Gonzalo scores golazo, but Miami loses at home to first-place Union
Inter Miami’s newly signed Spanish playmaker Alejandro Pozuelo was introduced at halftime of Wednesday night’s game against the Philadelphia Union, and he was presented with the No. 8 jersey.
But he was unable to play because he is finalizing his visa paperwork. Miami could have used him to energize the team’s anemic offense, which is tied for last place in the league with 19 goals in 19 games.
Gonzalo Higuain came off the bench and scored a left-footed golazo to give Miami life in the 82nd minute but it wasn’t enough as Miami lost 2-1 to the first-place Union.
It was Higuain’s first goal since April 2, his third of the season and his first in the run of play. The other two were on set plays. He celebrated by sprinting across the field and pumping his fist.
The loss dropped Miami to 11th place in the Eastern Conference, four points and four spots shy of the playoff line with 15 games remaining.
“I’m happy for the goal, but sad about the result,” said Higuain, who missed last week’s 1-0 loss at Orlando with a non-COVID illness. “I thought it was a game we could have made a statement against the top team in the conference, knowing we have two games in a row at home. But on personal level, it felt good to score after a long time. I hope it’s the start of a good streak.”
Higuain has been supplanted by Leo Campana in the starting lineup and has been coming off the bench. It is a role he admits he is not accustomed to.
“This year it has turned out that way, and it’s a strange feeling,” Higuain said. “I have never been in this situation. But when I get my chances, I try to play well and I think these last games I’m happy with how I played.”
Inter Miami coach Phil Neville was disappointed with how his team started the game.
“I thought we lost the game in the first 20 minutes when we started so
sluggishly, slow to every ball, careless passes away, gave away too many free kicks and corner kicks,” Neville said. Both of Philadelphia’s goals came on set pieces — a penalty kick in the 26th minute and a header off a free kick in the 66th.
Emerson Rodriguez, the electric but erratic young Colombian winger, got his first MLS start in place of injured Ariel Lassiter. He got his first scoring chance of the night in the 22nd minute when he received a cross from Robert Taylor in front of the Philadelphia goal, but he misfired and it skimmed the right outside netting.
Philadelphia took the lead four minutes later on a penalty kick by Daniel Gazdag after Miami defender Aime Mabika was called for a soft foul on Mikael Uhre in the corner of the penalty area. Gazdag shot the ball high over Miami goalkeeper Drake Callender as boos rained down from the home fans at DRV PNK Stadium.
“I suppose that penalty kick typified our sloppiness in the first 20 minutes,” said Neville, who added that he thought it was a questionable call. “The last 20 minutes of the first half we played more like ourselves.”
Other than that penalty kick, Miami held Philadelphia scoreless in the first half, which was significant considering the Union was
coming off a 7-0 rout of D.C. United. Miami got off six shots before halftime, but none of them found the back of the net.
Miami’s lack of scoring has been a common theme this season.
The attack will get a boost in the next few weeks with the addition of Pozuelo, the 2020 MLS MVP, who was acquired in a trade with Toronto FC, and French winger Corentin “Coco” Jean, who joins from RC Lens. Both are finalizing their visas and there is a slight chance at least one of them could be eligible to play as early as Saturday in the home game against Charlotte.
Neville said Pozuelo is “50-50” for Saturday.
“I think if he is available, which would be great, it would be the lift the squad needs in this moment,” Neville said. “You look at the squad at the end of the game and I think we need a little bit of a lift and Pozuelo can come in and provide us with some real quality and competition for places.”
Higuain’s goal Wednesday was encouraging, Neville said, and the coach hopes it is a sign of more to come.
“He made an impact, it was a brilliant goal, and that will do him a world of good,” Neville said. “You saw when he scored how much it meant to him. The thought of Pozuelo and Gonzalo on the same pitch
is quite exciting. When you’re not playing regularly, the way you can put yourself back in the manager’s thoughts is by making an impact, scoring goals, and this team’s crying out for goals. If we can get him to eight to 10 goals we’ll be close to the playoffs.”
Higuain said the forwards and midfielders will benefit from the addition of Pozuelo.
“He played in Spanish league, he has experience, quality, and he knows this league,” Higuain said.
“He will add a lot of quality in the attack.”
One familiar face in a Philadelphia uniform was former Inter Miami forward Julian Carranza, who was on loan to the Union and hours before the game was sold permanently for $500,000. Carranza is Philadelphia’s leading scorer with seven goals, including a hat trick last week against D.C. United that earned him MLS Player of the Week. He came off the bench in the 61st minute but did not score.
The Union’s second goal was scored on a header by Cory Burke off a free kick.
Miami is back home Saturday against Charlotte (8 p.m.) and then hosts a friendly against FC Barcelona on Tuesday.