Miami ends season on high note with upset
With nothing but pride on the line after a second disappointing season,
Inter Miami rose to the occasion and shocked first-place New England 1-0 on the road in the season finale.
More than 30,000 Revolution fans packed Gillette Stadium to celebrate their record-setting team winning the Supporters Shield trophy, given to the team with the best regular-season record. But Miami put a damper on the party and avenged an embarrassing 5-0 home loss to New England in July.
The unexpected victory capped a spectacular weekend for South Florida sports teams, as the Dolphins, Heat, Panthers, University of Miami football team and FIU men’s soccer team all won their games.
Inter Miami’s winning goal came in the 58th minute from an unlikely source — midfielder Blaise Matuidi, who had not scored all season and had just one goal last season. Lewis Morgan crossed the ball in from the right, it skimmed off Rodolfo Pizarro, Matuidi turned and left-footed it past U.S. national team goalkeeper Matt Turner.
The men in pink and black head back to South Florida and into the offseason on a positive note despite their 11th- place finish, which left them four spots shy of the playoff line. For some players, it was their last time in the Inter Miami uniform, as significant roster changes are expected in the coming weeks and months.
“I’ve got two feelings — one is really proud and the other is a little bit angry that it’s too late,” said Inter Miami coach Phil Neville. “The qualities we showed [Sunday] were the qualities of a successful team that we needed to see more of this season.”
Neville said he had an inkling that his team would pull off the upset.
“This team is like that, when there’s no pressure on them, no expectation,” Neville said. “We did one thing that was a massive sign for next season. We stuck to the game plan and won the game. That has been our biggest downfall this season —
individuals doing their own stuff. Sunday those individuals didn’t do their own stuff.
“They did the job we asked them to do and everyone from players on the bench to John McCarthy in net was a team headed in the right direction on the same bus that was never going to let a goal in.”
Inter Miami played
much more organized and compact against the Revs this time and managed to stave off their 16 shots and 10 corner kicks. Miami took seven shots and had two corner kicks.
Miami was missing goalkeeper Nick Marsman, who suffered a deep leg contusion against New York, and forward Gonzalo Higuian, Miami’s leading scorer, who was bothered by nagging plantar fasciitis and didn’t make the trip.
Julian Carranza started at forward in place of Higuain and joining him in the attack were Pizarro and Indiana Vassilev. Pizarro seemed to play more freely and with more confidence than when Higuain is on the field.
“I thought Pizarro was our best player,” Neville said. “He led. He took the ball. He wanted to fight for the team. He got involved in a little bit of a melee and took them all on, didn’t need Leandro [Gonzalez Pirez] and Nico [Figal]. He played with a real fight and aggression and spirit. Carranza, too. We saw qualities we have not seen from that area of the pitch this season.”
Despite the result, Neville said nothing he saw changed his mind about which players he and club management plan to keep and let go. He will meet individually with players starting Monday to discuss their futures.
Among those whose contracts expire in December are Brek Shea, Victor Ulloa, John McCarthy, Jay Chapman, Kelvin Leerdam and Sami Guediri.
The club will also be looking to unload a few high-priced players to make up for the $2.2 million in roster allocation money they will lose over the next two seasons as part of the league sanctions for breaking roster rules in 2020.
“The sanctions are going to drive us to make decisions that will be really tough,” Neville said.
The coach went on to say he takes “full responsibility” for not making the playoffs. He pointed out that Inter Miami and second-place Nashville both finished with 12 wins, but Nashville had 18 ties and Miami had 17 losses.
“We will be better next year,” Neville said. “Recruitment will make or break our season next year. You can have the best training ground, best owners, best stadium. If you do not get the right players, you will never be successful. That’s the challenge.
“Next year’s going to be my team, and I will live and die by those decisions.”