Analyzing Inter Miami: Ugly but effective, Kieran Gibbs improving, and more
Three takeaways from Inter Miami's 1-1 draw vs. Orlando City
Far from pretty, but pretty effective.
That is how Inter Miami managed to continue to try to climb out of the MLS basement.
Inter Miami went on the road and grabbed its first result away to Orlando City on Wednesday night, using a hard-fought and resilient performance to split the spoils in a 1-1 draw at Exploria Stadium in Orlando, Florida. The cagey affair between the in-state rivals was far from exhilarating, as both teams struggled to create quality scoring opportunities.
For Inter Miami, however, that was the game plan.
“We had a system of play that we thought would cause them problems,” said Inter Miami head coach Phil Neville, “and it did.”
After seeing how much success his side had in this past weekend’s 2-1 win over CF Montreal when switching mid-game to a five-man defense, Neville again deployed that type of back line as part of a 5-2-3 formation. The main emphasis was on limiting the spaces Orlando City could play in, both in the defensive third and center of the park.
The tactic worked in that it caused plenty of issues to the Lions’ build-up, resulting in them struggling to break down the organized South Florida side. The hosts finished the game with just four shots on target, with the opening goal coming just before the stroke of halftime via a well-worked set piece finished off by a centerback rather than by a more attack-minded player during the run of play.
“We went to three at the back against Montreal in the last 20 minutes and we found it gave us great solidity,” said Neville. “It blocked all the channels through, and especially when we lost (three centerback options in Ventura Alvarado, Leandro Gonzalez Pire, and Ryan Shawcross) I did not want to expose us to being really wide apart.
“… I wanted us to make sure that we were filling all the right spaces.”
Inter Miami did just that, but in doing so limited itself in the opposing half. The team had very few natural attackers on the field with its starting lineup — just three, to be exact — and that left Inter Miami without the type of numbers that could truly test Orlando City’s defense. Star striker Gonzalo Higuain while not at his sharpest was practically on island, as evidenced by him ending up with a mere 19 touches in 59 minutes. That was the lowest of any starter on the Herons.
Deploying someone up top with a bit more mobility and speed like Julian Carranza from the start might have made more sense given that Inter Miami was planning to play reactively and more on the counter. Chances were always going to be few and far between with that approach — Inter Miami finished with just two shots on target and 43 percent possession — and having a striker that could give you more in terms of pressing and getting in behind seemed a better fit for that style.
That said, Inter Miami eventually found the equalizing goal and that was enough for a result on this night given how well the team defended over the 90 minutes.
“I still think we can play better in terms of in possession,” said Neville, “But I thought we looked really solid defensively.”
Gibbs continuing to grow into role with team
Several players showed well for Inter Miami, but one that continued to demonstrate that he is growing into his role with the team is Kieran Gibbs.
Gibbs not only scored the tying goal in the 66th minute to give Inter Miami its first result in Orlando, Florida, but he was a solid defender and constant outlet on the left flank that the team played through when attempting to generate attacking sequences. Gibbs finished tied for the third-most touches on Inter Miami, recording 54 while lasting only until the 76th minute before being substituted.
The experienced Englishman, who was used as a wingback, was especially good after Neville made a pair of substitutions near the hour-mark. Gibbs provided the width almost exclusively down the left side for the rest of his shift after that switch, and eventually found the goal with a run into the penalty area that was rewarded with a sublime cross from right wingback Victor Ulloa.
It has to be noted, of course, that Gibbs was not the sharpest with his touches, decision-making, and passing vs. Orlando City. He struggled at times to with each of those, but part of that can be attributed to the fact that he is still working his way back to full fitness and sharpness after a lengthy spell of inactivity while also still learning his teammates’ styles of play and the rigors of Major League Soccer.
“If I am totally honest, moving (abroad) was one of the biggest moves of my life so it has been adjustment to adapt to everything,” said the 31-year-old Gibbs, who had lived exclusively in England prior to joining Inter Miami. “I think the pandemic obviously does not help, but I have really enjoyed coming into the team. I do definitely need to improve on fitness. I did not play since February this year before I started playing here.
“ I knew it was going to take time, so I did not want to put too much pressure on myself. I want to just concentrate on staying healthy and no doubt I will improve in the coming games.”
Early days or not, Gibbs is making a pretty quick impact. He has not only made the starting left fullback spot his own already after getting the nod there in each of the past three games, but is now finding more ways to contribute to the team.
Attacking set piece issues persist
Inter Miami continues to have a serious problem: It cannot score off attacking set pieces.
This came back into the spotlight in this game because Orlando City found the breakthrough in a game with very little in it when the Lions executed a. well-worked corner kick just before halftime that Antonio Carlos thundered home. In contrast, Inter Miami wasted most of its set pieces with poor service from Lewis Morgan or a failure to show enough conviction to
The closest the Herons came was on a dead-ball situation in the closing stanza in which a leaping Kelvin Leerdam got to the ball and tried heading it back into the mix, only for it to go out of bounds after ricocheting off an unsuspecting Nicolas Figal.
The fact that Inter Miami has only one goal off set pieces this year — a free kick back in Week 2 — is a troubling trend that started last year under previous head coach Diego Alonso and appears to have no real solution. Neville has said recently that his team is working on dead-ball situations in practice and getting better at them, but that is certainly not translating on the field in matches.