much more out of him.

Román Torres (6):

The Panamanian center back imposed himself when pressed to action and prevented what could have been New York´s second goal with a great sweep.

Dylan Nealls (5): Got lost in the shuffle before exiting the match in the 79th minute by Alvin Powell.

Will Trapp (4): NYCFC had possession 60% of the time, and that was in part because of the fact that Trapp could never assert himself in the heart of midfield. Replaced by Lee Nguyen in the 68th minute.

Víctor Ulloa (4): Was he auditioning for “Casper”? Because he was a ghost and went unnoticed before coming off the field for Jay Chapman in the 79th minute.

Matías Pellegrini (3): Miami´s lowest point along with Ambrose, but even more noticeable since he was supposed to be one of the catalysts on offense but did absolutely nothing. Could never connect with Pizarro or generate a single decent chance. Alonso took him out for Julián Carranza in the 68th minute.

Rodolfo Pizarro (5): He tried. Unsuccessfully, but he tried. The Mexican star was clearly frustrated, isolated in an island by the NYCFC defense. He’s unable to create a single opportunity for himself or others.

Lewis Morgan (6):

Morgan was Inter Miamí´s best player of the tournament. And he was the only one remotely close to destabilizing the opposing defense with his speed. His shot from medium distance was Inter´s lone non-header chance, and it went just high over the crossbar.

Juan Agudelo (4): Started out well with a beautiful header that didn´t put Miami in the lead because of a great save. But the Colombian striker did less and less after that and ended up going to the locker room before the final whistle because of a childish red card after pushing off in the box in the 90th minute.

Grading Inter Miami: the Others

Lee Nguyen (Inc.): Nguyen was supposed to give a spark to the Miami offense. But all he did was put the defense at risk losing the ball at midfield and creating a scoring chance for the opponent as a result.

Julián Carranza (Inc.): Alonso put him in too late with Inter Miami already down 0-1. And his partnership with Agudelo as dual strikers never blossomed.

Jay Chapman (Inc.): Meh.

Alvas Powell (Inc.): He was in the match?

Ben Sweat (Inc.): If Ambrose isn´t the answer, Sweat continues to prove that he isn´t either.