Winless Inter Miami hopes Pizarro can ignite the attack
Inter Miami CF remains in search of their first win after a trio of losses to open their inaugural Major League Soccer season.
After starting their season with consecutive one-goal losses on the road, Inter Miami opened the MLS is Back Tournament with a 2-1 loss to Orlando City SC last Wednesday after the Lions scored two goals in the final 25 minutes to claim the victory.
“The longer these things go on, maybe a little bit of pressure gets added — maybe not externally but internally within the group,” Inter Miami winger Lewis Morgan said. “It’s important that we’re demanding of ourselves and demand that we do put that pressure on. The moment is about putting up a complete 90 minutes together.”
Inter Miami will look to bounce back from their early-season losses at 10:30 p.m. Tuesday (TUDN/TSN) against the Philadelphia Union at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex near Orlando. Rodolfo Pizarro, one of the club’s designated players, is expected to rejoin the team’s starting lineup after coming off the bench and playing 32 minutes against Orlando City due to suffering a minor injury during practice last week.
Andres Reyes will also be available after suffering a scary injury against Orlando City. Center back Roman Torres will be available versus Philadelphia after serving one-game red card suspension against the Lions, further fortifying Inter Miami’s backline.
Pizarro’s presence on the field should help the team establish its attack earlier on in the match after recording one shot on goal against the Lions.
“Having Rodolfo back will also be a big positive for that,” Morgan said. “When he came on, he looked sharp and it’s good to have him back and he’ll bring a lot to us.
“Rodolfo’s quality is there for all to see. He operates very well in tight spaces and helps to open the lanes in the attack. Having someone like that playing alongside you as a winger encourages you to make runs that maybe he can see, he can find the path.
NWSL
Through three days of practices leading to Monday’s day away from the court, the Heat have stressed such perspective.
“I’m just going to go ahead and state that there’s going to be ups and downs and there’s going to be times when I miss my wife and dog and I wish I was in my own bed,” center Meyers Leonard said. “But the reality is we’re NBA players. We’re blessed to do what we do.”
For now, the setting has been typical of training camp, with the Heat over their 32 seasons having utilized similar accommodations ahead of seasons, from budget hotels at the franchise’s inception, to military housing during the first camp with LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh as teammates.
Forward Udonis Haslem was at that camp at Hurlburt Field in the Florida Panhandle
and has settled into this camp, one that comes in advance of the Heat’s Aug. 1 restart and then the Aug. 17 start of the playoffs, all while taking daily COIVID-19 tests.
“The NBA has done a great job of giving us everything we need,” the Heat captain said. “Got everything as long as we need. The internet has been super hooked up, so we can get on the phone with our families. Everybody got their gaming system. They got lounges. They got all the different stuff.
“So for a guy like myself who doesn’t play video games and doesn’t really have very many friends, what they did in the rooms was critical for me to be mentally and physically prepared for handling what I needed to do.”
Ultimately, it is that mental strain that is the concern, with the teams in the NBA Finals possibly to remain in the quarantine setting through an Oct. 13 Game 7 of the NBA Finals.
“As long as I had my iPad and my phone so I can talk to my family on FaceTime and
see my kids, that’s good enough, right now, in this situation,” guard Goran Dragic said. “But, you know, just try to stay mentally focused and not to be down, try to mingle with my players, with my teammates, and, of course, obey all the rules that we can in this quarantine times.”
Leonard arrived to Disney sporting “Embrace the Suck” military-style gear, embracing those inspirational words from retired Navy SEAL David Goggins.
“I’ve heard some of the grumblings. ‘Oh, we’re going to be in the bubble. We can’t leave. We can’t do this, we can’t do that,’ ” Leonard said. ” ‘Embrace the Suck’ is a Navy SEAL thing and a David Goggins thing, which just means: Listen, there’s plenty that we can complain about. But who’s going to be the team that doesn’t do that?
“If you’re the team that does not, you’re going to have a leg up. My room is good. I got my PC set-up. The food is fine. There are no complaints here — and it’s just as simple as that.”