Five Reasons to be Excited about Inter Miami (3/5)

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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.

Five Games In

When Inter Miami first brought in Diego Alonso as manager, not many people knew the name. As a player, Alonso had a brief stint in La Liga in the early 2000s. As a manager, Alonso was extremely successful in Mexico being one of the only coaches ever to win two CONCACAF Champions League titles with two different teams. Fans weren’t convinced he was the first choice, however, must’ve been stoked to find out he was a proven winner.

The difference between every league and MLS is somewhat massive. MLS has a style of play that’s unparalleled across the globe. Bringing in a manager whos not familiar with the league is a risk in itself. Bringing in a manager after you’ve already started building a roster at an expansion club? A huge ask.

Game 1 and 2

The ask became even tougher when he was forced to play 2019 Supporters Shield winners LAFC in the club’s first-ever game. One of the most dominant teams in MLS, with Carlos Vela who was coming off one of the best seasons we’ve ever seen by a player, on the road, was not the ideal matchup.

Inter Miami put up a fight at the Banc of California Stadium though. The match was not dominated by either side, and Alonso in his 4-2-3-1 formation provided us with an attacking style of soccer. Deciding not to go defensive, Miami was split open at the back a couple of times throughout the match with all but one chance being met by Luis Robles.

If it weren’t for any Carlos Vela magic and if it weren’t for a man of the match performance by LAFC goalkeeper Keeneth Vermeer, Miami could’ve left Los Angeles with at least a point.

DC United was up next with a second road game in a row for the Herons. After assisting the first goal in club history, Lewis Morgan but Miami up 2-0 in the second half. It led to a review that changed the entire outcome of the match. The goal was disallowed and was then followed by a penalty, a handball, a red card, a freekick, and an unfortunate rebound goal. This 7 minutes of play led to a 2-1 loss for Inter Miami.

COVID-19

You could call it unlucky because the squad was looking promising. A slight individual mistake and questionable refereeing took away three points. Unlucky became the theme as just two days before the club’s first-ever home game, sports came to a halt.

Saturday, March 14 was meant to be the club’s biggest day in their history. As we all know, the world would be changed as we know it as the threat of COVID-19 had hit American soil and spread through the country worse than a wildfire.

After three or four months since MLS last kicked off, the league had a plan to return to play.

MLS is Back Tournament

Inter Miami took part in the MLS is Back Tournament in Group A. The three group stage games all counted towards the 2020 regular season standings so Miami was eager to gain points.

It seemed as though every game was far worse than the first two. And as they went on, the quality, chemistry, and execution seemed to deteriorate.

After a heartbreaking loss to Orlando City with a 96′ winner by Luis Nani, Miami was instantly in trouble. Nani’s goal was due to a defensive error in the box and that was how Miami conceded every game-winning goal in all three group stage games.

A counter-attack in the 63′ where Miami midfielder Wil Trapp completely misjudged a tacked gave Philadelphia their second goal en route to a 2-1 win. In the final match, one where Miami had to win to have a chance at progressing to the group stage, NYCFC took home a 1-0. An overtop through-ball where the Miami defenders were nowhere to be found punished Maimia and sent them back to Fort Lauderdale with an 0-5 regular-season record.

That is the worst start ever by an MLS club.

How to Move Forward?

At some point, Inter Miami has to get points. The disappointment cannot continue as fans have scrutinized the organization from the players to executives.

On August 22, Miami will face Orlando City in a rematch of the first group stage game.

Diego Alonso as an experienced manager should be able to figure out how to gain at least a point in this game. Orlando had a magical run to the final of the tournament and will look to carry that momentum on Saturday.

In no way was Miami tactically outclassed in their Group A matchup. If new singing Leandro Gonzalez Pirez can come in and solidify the backline, it should be a close one. The likes of Lewis Morgan and Rodolfo Pizarro potentially playing alongside Robbie Robinson again should also lead to more chances for Inter Miami. If they’re able to execute and Alonso doesn’t shy away from Orlando and keeps his attack-minded play, Miami could provide the Lions some trouble.

They’ll go on to play Orlando again on September 12th but not before they play both Nashville SC and Atlanta United twice. Atlanta had a rough tournament and Inter Miami will have to take advantage of what went wrong for them recently. For fellow expansion club Nashville SC, talent-wise aren’t as strong as Miami. Their attack has been weak in the first four games we’be seen them play, and if Miami’s defense can be solid with these new signings, they should come away with points.

Prediction

A strong prediction here would be Miami to finish 4-2. These six games will provide the squad and Diego Alonso the opportunity to prove themselves. Realistically, I could see 2 wins, 2 losses, and 2 draws and I’d still be ecstatic. Once this team gets over the hump of finally winning a game, the confidence will be flowing. As long as individual mistakes are avoided, this team has a future.

Make sure to look for tomorrow’s piece on how rumored signings could help this club prosper!

 

5 Post-Practice Comments from Spoelstra, Adebayo, Robinson

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Erik Spoelstra, Bam Adebayo, and Duncan Robinson talked with some media today after practice. Erik talked a little about people’s opinions on Bam, which led to Bam speaking about it as well. Here’s what was said…

Post-Practice Comment #1:

Erik Spoelstra seemed to want to get this off of his chest when regarding people’s opinions on Bam. He said that all of the people outside of the organization who give their opinion can “stick it up you know where.” He also mentions that people continually talk about how aggressive he needs to be, but “he is doing the right things for our team.” Spoelstra has always been a coach that puts full trust in certain players. Bam is one of them. He knows how much Bam wants to win, and what he will do to help this team win. It doesn’t have to be a scoring display either, since one of Bam’s biggest things is bringing the amount of energy he brings every night.

Post-Practice Comment #2:

Erik Spoelstra gives a quote that fits their current situation perfectly. He said, “The goal is bigger than the role right now.” This was referring to Kendrick Nunn going from starter to out of the rotation, just as Meyers Leonard did. Spoelstra also mentioned that he will need the depth of this team as they go along, saying “You have to be ready for anything in the playoffs.” And if anybody will be ready for anything thrown their way, it’ll be Erik Spoelstra. He continually recognized the importance of Kendrick Nunn this season, and said that these are not easy decisions. But, says they must stay ready, which “K-Nunn is mentally tough enough to understand that.”

Post-Practice Comment #3:

Bam Adebayo seemed to like Erik Spoelstra’s comment on people’s opinions about him. Bam said, “In October, nobody even knew who I was.” He then mentioned that now everybody wants to tell him how he should do things. He then talked about how much he respects Erik Spoelstra’s comments, since all Erik wants from him is to impact winning. While many people discuss the relationship of Jimmy Butler and Erik Spoelstra being so strong, Bam’s relationship with Erik is just as strong. This is because all three of them share a mutual mindset on the game of basketball. A winning mindset.

Post-Practice Comment #4:

Duncan Robinson talked about Indiana’s defense targeting him throughout game 1 of the playoffs. He said, “I definitely give them some credit, but I still feel I’m able to be impactful in this series.” He’s definitely seen this quite a few times during his time in the bubble, but he’s never had to face a team this many times in a row. But with Erik Spoelstra’s creative adjustments and Duncan’s ability to make a defense uncomfortable, they should be able to overcome this situation. The last time Duncan was being blanketed against Toronto, he came out the next game with a purpose to attack the basket. Don’t be surprised if you see Duncan being more active with the ball in his hands in game 2 tomorrow.

Post-Practice Comment #5:

Bam Adebayo seemed to be much more aggressive with the ball in his hands in the second and third quarters than he was in the first yesterday. Bam discussed why he thinks this is. He basically said once guys get glued to their man after guys like Duncan get going, it opens up the floor to take guys off the dribble. This definitely was the case yesterday, since after Goran and Tyler began to score, he took initiative to take Myles Turner to the basket. This also led to a Bam Adebayo mid-range jumper, which opens it up for him even more. This further shows that although Duncan relies on Bam a lot on offense, Bam relies on Duncan just as much.

Five Reasons to be Excited about Inter Miami (2/5)

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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.

Return of Robbie Robinson

Due to personal reasons, Robbie Robinson left the MLS bubble at the Orlando tournament before the first game. He never returned, and Diego Alonso was forced to use different starting strikers than in his first two matches.

Robinson was Inter Miami’s first-ever MLS SuperDraft pick as they chose him number one overall earlier this year. The pick wasn’t a surprise considering Robinson was one of the top athletes in all of NCAA. In a fantastic junior year at Clemson University, Robinson finished with 18 goals and 9 assists, a total of 27 goal contributions in just 19 games. Although he’s still young and has room to develop as a player, his raw talent is enough to prove he should Inter Miami’s starting striker as of now.

On the offensive side of the ball, Inter Miami has struggled heavily in creating scoring chances. In the three group stage games, Miami finished with a total of seven shots on target. In the two games before the tournament, those games in which Robinson played in, Miami totaled 12 shots on target. It’s safe to say that with Robinson on the field, Miami is a much better attacking side.

His stats are not enough to show his impact on the field. Robinson at 6’2 is big enough to contribute to hold-up play from direct passes. His lateral quickness and technical ability on the ball also allows him to use dribbling and pace to get by center backs in a threatening way. Both Juan Agudelo and Julian Carranza have shown nothing to prove to Alonso that they should be the starting striker.

The addition of Blaise Matuidi could also help Miami in terms of creating chances. If Matuidi can be the ball-winning midfielder that he’s known as it’ll allow Rodolfo Pizarro to stay up the field and create chances. A Robinson-Pizarro partnership in the middle of the field is very intriguing.

It was reported in the Miami Herald that Robinson has joined the team for full team training ahead of Saturday’s match against Orlando. If no surprise transfers are made, expect Robinson back in the lineup this Saturday and for games to come.

Make sure to look for tomorrow’s piece on how being five games in will help Inter Miami get their first points.

5 Post-Game Comments from Herro, Adebayo, Butler, and Others

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The Miami Heat played a tough and scrappy game against the Indiana Pacers, but came out with the win. This was behind the elite play of Jimmy Butler and Goran Dragic. Here’s what was said post-game…

Post-Game Comment #1:

Erik Spoelstra spoke a little about the topic of the afternoon, Jimmy Butler. He said, “Make or miss he wants the responsibility.” He then mentions that this is obviously why they acquired him. The reason he takes responsibility make or miss is because he’s one of the most mentally tough players in the league. This was showcased today. We’ve also seen Jimmy take over games all season without scoring the ball. But that wasn’t the case today since he was on a mission to score the ball. No matter what he does to win, Spoelstra has the utmost trust in this team’s leader.

Post-Game Comment #2:

Tyler Herro talked about the team cleaning up the turnover problem in the second half. He mentions that they made adjustments at halftime and adds that Spoelstra is amazing at that. He also says that playoff games are supposed to be sloppy and that they’re “not afraid to win games in the mud.” Spoelstra expected this to be that type of game yesterday, when he mentioned that this team is top 3 in steals and points off turnovers in the bubble. He consequently was prepared to make these adjustments at the half, which led to a Miami Heat win.

Post-Game Comment #3:

Bam Adebayo talked about this team’s eagerness to win. He said, “That’s the big thing I like about this team. We don’t care who scores as long as we win.” The best example of that is Andre Iguodala. He scored 4 points but was one of Miami’s most important players in this game. Bam also talked about the communication of him and Jimmy Butler. He said, “If you heard us, you’d think we were mad at each other.” This is just another example of their willingness to win. This team listens when Jimmy Butler talks, which makes such a tough and scrappy team.

Post-Game Comment #4:

Jimmy Butler mentions that one of Indiana’s silly coaches was yapping at him throughout the game. This led to Jimmy making a talking gesture after a steal and dunk. It seems pretty evident that the one thing you don’t want to do is anger Jimmy. This led to a 28 point game to kick off the playoffs. Meyers Leonard doesn’t seem to think it was a good for this coach to do this either, when he tweeted after the game “Bad idea.”

Post-Game Comment #5:

Jimmy Butler joked around about Goran Dragic a little bit saying he was “stinky” in the first half, but says Goran admitted that to him. He then started talking about how great he was in the second half. He also mentioned Tyler Herro and Duncan Robinson being key offensive guys. He kept reiterating that his role is to make sure all of these other guys are comfortable. He says that he constantly tells the young guys about the playoffs, “Just play basketball.” He mentions that these guys have been playing their whole lives, and that the term playoffs shouldn’t change anything.

5 Takeaways from Heat’s Game 1 Victory Over the Indiana Pacers

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The Miami Heat had their hands full with a scrappy Indiana Pacers team, but came away with the victory 113-101. Indiana’s offense was led by their bench unit throughout, including Justin Holiday and JaKarr Sampson. But, Miami overcame this behind Jimmy Butler and Goran Dragic’s big games. Here are my five takeaways from the game…

#1: Playoff Jimmy Butler was in full effect today.

The entire Heat team knows that this is Jimmy’s time. The playoffs is when you get the ball to your best player on the floor. Jimmy came out with that mindset right away and did what he does best, which is draw fouls. He ended the game with 28 points and went 10-12 from the free throw line. He seemed to have fire in his eyes whenever he had the ball in his hands, trying to put a spark in this Heat team. This did seem to light up the rest of the team and get everybody else on the level of Jimmy. But, it’s pretty clear that Jimmy will need another part of his offensive game to step up in order for this team to go far, since driving to the basket to draw fouls can’t be your only offensive threat. And that’s exactly what Jimmy did. He had a pair of clutch threes down the stretch of the game, and iced the game with a mid-range bank shot in the final minute. This is the Jimmy Butler we’ve been waiting for.

#2: Goran Dragic’s scoring barrage late elevates team.

Goran Dragic got the start on Tuesday afternoon over Kendrick Nunn. Goran has been a key piece for this Heat team all season due to the chemistry he had with the second unit. And well, he didn’t seem to be a big part of their offense in the first quarter with the starting lineup. But, Spoelstra only ran a nine man rotation, which lead to Dragic getting minutes with the second unit as well. This was a big part in Miami’s second quarter run. Goran became more comfortable on the floor, which lead to Tyler Herro threes and Andre Iguodala lobs. Goran picked it back up on offense in the second half with the starters, and hit clutch basket after clutch basket in the fourth quarter. And since Kendrick Nunn went from starter to out of the rotation in today’s game, it seems as if Goran will need to play an extended amount of minutes in this post-season at 34 years old, which could be a problem.

#3: Bam Adebayo showcases his ability to be an aggressor with the ball.

There was an aggressive Bam Adebayo siting in today’s game, beginning in the second quarter. It’s pretty evident that Bam isn’t the best offensive player with his back to the basket. But when he gets a full head of steam on his way to the basket, he’s tough to stop. He’s just plainly a huge spurt of energy for this Heat offense, since he plays hard on every possession. He also showcased his play-making today, especially with the off-ball movement from Jimmy Butler. Bam ended up with 17 points on 50% shooting, along with 6 assists and 10 rebounds. It seems as if second and third options will be huge in these playoffs after guys like Jamal Murray, Fred VanVleet, and Jaylen Brown all had big games yesterday, which just further proves the offensive importance of Bam Adebayo.

#4: Andre Iguodala gives more quality bench minutes.

Playoff Iggy seemed to be in full effect in game 1 today. He entered the game with Tyler Herro in the first quarter and did what he does best. Make plays. If you looked at the stat sheet from today’s game, you’d see 4 points, 1 rebound, 0 assists, and 0 steals from Andre. But if you watched the game, you’d know that he was one of the biggest reasons for Miami’s second quarter run. His off-ball movement, active hands, and of course his on court leadership. Andre told media yesterday that his most important moments with this team come in between timeouts, since he can talk with the young guys. This is why Spoelstra will use him in lineups down the stretches of close games in the playoffs, as he did today.

#5: Miami’s death lineup showed up big in today’s game.

When I wrote about different playoff lineups back in June, it included the death lineup of Herro-Duncan-Butler-Crowder-Adebayo. Spoelstra seemed to role with this lineup throughout the third quarter, which gave Miami a 10 point lead before he made a substitution. This lineup seems to be one of Miami’s deadliest lineups due to the mix of shooting and defense. This lineup hasn’t shared the court much as well, other than the last few bubble games. But, they seem to have great on court chemistry together on both sides of the ball. This is a lineup that Spoelstra will probably roll with a bunch throughout the first round of the playoffs, and seems to be a very positive thing for the Heat.

5 Post-Practice Comments from Spoelstra, Iguodala, Nunn

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The Miami Heat went through their last practice before game 1 of the playoffs on Monday afternoon. This media session included the playoff role for Heat’s rookie Kendrick Nunn. Here’s what was said…

Post-Practice Comment #1:

Kendrick Nunn was asked about the different mindset of coming off of the bench or starting. He basically said that it doesn’t matter to him since he just will go out on the floor and play no matter what. This then lead to the question of if he’d heard if he would be starting tomorrow. He then confirmed that he will be coming off of the bench. This consequently means that Goran Dragic will be the starting point guard tomorrow, since Erik Spoelstra usually rolls with guys that he trusts.

Post-Practice Comment #2:

Andre Iguodala talked a little about the importance of the veterans on this roster with the young guys, including Jimmy Butler, Jae Crowder, Goran Dragic, and himself. He said that they know how to deal with these guys when their going through tough stretches. But, you have to truly know your teammates since you have to deal with them all differently. He mentioned that he doesn’t deal with Bam Adebayo the same way he does Duncan Robinson. This leads right into a previous answer he said which was that his most important stretches come in between time-outs. His off-court leadership will become essential starting tomorrow.

Post-Practice Comment #3:

Erik Spoelstra began the media session discussing the current status of Derrick Jones Jr. He mentions that he went through the walk through portion of practice today and that he’s not totally ruled out yet. But, it does seem like we’re going in that direction, since there is no reason to rush him back into a game that quickly. This may consequently mean that he will be back by game 2 or 3, and hopefully be a pivotal part in the second unit’s offensive and defensive success.

Post-Practice Comment #4:

Erik Spoelstra was asked about the new defensive scheme that Indiana is using, which is to chase people totally off of the threes. This changed because they lost their all-star big man Domantas Sabonis, which lead to them going smaller and faster. Spoelstra said the most important thing is taking care of the ball and limiting mistakes, since they want to get out and run off of turnovers. He also mentioned that Indiana is top 3 in steals and points off turnovers in the bubble, which is why he will be stressing the idea of limiting mistakes. This may be another reason why Gorn Dragic will be entering the starting lineup for Kendrick Nunn, he wants his veterans in control of the ball.

Post-Practice Comment #5:

Andre Iguodala got asked about the idea of Jimmy Butler’s new coffee shop in the bubble. Andre says that most people give out samples when they first start out with a business. But not Jimmy. He’s charging $20 a cup for small, medium, and large. Jimmy also said that he may raise the price to $30 for the playoffs. Andre ends the discussion with, “He’s trying to build a monopoly.”

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.

 

 

Miami Dolphins: Kyle Van Noy is fired up and ready to go

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As the Miami Dolphins get set to embark on the 2020 football season, one of their newest acquisitions is excited about where the team is headed.

Linebacker Kyle Van Noy was signed by Miami in free agency. Agreeing to a four-year $51 million contract with Miami, he looks to be a key veteran on the defense. Reuniting with head coach Brian Flores, the familiarity between the two could pay off.

He joins a linebacker unit that also includes the likes of Raekwon McMillan and Jerome Baker. With the overhaul that teams like the Patriots have undergone this offseason, the Miami Dolphins are in a position to succeed.

With a good mix of veteran and younger talent at the linebacker position, this has the potential to be a very strong unit.

In speaking with the media on Monday, Van Noy indicated that he was excited and ready to go.

Van Noy brings consistency to Miami Dolphins

The linebacker is not going to put up Pro Bowl-type of numbers this season, that is not his game. He is a fundamentally sound player. He can fill the gaps, and make solid tackles. A smart player who always knows where the ball is, he should be able to provide a spark.

One of the things that Patriots head coach Bill Belichick and Flores did in New England was have their linebackers play aggressively. I would expect that style of play from Van Noy. He is the type of player that can disrupt a play as it develops out of the backfield. He may not always get the sack, but he will be able to get in the offense’s head a bit.

It will be interesting to see how Van Noy makes his mark in his first season with Miami. The reconnection with Flores could prove fruitful for both parties.

Marlins Braves

5 Takeaways from Marlins Series Loss to Braves

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The Miami Marlins entered their weekend series against the Atlanta Braves with an opportunity to extend their unlikely lead in the NL East. Despite having 20 players on the IL, Miami sat atop the division in August for the first time in franchise history. The Braves rolled into town down one game in the standings, but they’ve owned the Marlins of late. In 2019, Miami dropped 15 of 19 games to the Braves. The Marlins haven’t taken a series from Atlanta since 2017.

Here’s a look at five takeaways from the Marlins series loss to the Braves.

Marlins Loss to Braves: A Missed Opportunity

The Marlins hosted their home opener with control of the NL East. This unexpected development came despite losing more than half of the Opening Day roster to COVID-19. Miami welcomed in the Braves, who’ve won the division for the last two seasons.

Atlanta arrived minus keys players, with Ronald Acuna Jr. and Ozzie Albies missing from the lineup and three-fifths of their starting rotation out. Despite that, the Marlins were unable to extend their lead in the division.

Ahead of the homestand, Miami’s schedule featured 15 straight games versus NL East opponents. After going 1-2 versus Atlanta, the Marlins will face the Mets for four games before a five-game weekend series in Washington. They’ll finish their 15-game NL East stretch in New York with three more against the Mets.

If the Marlins are serious about making a playoff push in 2020, they’ll need to win these series.

Bats Went Silent

On Friday night, the Marlins piled up eight runs on 10 hits, but eight of those 10 hits were singles. Miami used speed to pressure the Braves, including stealing home for the second straight game. Eight of the 10 hits on Friday were singles, and most of those came from the bottom of the order.

After a rousing 8-2 win on Friday, the Marlins proceeded to score just one run over the next 18 innings.

Between Saturday and Sunday, the Marlins went 0-for-6 with runners-in-scoring-position. On Sunday, they saw just two pitches with a runner in scoring position. For the series, Miami managed three extra base hits, and one of those came thanks to aggressive baserunning from Magneuris Sierra, who stretched a soft single to right into a double.

Over their last three losses, the Marlins are a combined 1-for-14 with runners-in-scoring-position and a grand total of two extra-base hits.

Starting Pitching Solid

The Marlins wasted a pair of excellent starting pitching performances over the weekend. On Saturday, Daniel Castano tossed a career-high six innings, allowing just four hits and one earned run. He lowered his ERA to 4.35 with the outing.

Castano threw 80 pitches and made just one mistake. To start the seventh inning, he surrendered a home run to Marcel Ozuna on a changeup left out over the plate. Otherwise, he was sharp in what was his second career MLB start.

On Sunday, Elieser Hernandez continued his solid stretch to start the season. He went five scoreless innings, allowing just three hits and tying a career-high nine strikeouts. 57 of his 81 pitches went for strikes and he lowered his ERA to 1.84. In three starts this season, Hernandez has pitched 14.2 innings and has allowed runs in just one of those. He’s posted 19 Ks and only two walks thus far.

On Friday night, Pablo Lopez went a season-high six innings, surrendered two earned runs on seven hits and piled up eight strikeouts. He remained sharp throughout. His ERA in 2020 stands at 2.25.

Mattingly Finally Fed Up

Marlins manager Don Mattingly lost it with home plate umpire James Hoye in the fifth inning of Sunday’s game. Mattingly argued vehemently about the strike zone and was ejected. His profanity-laced tirade was caught by the Braves TV broadcast.

After the game, Mattingly did not address the altercation, saying the discussion about umpiring was “not worth getting into.” He revealed there had been many complaints from players regarding the zone, but shrugged and said: “It is what it is.”

The Marlins had the same umpiring crew for the last three series (Hoye, Roberto Ortiz, Mike Estabrook and Mark Carlson). Before Friday’s game, Mattingly admitted they “do get frustrated with the zone,” particularly the inconsistencies from day-to-day.

“I think the biggest thing you look for is that consistency of the zone. That’s one thing that seems to be missing,” Mattingly said on Friday. He also admitted that there’s not much to do about it.

Reinforcements Needed, And Potentially on the Way

After having their roster decimated by COVID-19, the Marlins scrambled to assemble a competitive roster. To their credit, the team emerged from quarantine and ran off five wins in a row. But since that streak, the team is 2-5. While most assumed the difficulties would come from a makeshift bullpen, it’s actually been inconsistencies in the lineup that have hurt the most.

Versus the Braves, Miami’s best hitters failed to come through. Brian Anderson did not record a hit during the three-game series. Jesus Aguilar went 2-for-11 and Jonathan Villar went 3-for-12. Those two combined to drive in four runs no Friday, but nothing on Saturday and Sunday.

One day after coming through with big hits, both Monte Harrison and Lewis Brinson were hitless Sunday. Harrison’s game-tying home run on Saturday proved to be a wonderful moment for the young man, but he followed that with a 0-for-3 performance with two strikeouts. Brinson tallied two hits on Saturday but went 0-for-2 with two Ks Sunday.

Word came out of Marlins camp yesterday that all 18 players affected by COVID-19 have been approved for reinstatement by the joint MLB/MLBPA committee. The players have reported to Jupiter for training and rehab. This lineup needs an injection of life, and that could come from Jorge Alfaro, Garrett Cooper, Harold Ramirez and Miguel Rojas.

The pitching staff could have Sandy Alcantara back as early as next weekend. Craig Mish reported Alcantara has thrown a bullpen session already and will progress to a sim game this week.

Canes’ newcomers shine in first Fall scrimmage

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Manny Diaz and the Miami Hurricanes held their first scrimmage on Sunday night with no media or fans present. Afterwards, Diaz provided a lot of key notes, including some freshmen standouts that should excite Canes fans.

 

Stats and notes on Offense:

– Although it’s still too early to tell, it’s looking like Miami’s answers at QB have finally been answered and D’Eriq King is the savior. King connected on 15 of 26 passes for 178 yards and four touchdowns. “D’Eriq King, his ability to make plays…really, really ignited our offense and really got them going,” Diaz said. 

 

– Don Chaney and Jaylan Knighton impressed and it’s looking they should find roles with Miami’s offense this season. Chaney had 11 carries for 57 yards with a touchdown while Knighton had 10 carries for 126 yards and a touchdown of his own. Diaz added that “they both have had a great camp, so it just made sense and they’d have a great night tonight. Both guys had explosive runs, Chaney had some good, hard runs on some short-yardage stuff and both of them had the ability when they got out in the open field to make things happen.”

 

– Onto the receivers. This could be junior TE Will Mallory’s breakout season as he led the way with four catches for 71 yards and one touchdown. Senior Mike Harley caught a couple of touchdowns and two of Miami’s freshman receivers in Michael Redding and Xavier Restrepo did some damage. Redding caught three passes for 41 yards and Restrepo caught two for 54 yards while adding a 70-yard touchdown run.

– Diaz added that he was impressed with the offense in terms of discipline. He felt offensive coordinator Rhett Lashlee did a great job of preparing the offense while keeping the pre-snap and mid-play penalties limited. 

 

Stats and notes on Defense:

– ICYMI, Miami’s top defensive end and projected first-round pick Gregory Rousseau recently announced that he would be foregoing the 2020 season in preparation for the draft. So does Miami have enough talent to replace him? Well, it sounds like the Canes are still in good hands. Jaelan Phillips, the junior UCLA transfer who sat out last season, was “relentless off the edge.” Along with noting that freshman Cam Williams was very impressive, Chantz Williams also put on a clinic with five tackles and two sacks. Overall, Diaz felt as if the ends created a lot of havoc and “they really did step up and play their part.”


– With Shaq Quarterman and Mike Pinckney no longer with the team, the competition at linebacker is “far from over.”. Diaz felt sophomore Sam Brooks (five tackles), redshirt freshman Avery Huff, and freshmen Corey Flagg (one sack) and Tirek-Austin Cave all left their mark with some big hits. Also notes that juniors Bradley Jennings and Waynmon Steed (five tackles) played well.

 

– Junior safety Gurvan Hall led all defenders with seven tackles and freshman cornerback Marcus Clarke added an interception.

 

What to Look for next

 

What I noticed was that there was no specific mention of the offensive line play, as that had been one of Miami’s shortcomings last season. It is a good sign that false starts were not mentioned as a problem.

 

Diaz did not mention anything from the defensive tackle position and although Miami’s defensive ends are the last worries for coaches right now, a lot will be expected out of upperclassmen Jon Ford and Nesta Silvera.

 

Keep it locked to Five Reasons Sports for all of your Miami Hurricanes coverage leading up to their September 10th season opener.