Opener spoiled
Inter Miami fall in Neville’s debut as coach after allowing late goal
The proper home opener Inter Miami CF waited on for over a year finally arrived on Sunday.
Thirteen months after the game was originally scheduled, Inter Miami played the LA Galaxy to kick off the team’s Phil Neville era in their second season, ultimately dropping the match 3-2 at DRV PNK Stadium.
Sunday’s crowd represented the most fans Inter Miami’s played in front of for a home match in the team’s brief history.
“I can’t be more excited,” MLS commissioner Don Garber said during halftime of Sunday’s match. “I want to a shout out to their ownership group, to their staff and to the fans who kept it going. They supported this team during a really difficult period where they weren’t able to have a true opening day. It’s kind of like a second opening.”
Inter Miami were supposed to play the LA Galaxy for their 2020 home opener, but the MLS season was suspended two days before the match was scheduled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The official attendance for Sunday’s match was 7,939 spectators, easily eclipsing the below-3,000 fans who attended the team’s last two home games in 2020 with up to 8,000 spectators allowed into the 18,000-capacity stadium in Fort Lauderdale.
Even with the stadium less than half full, the change in atmosphere, with more than 7,000 Inter Miami fans chanting and singing the entire match, was palpable.
“We’ve been without the supporters for so long,” Neville said, “you can forget how important these people are not just to your football club but to the whole of football.”
Gonzalo Higuaín (one goal and one assist) was responsible for both of Inter Miami’s scores, but a Sacha Kljestan goal in the 81st minute spoiled Inter Miami’s first game under Neville and in front of club co-owner David Beckham since the onset of the pandemic.
“The first 70 minutes was really good for us,” Robbie Robinson said. “We let up our guard a little bit. We really got to defend that goal with our lives for those final minutes.”
Inter Miami were the more threatening team in the attack during the first half and they were rewarded for it with the game’s first goal.
Rodolfo Pizarro found Higuaín with a pass behind the Galaxy’s backline during stoppage time in the opening half, with the Argentine striker dribbling the ball up the field into a one-on-one with LA’s goalkeeper Jonathan Bond.
Higuaín casually laid the ball off in front of LA’s goal to a sprinting Robinson, who slotted his shot past Bond for the first score of his MLS career to give Inter Miami a 1-0 lead heading into halftime.
“We’ve been working so hard with Robbie — the boy’s got big potential,” Neville said of Robinson, who started as a left winger
Sunday after playing center forward last season. “We’re really pleased with his progress. He knows this is just the start of something that can be really special for him.”
The Galaxy tied the game 1-1 in the 62nd minute when Javier “Chicarito” Hernandez got past Leonardo Gonzalez Pirez in front of Inter Miami’s goal before knocking in his shot past John McCarthy.
Inter Miami didn’t waste time in regaining their lead.
Pizarro was fouled in LA’s box five minutes later, resulting in Higuaín knocking in the penalty kick to give Inter Miami a 2-1 lead in the 68th minute for his first score of the season.
Chicharito tied the match 2-2 in the 73rd minute with a shot near the back post, and eight minutes later Kljestan scored the game-deciding goal to give Inter Miami the loss.
“If you look at two of the three goals, it came from us giving the ball away,” Neville said. “There was a 10-minute period in the second half where we dipped in terms of our energy. We probably planned and expected that from our lack of game time that we had.
“Mistakes cost you at this level when you’re playing against the players of that caliber. We got punished [Sunday].”
Inter Miami’s starting 11 for the opener were: McCarthy; Kelvin Leerdam, Nico Figal, Gonzalez Pirez; Joevin Jones; Gregore; Blaise Matuidi; Lewis Morgan; Pizarro; Robinson; Higuaín.
Due to Inter Miami only playing two preseason friendlies against other teams and admitting the team wasn’t “100 percent match-fit”, Neville said leading into Sunday that managing substitutions was a key for the game.
Inter Miami used four of their allowed five substitutions: Federico Higuaín for Morgan in the 72nd minute; Victor Ulloa for Matuidi in the 81st minute; Josh Penn for Pizarro in the 83rd minute; Sami Guediri for Jones in the stoppage time.
The Galaxy used their first two substitutions in the 58th minute, again making changes in the 70th and 77th minutes.
Neville said Inter Miami were looking to make two or three substitutions before Higuaín’s penalty kick, ultimately deciding to hold off on making changes because he thought the team’s form still was strong.
“I thought we were the dominant team in the first half,” Neville added. “We came out in the second half and saw a team that’s probably played four or five MLS teams in the preseason versus a team that hadn’t played any. That’s probably why we hit those fatigue levels.
“We’re still playing catch-up in that respect. It’s not an excuse, it’s just a fact.”
Inter Miami were the more threatening offensive team on Sunday, outshooting the Galaxy 19-6 (8-5 on target), but left DRV PNK Stadium without any points to show for it.
“We were the team that created the most chances and shots,” Neville said. “I definitely didn’t think we deserved to lose.”
Inter Miami (0-1-0) will have another opportunity to get their first points of the season next Saturday on the road against the Philadelphia Union at Subaru Park.