Inter Miami 2-1 Charlotte FC: Analysis, Notes, and Observations
Taking a closer look at the South Florida side's title-capturing victory in the 2022 Carolina Challenge Cup
Inter Miami levanta la copa.
Inter Miami lifted the first trophy in franchise history on Saturday, winning preseason tournament the 2022 Carolina Challenge Cup after a 2-1 victory vs. Charlotte FC. The cup capture was quite the way for the South Florida side to finish out preparations for the looming MLS season, but there was more to be happy about than just the final result. Much more.
Letโs start with the most notable: the improved showing with the ball.
Inter Miami put forth its best performance of the preseason against the MLS expansion side, looking as tough defensively as it has during any point in the past five weeks while also offering more in possession. The Herons strung together better passing sequences, showing off both precision and patience in doing so.
Just look at the first goal, for instance.
The play begins with a throw-in on the left side of Charlotte FCโs half, with Inter Miami calmly moving the ball around in search of an opening. The team looks for space down the left flank but does not find enough and rather than force the issue smartly resets by working the ball to the Inter Miami centerbacks, which proceed to push play out to the right.
The quicker passes in tighter spaces that ensue help to unlock the opposing defense, and DeAndre Yedlin helps cap off a 14-pass sequence with a low ball that Leonardo Campana finishes on his own rebound.
You will not get to appreciate it fully on the highlights but the sequence goes like this:
Noah Allen throw-in to Gonzalo Higuain โ Higuain pass to Damion Lowe โ Lowe to Christopher McVey โ McVey to Higuain โ Higuain to Gregore โ Gregore to Allen โ Allen to McVey โ McVey to Lowe โ Lowe to Jairo Quinteros โ Quinteros to Yedlin โ Yedlin to Quinteros โ Quinteros to Gregore โ Gregore to Jean Mota โ Mota to Yedlin โ Yedlin to Campana.
Inter Miamiโs second and decisive goal was not as clean or intricate in the build-up, but it also had plenty of quality. That will give head coach Phil Neville and his team loads of confidence as they turn their full attention to the season opener this coming Saturday.
Wingback play proves decisive
Another aspect of Inter Miamiโs play that will really make Neville smile is how well wingbacks Yedlin and Allen played in this one.
The English managerโs 5-3-2 system requires the fullbacks to get high and wide to provide the attacking width. The midfield trio and forward pairing play much more centrally โ Higuain is given the freedom to drop and roam as he sees fit, it must be noted โ so the wingbacks have to do a lot of work without the ball in order to stretch the opposition and create spaces for themselves or others.
Yedlin and Allen both proved effective and decisive in that regard. They marauded forward well to provide passing options and penetrated into the attacking third. It is no coincidence, after all, that they took turns helping set up Inter Miamiโs goals in this one.
The recently-arrived Yedlin played the best of his three Inter Miami preseason games vs. Charlotte FC, looking more comfortable with his role and teammates. The 17-year-old Allen, meanwhile, continued to impress in his starts with the first team. His control, awareness to look for the trailing Higuain, and perfectly-weighted low cross on the 50th-minute winner were the type of contributions that will have Inter Miami coaches and foreign scouts salivating.
Mota delivered his best game of preseason
Yedlin and Allen were not the only ones to stand out in this one, though it must also be said that Charlotte FC looked very much an MLS expansion side with a USL-level attack.
Brazilian central midfielder Jean Mota also enjoyed his best outing of the preseason, playing a part in both goals. He was more active in terms of getting on the ball and notably sharper with his passing, as evidenced by his sublime aerial feed to Allen on the decider.
โEvery game I am adapting more, and I think today was my best game,โ said Mota in Spanish.
If Mota can continue to grow within his role and build on this performance, Inter Miami may have the type of two-way play from the No. 8 position that it sought with Blaise Matuidi but rarely ever got.
The trophy is huge emotional, confidence boost
You could say that winning the 2022 Carolina Challenge Cup is meaningless because it is preseason, but you only needed to look at the smiles on Inter Miamiโs faces after the match to see that was not the case.
Inter Miami, a high-profile team that has grown accustomed to disappointment and frustration during its first two years in MLS, relished winning some silverware. From players to staff, the entire group was beaming as it claimed a trophy and enjoyed a modicum of success for one of precious few times in the early days of the franchiseโs existence.
As mentioned above, that is sure to do wonders for the teamโs confidence and emotional state as the Herons head into next weekendโs opener. Sure, winning a trophy in preseason might not mean a whole lot to most, but it means the most to the whole of Inter Miami.
Other notes:
Christopher McVey made a very significant play just before Inter Miami pushed the lead to 2-0, racing back in determined fashion to deliver a goal-saving challenge in the penalty area after Inter Miami cheaply lost possession.
Damion Lowe was hard done by on the late penalty that got Charlotte FC on the board, as replays showed he cleanly got the ball first.
Inter Miami switched from a 5-3-2 to a 5-2-3 midway through the second half when Ariel Lassiter and Emerson Rodriguez entered, with the two flanking Higuain while Gregore and Mota were the lone duo in the center of the park.
Filling in for the injured Ian Fray, Jairo Quinteros had some rough moments defensively in his first start with the presumed first-choice lineup.
Fray, Robbie Robinson, Brek Shea, Kieran Gibbs, Victor Ulloa, Mo Adams, Bryce Duke, and Edison Azcona were all not in uniform for this match.