Messi, Suarez Tops Inter Miami By Thrashing Philadelphia Union 3-1 in an Overtime last night
An exciting win for Inter Miami CF as they thrashed Philadelphia Union 3-1 in Major League Soccer at DRV PNK Stadium. Messi and Luis Suarez set the tone with a masterclass performance as they dominated the game, as Messi scored twice while Suarez scored at injury time. Philadelphia started off quite well in the match, but dynamic duo of Miami ensured that their team emerged victorious and departed with beaming smiles from the home side.
A Shock Start from Philadelphia
The game began as a shock for the Miami faithful when, two minutes into the game, Philadelphia’s Mikael Uhre made no mistake in giving his team the lead. Uhre showed some great skill from a very poor turnover by Miami, striking cleanly past goalkeeper Drake Callender. That was the pressure that Inter Miami would have to go through, but the team did not take too long to respond to that one.
Lionel Messi’s Magic
The host and man of the match, Lionel Messi, was one to watch for the entire game, as it was, as he started taking a stranglehold on the game around the 20th minute; then it was only a question of when he would leave his mark on the game. And then, with a classical exquisiteness, he was fed through by Luis Suarez in the 26th minute and slotted the ball in through the bottom corner to equalize for Inter Miami.
But Messi didn’t stop there. Four minutes later, and in the 30th minute of the match, he repeated himself by giving Miami the lead via another spectacular goal. A marvelous assist from his former Barcelona mate Jordi Alba had helped create the chance. It was an example of clinical finishing and finding space even when the situation becomes very much ”tight” of the game.
This double quick-fire completely changed the tempo of the game by Messi, forcing Miami to enter halftime with a 2-1 advantage.
Milan Walks Close Enough to Mouth It in Philly’s Fightback
Philadelphia Union, however did not lose hope. It was behind but, at the same time, maintained a pretty good level of pressure, launching some extremely dangerous attacks. Pressure led to a number of mistakes committed by Miami and created a number of opportunities for the visitors in the second half of the game. Sergio Adeniran and captain Alejandro Bedoya came close, but this time, the defensive solidity of the team of Tomas Aviles was supplemented with a few more seasoned heads, like Sergio Busquets.
Philadelphia got off eight shots on goal as Miami limited it to only four shots. But Philadelphia used no of those to their advantage as they never could score that time as Miami’s goalkeeper, Drake Callender, did really well to keep his team ahead.
Suarez Wins it for Miami
Stoppage time had come round, and Philadelphia did get a few chances to equalize. However, Inter Miami were a very alert side though, with Luis Suarez scoring a superb goal in the eighth minute of stoppage time: an accomplished finish from Messi’s elegant pass after a clever combination sealed the win for Inter Miami.
That was an absolute testimony to Suarez’s experience and his ability to deliver when it matters most. With Suarez receiving a yellow card in the first half for dissent, the man was able to focus his mind afterwards and then do the real business in the match, putting the game well out of Philadelphia’s reach.
Key Moments and Tactical Changes
In the second half, Benjamin Cremaschi and David Ruiz were added to the midfield of Inter Miami, bringing along much-needed freshness. Both played an enormous part in allowing Miami to hold possession while forcing Philadelphia into retreating counter-pressing against their high-press tactics.
Substitutions did alter the tempo of the game, especially after Damian Jean Jacques and Sergio Adeniran were brought onto the field, providing their attack with a reckless urge. Such tactics resulted in Miami sustaining tight discipline as Philadelphia sought to force the equalizer through an organised defense.
Physicality was the other hallmark of the game as each side raked in a total of 23 fouls. Yellow cards were gifted to Miami four times; one was actually for Messi in the 87th minute for time-wasting. Philadelphia frustration spilled over when yellow cards were given for reckless challenges to Jack Elliott and Quinn Sullivan.
Messi and Suarez: The Dream Duo
Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez were a revelation in the partnership that exists at Inter Miami, as those two players had a blast of success together at FC Barcelona and walked that chemistry to MLS proficiently. Sum of his vision and finishing techniques has put their attack on top for Miami. Again their link-up play was giving them what they needed, as seen in this match when Suarez assists Messi’s first goal and reciprocates that for Suarez’s stoppage-time strike.
Messi scored two to make his total for the game ten. He thus has played only six games in MLS and has strengthened his case as one of the best footballers in the history books. Suarez has gained experience playing for this team, in being a playmaker as well as a finisher for Miami, which only adds to his forward line.
Statistical Analysis
Miami dominated possession 59% to just 41% for Philadelphia, took charge of much of the game’s tempo and through passing completions dominated 684 to 391 by Philadelphia, thereby making maximum use of ball retention and building attacks from the back.
Defensively, Miami was tight, and they stifled Philadelphia with seven saves to one for Philadelphia though Callender in the middle was excellent between the sticks. Miami also outshot the opposition eight shots on target to four but were clinical in their finishing.
What’s Next for Miami and Philadelphia
Such a 3-1 win makes this team of Inter Miami better equipped to rise up the latter standings of the Eastern Conference. Since Messi and Suarez joined the team, there was now a new flavor attached; and this time, it’s a true contender for the playoffs. The mix of Tata Martino’s tactics with the brilliance of individual star players made Miami one of the deadliest teams in MLS.
For Philadelphia Union, this was disappointing defeat while their game still remains promising in general. For, after all, they are just that much closer to making the playoffs if they can recover from this defeat in their next game.
Bottom Line It was a sparkling affair that stamped the magic of Messi and Suarez, two stars of the game if you can show them on the world stage. With the support of these two at the top, Inter Miami now stands rosy into the future of this pursuit of the brightest glory of MLS.
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