New York City FC pulls out a 1-1 draw against Inter Miami in the late show. Sands scores in the second half equalizer to save the day for NYCFC
A great show in the Major League Soccer game, which New York City FC and Inter Miami CF played to a draw as Leonardo Campana and James Sands scored to take both clubs out of the Yankee Stadium on September 21, 2024, with no less than one point. However, after going through most of the second half staying in the game an equalizing kick from stoppage time by Sands denied NYCFC the loss for the night.
First Half: Tactical Battle
The first half in reality was a very close tactical battle wherein the teams wished to emerge as the winners of possession and, in this way, define the flow of play. Inter Miami, which has recently been winning a few nice games in a row, attempted to force their attacking style right from the beginning in this match, especially since Lionel Messi is missing from the line, and Leonardo Campana has been the biggest danger against them. New York City FC and New York sought to take homefield advantage one step further along the playoff ladder by pressing high and forcing their opponents into tight spaces with overlapping runs down the flanks.
New York had a slight advantage of the ball at 53%, while New York City had 47%, but no scores came to either side during the first half. Kevin O’Toole and Nicolás Allen of New York already booked for yellows as both sides clash in midfield with neither really testing the respective keepers until this half is up, New York four on target; Miami two.
Defending and yellows
To the game, the style of the defending display can be identified by the sheer number of yellow cards. Miami’s Tomás Avilés, Jordi Alba, and Ian Fray were each booked for their respective tackles as they managed to slow down the NYCFC. So was New York City player Santiago Rodríguez booked in the 71st minute as frustration started to well out from a number of missed chances to open the score.
It was going into the 75th minute, and clearly one moment of individual brilliance or one small lapse in defense might just create the finisher.
Inter Miami toughened up at the back and looked forward to the break for counterattacking opportunities to tell.
Second Half: Campana Scores First
It really caught fire in the second half as, finally, Inter Miami’s Leonardo Campana broke the deadlock in the 75th minute. A beautiful weighted pass from Jordi Alba found Campana inside the box, and calmly he slotted the ball into the bottom corner to give Inter Miami a crucial 1-0 lead. Experience and vision for Alba really proved vital during that build-up.
Miami was going to pocket all the three points, especially if their solid defensive setup held. But no way, not NYCFC. They made tactical subtitutions; bringing on Matías Ilenic for Tayvon Gray and Andres Perea for Keaton Parks in a bid to inject fresh energy and attacking options into the side.
The heroics of the stoppage time came from Sands.
The first 90 minutes transitioned to stoppage time, and New York City FC kicked Inter Miami back into its half to up the pressure in the dying minutes of the match. NYCFC won a corner as the team went for all they could in the late minutes of the match; Santiago Rodríguez sent it inside the box with a perfect cross. The tall frame was James Sands who rose to meet the ball with a strong header past Miami’s goal for the equalizer in the 90+5 minute.
It boiled over in Yankee Stadium when Sands’ goal salvaged a point for the home side. The equaliser did not just lift the spirits of the NYCFC players but also showed that they could take this up till the end and did not give until the final whistle.
Key Statistics: A Match of Equal Measures
Inter Miami dominated by the game in terms of possession with 53% however, NYCFC was more attacking, which had an upshot of 8 corner kicks while Miami could not manage more than 1 corner kick. Both teams have managed to commit quite a few fouls: New York had 16 fouls and Miami has counted 20 and it demonstrates that the game was really intense and aggressive. Though they both had shots on target almost level, NYCFC scored better shots from the wide avenues and efforts that did not become a target, which testified of how aggressively they were, especially in the second half.
Defense: The Miami side had a fight to get the win of this game and gave away late as 3 saves with 20 clearances against the 17 New York made. Resilience of the defense of NYCFC; most importantly, how they handled Campana, not letting the team break up even after they gave away.
Player Performances: Sands and Campana Shine
James Sands came up as a hero for NYCFC with a last minute equalizer in the game, while his endless endeavour in midfield was the icing on the cake to an all-round solid show. Such control of the game as well as winning key battles became a very salient feature of the strategy through which NYCFC adopted an approach to break the game free from the clutches of the Seattle Sounders.
But for the visitors, it was Leonardo Campana who lit up brightest to take the plaudits on the night in Miami’s winger. That 75th-minute strike in front of him underlined the composure and finishing, and he was a constant threat throughout.
Jordi Alba was praised on that back pass, as well as his leadership down their back line on Friday night, but the yellow card was a drawback on that evening. Good move for himself to save himself, though not the best position he wanted to be in heading into a few crunch matches.
In Focus: What’s Next for Both Teams?
The draw keeps New York City FC in the race but will need to turn these into wins going forward if they are to place anywhere other than near the bottom of the standings. The next few matches will prove crucial as their tough opposition will give them a challenge to really push for that playoff berth.
Another fact is, after the match, they will understand they are losing one when they allow a draw fall into their laps. The team is competitive, and in case Lionel Messi returns soon, they will be yearning to bounce back in their next tie. In order to win tight games, they need to work towards shoring up defense .
Conclusion
This game promised at least a 1-1 draw between New York City FC and Inter Miami and went down with a full game laced with tactical battles, individual brilliance, and late drama. Campana and Sands have both received points for each of the teams, but Miami will feel like it could have left with much more. This is now how both teams look to push forward from this result and then try making it a successful season with the playoffs in 2024 MLS. For both of them, the rest of the season is still undergoing.
Read more about related articles, just click here
