Inter Miami Player Ratings: 3-3 Draw (5-4 Penalty Kick Win) vs. FC Cincinnati
Lionel Messi, Benjamin Cremaschi, and Leonardo Campana were among the players who stood tallest for a resilient but uneven South Florida side
There is no counting out Lionel Messi and Inter Miami. Not even with exhausted legs and a poor collective showing.
Inter Miami advanced on Wednesday night to the U.S. Open Cup final after clawing back from two goals down vs. FC Cincinnati to win 5-4 on penalties following a 3-3 road draw. While the stirring comeback that included an equalizer at the death of regulation kept the South Florida side’s momentum going, it also put a spotlight on some subpar individual outings and how tired the team is after a grueling month of games.
In fact, had it not been for more Messi magic, some composed Leonardo Campana finishing, and strong contributions from Drake Callender and Benjamin Cremaschi, Inter Miami would have suffered its first letdown in this new era due to how subpar the overall midweek performance was.
INTER MIAMI PLAYER RATINGS
Drake Callender (7) — Could have done better on FC Cincinnati’s equalizer, but kept Inter Miami alive in the second half of regulation with several saves before making a big stop in the shootout.
DeAndre Yedlin (5.5) — Was the wingback that regularly got forward while never being that threatening in part because of how isolated he was on the right.
Tomas Aviles (4.5) — Not the best debut. Failed to read the danger on the opener, reacting instead of anticipating. A lack of understanding with his new teammates while normal was very evident, especially on FC Cincinnati’s second goal.
Sergii Kryvtsov (6) — Came up with several timely interventions, though he also lost his 1-on-1 battle in the lead-up to the first tally and was not in sync with Aviles on the hosts’ insurance strike.
Kamal Miller (5.5) — Unlucky the ball did not bounce his way on Luciano Acosta’s goal, but he was overall not as imposing at the back as he has been in other games.
Jordi Alba (4.5) — Tired legs seemed to mitigate his contributions because he rarely got forward to whip in crosses and also struggled to track back, which was clear on Brandon Vazquez’s strike.
Diego Gomez (4.5) — Another bumpy performance in which he showed good things in possession early before struggling on both sides of the ball the rest of the way.
Sergio Busquets (5.5) — Serviceable with his passing without looking like his play-making self, a likely by product of accumulated fatigue.
Jean Mota (4) — His lack of rhythm/futbol after so many months out due to injury was painfully obvious, as he mis-hit passes and struggled throughout.
Lionel Messi (7.5) — Once again found a way to lift the team, delivering two pinpoint assists despite dealing with visible exhaustion that helped limit his overall impact.
Leonardo Campana (7.5) — Starved of service for much of the match but came through with two well-taken headers, including his cool equalizer in the dying seconds. A fantastic response to his ugly, last-gasp miss in the Leagues Cup final.
Robert Taylor (6) — Spent a lot of his cameo serving as a makeshift right back, which limited him to more defensive responsibilities that he handled sufficiently.
David Ruiz (4) — Effort was there, as evidenced by the five fouls he drew, but not much else. A rough overall showing off the bench with slow decision-making and a poor clearance that led to the equalizer that forced penalties.
Facundo Farias (6) — Showed attacking flashes in his team debut, including on the bursting run forward that saw him pick up the foul that led to Inter Miami’s first goal.
Josef Martinez (6.5) — Lethal in front of the net with his only scoring chance while also suffering from the collective’s overall lack of service.
Noah Allen (5) — Admirably filled in at centerback despite it not being his position, but was fortunate not to be punished for ball-watching on three occasions.
Benjamin Cremaschi (8) — Converted another winning penalty, dished out a quality through ball on the go-ahead goal in extra time a mere minutes after entering, and was his usual pestering self to opposing attackers.
Gerardo Martino (4.5) — The initial game plan, system change, and decision to start an out-of-form Jean Mota all negatively impacted the team. There is no denying his players were tired, but all the alterations meant Messi needed to come to the rescue again to help force another successful penalty shootout.