{"id":28082,"date":"2020-07-20T12:27:12","date_gmt":"2020-07-20T16:27:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsoccer.com\/?p=28082"},"modified":"2020-07-20T13:57:54","modified_gmt":"2020-07-20T17:57:54","slug":"inter-miami-falls-nycfc-mib","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/soccer\/2020\/07\/20\/inter-miami-falls-nycfc-mib\/","title":{"rendered":"Haunted by same mistakes, Inter Miami falls to NYCFC, 1-0 in MLS Is Back Finale"},"content":{"rendered":"

Orlando, Fla.<\/strong> \u2014 In a choppy game that was a classic tale of two halves, New York City Football Club<\/a> outlasted <\/span>Club Internacional de F\u00fatbol Miami<\/a> 1-0 on a sweltering Monday morning at Disney\u2019s Wide World of Sports. Inter Miami falls and they are out of the MLS is Back tournament.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Inter Miami falls to NYCFC 1-0, Crashes out of MLS is Back<\/strong><\/h3>\n

The NYCFC victory kept the Pigeons slim hopes of advancing to the knockout stages of the MLS is Back Tournament alive, securing the club third place in Group A. Meanwhile, the loss eliminated Inter Miami from the competition and assured the club attained \u2014 achieved seems the wrong word here, no? \u2014 the dubious distinction of the worst start for an expansion side in MLS history, having gone five matches without earning so much as a point.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Despite another defeat and a winless tournament, Inter Miami manager Diego Alonso remained optimistic.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cLosing the three games was a little unfair for us. We didn\u2019t play as well today as in the Philadelphia game, but we deserved more than we got. I am proud to be managing this team and I am with the players more than ever. I continue to believe that football will give us what we deserve.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Certainly the first half gave Alonso reason for optimism.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The early stages of the game were controlled by Inter Miami, largely via a marauding Rodolfo Pizarro and Matais Pellegrini, who interchanged space beautifully. For the young Pelligrini, the first half marked by far the most dangerous he has looked to\u00a0 date in the pink and white. <\/span><\/p>\n

Pelligrini withered in the second half, but for Inter Miami fans waiting on bright moments from their young DP, the first half had to be encouraging. As for the team as a whole, the Herons high line and pressure seemed to bother NYCFC in the game\u2019s opening 45 minutes, with the Pigeons struggling to complete even simple passes in the midfield.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

In the 10th minute, an attack from the other wing resulted in the game\u2019s first clear chance, with Dylan Nealis pumping in a ball to Juan Agudelo. The veteran forward\u2019s header was well-placed, hard and low, but punched away at the last moment by a lunging Sean Johnson.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Nealis was another Inter Miami player who played his best soccer yet in MLS in the first half. A slicing ball over the top in the 30th minute found the feet of Agudelo, who won a corner– the latest sign the first round draft pick and former NCAA defender of the year offers plenty getting forward as well.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Another first half winner? The heat. With temperatures early on hovering around 90 degrees, referee Rosendo Mendoza went to hydration breaks every 15 minutes to keep players on their feet. Out of the second hydration break, a Pizarro run saw the Mexican international chopped down by Maxine Chanot in a dangerous position down the left flank. On the ensuing free kick, an excellent delivery by wing Lewis Morgan found the head of a charging <\/span>Nicol\u00e1s Figal, whose header was well-placed by tipped away at the death by a stretched Johnson.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Morgan would create his own outstanding chance in first half stoppage time, dribbling and deking past Alexander Ring and firing at Johnson in space from the top of the area, only to see his bending, knuckling shot miss just high of the top left corner. The miss marked the final serious sequence of the first half, a half that saw plenty of Herons possession and chances, but no goals to show for it. <\/span><\/p>\n

From the Pigeons side of things, it was hard not to see the half ending in a scoreless stalemate as a small victory, given the fact the half produced five yellow cards, three of which were issued to the NYCFC back four.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The second half saw an early response from NYCFC, who appeared to play with more urgency and react more calmly to the Inter Miami pressure. The result was the first sustained bit of pressure from the Pigeons in the entire match, though through the first 15 minutes of the second half, they had little to show in the way of chances for their improved effort. That would change, however, in the 64th minute.<\/span><\/p>\n

In what to that point was a rare bit of midfield possession, NYCFC\u2019s Alexandru Mitrita chipped a lovely ball over the top to Ismael Tajouri-Shradi, who had made a darting, beautiful run past Mikey Ambrose on the Inter Miami right to get in behind the Inter Miami backline. Tajouri-Shradi\u2019s finish, which easily beat a helpless Luis Robles to the left, was the Pigeons first shot on goal in the entire match.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\n

#NYCFC<\/a> have life!@isitj29<\/a> cleanly tucks home the opener. #MIAvNYC<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/xk0WPpjd9J<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Major League Soccer (@MLS) July 20, 2020<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n