INTER MIAMI
and the rest of the nearsellout crowd celebrated Suarez’s goal.
Miami maintained the lead for 20 minutes until NYCFC got the equalizer from Alonso Martinez, the Costa Rican making his first MLS start. A rare miscue by Alba exposed Busquets, playing out of position at center back, and New York took advantage. Martinez fired a shot from the right side of the box to the center of the goal past Miami goalkeeper Drake Callender.
A growing injury list forced Martino to go with a makeshift backline that included Busquets dropping from midfield to left center back. Martino said although Busquets hasn’t played center back much throughout his career, he had been called upon to drop back at times with Barcelona, and he is good at delivering the ball from the back and organizing the players around him.
Also, Ryan Sailor made his first start this season at right center back, and newly signed right back Marcelo “Chelo” Weigandt made his debut just days after arriving from Argentina’s Boca Juniors.
What we learned from the game:
WEIGANDT IMPRESSED IN HIS DEBUT
Weigandt, 24, made an immediate impact in a position that had been a weak spot since the March 4 departure of former team captain DeAndre Yedlin, who was traded to FC Cincinnati. The newcomer, wearing No. 57, looked comfortable on the ball from the opening whistle and was integral in the buildup from the back all night.
“We had high expectations for him, and he exceeded those, considering it was his first game and he adapted to playing next to two central defenders who had never even played together themselves,” Martino said of Weigandt. “So, I thought Marcelo had a very impressive performance.”
SAILOR STEPS
Sailor, who had made just one brief appearance this season, off the bench against New York Red Bulls last weekend, made the most of his opportunity on Saturday. He made good decisions, had a few timely blocks, and pushed the ball forward into the attack.
He was called into duty became among the starters missing from Saturday’s lineup were center back Nico Freire (hamstring), center back Sergiy Kryvtsov (hamstring), center back Tomas Aviles (upper leg) and midfielder Fede Redondo (knee).
“He played a very smart game, very attentive to go deep when the forwards were coming at him, he anticipated well, and had a good game,” Martino said. “That is what the players who play few minutes have to do when they get their chance. This response is what we expect from the whole roster, and Ryan, who had not played too many minutes did very well.”
SUAREZ DELIVERS AGAIN
Suarez took a team-high seven shots, six of them in the box. A few sailed high and wide. A few others were saved by New York keeper Matthew Freese.
He played so well that
Leo Campana never came off the bench. Martino explained that he didn’t feel this was a game that suited a two-forward formation, and Suarez played so well he did not deserve to be subbed out.
THE FUTURE IS BRIGHT
Martino made a point to praise rookie Yannick Bright and teenager David Ruiz, both of whom started in the midfield. Their energy and assertiveness made a big difference.
“Bright had given us a good feeling in the preseason, we know he was a player who would compete well, he is very good technically,” Martino said. “Pairing Yannick with David and Diego Gomez gave us a midfield that was very intense, played well, and that was a big reason we played well. David can play different positions and he adapts well playing as a starter or off the bench. For his age, it’s impressive.”
Martino concluded by saying setting aside the result, the fact that so many young players performed well leaves him quite satisfied.