A long time coming
Carranza, Pizarro star as Inter Miami wins home opener vs. Orlando City
Inter Miami CF, almost six coronavirus-interrupted months after playing its first Major League Soccer game, finally broke into the win column, as Julian Carranza carried the fledgling team to 3-2 victory on Saturday night against Orlando City SC in their home opener at a nearempty Inter Miami CF Stadium.
Even without the energy of fans in the stadium, Inter Miami, who had been 0-5 away from South Florida, looked like a rejuvenated team offensively in Fort Lauderdale after failing to pick up a point in the MLS is Back tournament a month ago.
“The guys deserved it,” Inter Miami coach Diego Alonso said about the team’s win, with Inter Miami losing each of their first fives by one goal. “The staff, owners, and above all the fans deserved it. We had to wait for this victory for a long time, but we got it in the best way: playing at home and winning strongly.”
Inter Miami’s three goals against Orlando City were a season-high. They came into
Saturday’s game with three total goals in their first five games.
Carranza, who made his second start with Inter Miami against Orlando City, scored two goals in the team’s home debut. Rodolfo Pizarro recorded an assist
and his third goal of the season to seal Inter Miami’s victory.
The Argentine forward scored the game’s first goal after an Orlando City turnover at midfield in the 12th minute. Pizarro dribbled up the middle of the field before dumping the ball off to Carranza right outside the box. Carranza took a touch before striking the ball to the bottom left corner of the net for the first score of his MLS career and Inter Miami’s first goal in their home stadium.
Orlando City tied the game quickly. Daryl Dike scored in the 18th minute of his first MLS start. The tally culminated in a sequence where Dike had multiple chances to tie the game at 1.
Luis Robles blocked Dike’s first shot attempt on goal, and his second bounced back to him after hitting Andres Reyes. Dike’s third attempt bounced off an Inter Miami player’s foot and went past Robles’ outstretched arms to tie the game at, 1.
Inter Miami took the lead back a few minutes later when Ben Sweat crossed the ball into the box with Carranza finding the ball in the air, heading it into the bottom-left corner of Orlando City’s goal for his second score, putting Inter Miami up, 2-1, in the 23rd minute — a lead they would take into halftime.
Inter Miami owners Marcelo Claure and Jorge Mas, and their families, were the only “fans” inside the stadium. Members of Inter Miami’s
supporters groups stood on the corner of the block outside the stadium waving flags, throwing smoke bombs and yelling chants as the team played.
Cheers erupted from inside and outside the stadium after Carranza’s second goal.
“We’ve been training here in the stadium for a few sessions,” Carranza said. “We knew the stadium, the field and we knew how to play without fans, so we were able to focus ourselves.”
Inter Miami struck first after the game’s midway break. Lewis Morgan sent a cross into the box in the 49th minute, with the ball bouncing off Victor Ulloa’s head and landing at the feet of Pizarro, who slotted a shot into the goal’s bottom-right corner to put Inter Miami up, 3-1. Pizarro ran into the bleachers and posed for a picture with one of the cardboard cutout fans in the stadium’s north stands.
Pizarro has been involved in four of Inter Miami’s six goals — one assist and three goals, including the first in the team’s history against D.C. United on March 7.
Orlando City scored the game’s final goal when Nani beat Dylan Nealis at the back post on a Chris Mueller assist in the 80th minute to bring Inter Miami’s lead down to, 3-2. Orlando came close to tying the game in the match’s waning minutes, but Inter Miami held on to secure their first victory.
“[Saturday] was a game in which we worked extremely hard,” Inter Miami midfielder Wil Trapp said. “For us, we suffered a lot and it was difficult down the stretch, but we did enough. I think for us this is a huge confidence boost.”
Inter Miami now has a 1-1-0 record against in-state rival Orlando City after Saturday’s victory. Orlando City beat Inter Miami, 2-1, in the MLS is Back tournament’s opening match July 8 after Nani scored a game-deciding goal in the 97th minute.
Inter Miami’s starting lineup was mostly the same, with center back Leandro Gonzalez Pirez making his debut with the team and joining Robles; Nico Figal, Reyes, Sweat; Matias Pellegrini, Trapp, Ulloa; Carranza, Morgan and Pizarro as the starters in an apparent 4-3-3 formation. Mikey Ambrose, Dylan Nealis and Brek Shea played in Saturday’s game as substitutes.
“When we played them in Orlando, we played well,” Alonso said. “Unfortunately, we didn’t take that big lead, and we lost in the last seconds. The difference today is that we were able to take that lead and we were stronger.”
David Beckham, Inter Miami owner and president of soccer operations, posted a congratulatory message on Instagram after the win.
“Couldn’t be there for our historic first win in our stadium, but I was there in spirit,” Beckham wrote in the post while holding an Inter Miami flag. “Congratulations to [Alonso], our staff, players and of course our fans that also couldn’t be there. Winning feels good.”
Inter Miami will continue the resumption of their season against Atlanta United FC, who’s 3-3-0 and also picked up a win on Saturday over Nashville SC, on Wednesday at Inter Miami CF Stadium.