Analyzing Inter Miami: DPs deliver, Neville's improvements, and more
Three takeaways from Inter Miami's 2-1 win vs. Nashville SC
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — Inter Miami’s three Designated Players have been so inconsistent this year that they have each had respective spells out of the starting lineup and on the bench.
Sunday provided a glimmer of hope, however, that might just mean that things are turning for the better.
Inter Miami came from behind late to pick up a dramatic 2-1 victory over Nashville SC on Sunday, and one of the biggest subplots in the game at Drv Pnk Stadium was how well the DPs performed. Star players Gonzalo Higuain, Blaise Matuidi, and Rodolfo Pizarro all put forth solid to good performances in the win, and that was more than a welcome development for the South Florida side.
“The three DP players played like three DP players,” said Inter Miami head coach Phil Neville. “All three played like DP players. When your DP players play like that, we will win games of football, we will challenge for the playoffs.”
One of the biggest reasons Inter Miami has struggled to date is because the team’s DPs have failed to influence proceedings on a regular basis. The trio has been largely inconsistent, appearing at separate times to not only be on different pages than much of the rest of the group but different books entirely.
Against Nashville SC, though, things clicked in a different way. A refreshing way. Not only did two of the Designated Players combine on the equalizer at the hour-mark that sparked the rally, but all three of them showed some interesting new things that raised their individual levels and the team’s collective one.
Let’s start with Matuidi. The Frenchman helped boss the midfield with precise passing that finished at a 95.5 percent completion rate, set up the tying goal with the type of well-weighted through pass that we have rarely seen from him in an Inter Miami jersey, and refrained from having the type of lapses in concentration and effort that have plagued him since he arrived in South Florida. Just look at his selfless, lung-busting run in the 89th minute to try and help put out a fire when the game was level.
“Blaise, I have got to say, I have not seen him play better than what I have in the last two or three weeks for Inter Miami,” said Neville.
Higuain, meanwhile, continued to prove lethal in the final third with his eighth goal of the season while also demonstrating newfound energy and effort after finding the back of the net. He cut a very determined figure during the final half-hour, looking more like a DP bent on lifting his team to victory and less like the disinterested one whose commitment has come into question at times in 2021.
“If he plays at that level, if he makes tackles, if he runs around, if he plays with that quality, the whole team, staff, supporters are inspired and he is inspired,” said Neville. “That is his level. That is his level and that is how good he is. He is world class.”
As for Pizarro, he was Inter Miami’s most dangerous and creative player in a first half that was largely devoid of good attacking ideas. He moved the ball quickly and accurately, refraining from holding onto it too long like he has so often in the past. Pizarro also set up two decent scoring chances, including one to Kelvin Leerdam that resulted in the best opportunity in the opening stanza, before fading after halftime.
Each of Higuain, Matuidi, and Pizarro have widely been criticized for nearly a year now for failing to live up to their respective billings. Sunday’s win showed, however, that they can all play at a higher level on this Inter Miami side.
The task is now to do so on a consistent basis.
“When them three are playing at that level we will be a better team,” said Neville. “That is their challenge. That is what comes with being a DP player: The expectation, the pressure, and the need to deliver every single game.”
Neville is finding his way with the team
It has taken some time and several ugly even embarrassing defeats, but Neville at last looks to be figuring his team out.
For the fourth straight match since the 5-0 humbling to the New England Revolution, Neville pushed a lot of right buttons to help his side grab a result. Not only did he make substitutions and tactical alterations vs. Nashville SC that impacted the match in a positive way for Inter Miami, but the Englishman also deployed a game plan from the start that was effective in neutralizing the opponent.
Neville had Inter Miami come out in the same 5-2-3 formation he has used since midway through the second half of the 2-1 win over CF Montreal on July 31, and it continued to give Herons the type of defensive solidity that has made them much tougher to break down. More numbers at the back means less space to play through, and that combined with Nashville SC’s trademark pragmatic style of play meant Inter Miami was rarely tested. The visiting side finished with just two shots on target and one goal that came off a very good header from C.J. Sapong on a corner kick.
Focusing on trying to be tougher defensively rather than overwhelming in the attack, Neville has begun to uncover how to best maximize his team’s strengths and diminish its weaknesses. This franchise record unbeaten run of four games is testament to that.
Vassilev makes a good impression
Indiana Vassilev may still be fairly new to the team and not yet at 100 percent sharpness after not having a proper preseason, but that did not stop him from making a big impact in his latest appearance.
Vassilev made quite the impression on Sunday, coming off the bench to score the dramatic winner in the 95th minute with a perfectly-timed rising header that was finished superbly. What’s more, the youngster also gave Inter Miami an immediate injection of energy and ideas in the attack that helped make the team more dangerous after his entrance in the 55th minute.
His introduction for Kelvin Leerdam led to Vassilev playing on the right wing while starting attacker Lewis Morgan dropped into the wingback position Leerdam had been occupying. The partnership that was formed on that side of the field between Vassilev and Morgan quickly bore fruit, as the two started to combine on the outside en route to creating more penetration against Nashville SC’s defense.
Vassilev said after the game that he thinks there is more he can still give, but his performance vs. Nashville SC will likely give Neville something to think about with regards to what the newcomer’s role should be.
“He has not gotten the opportunities probably from the start that he has deserved, but every time he has come on he has created an impact,” said Neville. “… He has been real like a breath of fresh air and he is close now to starting games of football and he has given us a real problem.”