Inter Miami mired deeply in frustrating run of futility
Inter Miami suffered the most lopsided loss in the club’s two-year history, 5-0 to the New England Revolution. Coach Phil Neville said ‘it feels worse than unacceptable.’
The weather was perfect, for a change. All of Inter Miami’s marquee players were healthy and in the starting lineup. Gonzalo Higuain, Rodolfo Pizarro, Robbie Robinson, Lewis Morgan, and Blaise Matuidi started together for the first time since Week 2.
And for the first 10 minutes, Miami looked like the cohesive, attacking team it has promised to be since its inception. The 13,963 fans at DRV PNK Stadium were energized.
But then everything unraveled, Miami trailed first-place New England 4-0 by halftime and wound up losing 5-0, its most lopsided loss in the club’s two-year history.
Loud boos rained on the Miami players as they trudged to the locker room after the game.
Miami, with the worst record and fewest goals in the league, lost its sixth game in a row under first-year coach Phil Neville. Five of those losses have been shutouts.
Miami dropped to 2-8-2. The Revolution is 9-3-3.
“It was probably the lowest, in terms of my feelings, after a defeat since I came to this football club, and we’ve had some disappointments,” Neville said. “The manner in which we lost, it feels worse than unacceptable. I thought we started bright and we gave away two or three free kicks, made individual mistakes, didn’t mark our man in the boxk, and we lost togetherness, concentration, spirit and our heads.”
Neville said he took responsibility for the loss and urged his players to be held accountable, as well.
“It’s a case of playing for your pride, for your badge, and for the unbelievable supporters. It’s them I feel for more than myself. They deserve better,” Neville said. “The thing that really surprised me is that I wasn’t expecting it. The players need to take a long, hard look at themselves, as do I. I take full responsibility for it. Ulitmately, it is my job to make this team better.”
Before the game, Neville had said: “It’s now or never. There is no margin for
error. We’ve got to put our foot on the gas.”
Instead, Inter Miami went in reverse on Wednesday night. And things do not get any easier going forward, as Miami’s next four games are against top five teams, starting with the secondplace Philadelphia Union on Sunday night.
There was much optimism in the Inter Miami locker room heading into Wednesday’s game, despite the losing skid and the disappointment of having last Saturday’s road game against the New York Red bulls postponed after a long lightning delay.
Higuain was finally fit after weeks of coming off the bench. Robinson was finally ready to play after missing seven games with hamstring issues. And Pizarro was, in the eyes of Neville, in his best shape of the season, physically and mentally.
Pizarro had been slowed by a hip injury, and his confidence was rocked when he was benched by Neville and initially left off the Mexican national team for the Gold Cup. But in the past two weeks, his mood changed, he slimmed down, re-engaged with teammates, and had a smile on his face and a sparkle in his eye, Neville said.
There was some question as to whether Pizarro would be available to play Wednesday, as he was a last-minute call-up to the Mexican national team for the Gold Cup quarterfinal on Saturday. He scheduled his flight to Phoenix for Thursday morning so he could play against the Revolution.
But he was unable to find the back of the net, as were his teammates. Despite having the most expensive payroll in MLS and Higuain being the league’s third highest-paid player, Miami’s offense continues to struggle.
New England, meanwhile, showed why it sits atop the Eastern Conference. Revolution players took advantage of Miami’s
miscues. Their first goal came in the 15th minute by Arnor Traustason, who headed it from the center of the box past Miami goalkeeper Nick Marsman, making his debut after arriving from the Dutch league.
The goal came off a free kick after Nico Figal was called for a foul outside the left corner of the box. Carles Gil whipped in the kick, and Traustason pounced on it.
Twelve minutes later, New England’s Teal Bunbury made 2-0 with a right-footed shot to the top
right corner. Traustason scored his second goal of the night in the 36th minute following a corner kick. And Adam Buksa scored in first-half added time just before the halftime whistle to make it 4-0.
Goalkeeper Marsman called the night “a complete disaster.”
A chorus of boos could be heard as the teams headed the locker rooms.
Neville made two substitutions to start the second half — newly-signed Kieran Gibbs for Christian Makoun and Jay Chapman for Matuidi. Miami managed
to keep the Revolution at bay until Buksa’s 83rd minute goal, but remained scoreless on the other end.
Higuian went down in the 78th minute, and walked gingerly toward the sideline as his replacement, his older brother Federico, went in to take his place. Fans booed the Argentine star as he made his exit, a sad picture that personified the night and state of the team.