Miami settles for tie after defensive lapses
A lightning storm delayed the start of Inter Miami’s home game against D.C. United by 75 minutes on Saturday night, and the men in pink wanted nothing more than to reward their soggy fans for sticking around and continuing to sing, dance and beat their drums.
Instead, they let a 2-0 lead slip away and had to accept a 2-2 tie after a pair of defensive lapses.
Miami would have moved up to the middle of the Eastern Conference pack with a win but remains stuck in 13th place with 11 points heading into a road game Wednesday against the Philadelphia Union.
“I’m disappointed we didn’t get the victory we thought we deserved and that hurts a little bit,” coach Phil Neville said. “We’re all frustrated because we feel we’re better than the position we’re in. We want to stay in touch with those above us and we can’t afford too many one points or dropped points, and the home games are where we’re going to have to be really good.
“We feel as if one result can take us to a position where we can start attacking. The attitude has been fantastic, I really believe in this group. They want to climb up the table and if they continue to perform at this level the results will come.”
Opportunistic forward Leo Campana once again was in the right place at the right time and pushed in an Ariel Lassiter cross from close range to give Miami the lead in the 31nd minute. Campana, the 21-year-old Ecuadorean, has supplanted aging Argentine star Gonzalo Higuain in the starting lineup.
Campana has scored a team-high six goals with two assists in 12 matches.
Miami’s second goal came in the 45th minute off the head of 6-3 Jamaican center back Damion Lowe, who leaped in the box to connect with a Jean Mota corner kick. It was Lowe’s first MLS goal.
And then, just when it seemed the home team would enter halftime with a two-goal lead, D.C. striker Taxi Fountas took advantage of loose defending in the box and closed the gap to one after scoring on a low cross in the third minute of added time.
“Their goal was just one of those where the defender goes to the near post, the striker just gets a flick in the box and everyone is moving 90 miles per hour, it’s very difficult to stop and try to react sometimes,”
Lowe said. “Unfortunately, they were just lucky on that one.”
Miami appeared to open a 3-1 lead after midfielder Bryce Duke sent a long ball to speedster Lassiter, who used his burst to get behind the D.C. defense and score. But it was waved off for offside, deflating the crowd of 13,317.
In the 74th minute, Fountas won his 1-on-1 duel on the wing and helped set up Ola Kamara for the closerange equalizer.
D.C.’s Christopher Durkin
picked up a second yellow of the night and was sent off during stoppage time. Miami, with a man advantage and Higuain coming off the bench in the final minutes, made a last effort but couldn’t find the back of the net.
Among the players Neville singled out were Duke, Campana, Ryan Sailor, Lassiter and Robert Taylor, whom the coach felt played his best game of the season. Taylor’s parents were visiting from Finland and Neville had a hunch he would be extra motivated.
“I feel the future’s really bright,” Neville said.
Lowe agreed.
“We’ve been playing well, we’ve been growing,” Lowe said. “If you look from the start of the season till now, it’s a different team. We have an identity and I feel like we’re getting more respect every week from teams … The guys are frustrated with the result, but not with how we’re playing.”
Drake Callender started at goalkeeper for the third time in place of injured Nick Marsman and the sure-handed 24-year-old Californian showed once again why Neville said he is battling for the No. 1 position. Callender made a few big saves early in the game.
Robbie Robinson missed the game on concussion protocol. Robinson was ejected from Tuesday’s
Cup game after an altercation with an opposing defender that left both players on the ground in a double headlock.