Inter Miami Player Ratings: Figal, Gonzalez Pirez, Makoun shine again in win vs. Crew
The centerback trio performed best for Inter Miami in the narrow 1-0 victory against the Columbus Crew
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — The Inter Miami defense continues to turn in stellar showings, and the record-setting performance that was just put forth only served to further underline that.
Inter Miami kept its hot streak going on Saturday night with a 1-0 victory over the Columbus Crew that once again put the spotlight on the South Florida side’s back line. The centerback trio of Nicolas Figal, Leandro Gonzalez Pirez, and Christian Makoun all performed impressively while central midfielders Gregore and Blaise Matuidi also provided some industry en route to helping the Herons post an unprecedented third consecutive cleansheet.
Of course, the shutout win would not have been possible without the efforts of star striker and goal-scorer Gonzalo Higuain. Still, the attack on the whole continued to struggle to generate chances.
Here are the Inter Miami Player Ratings after Saturday’s narrow triumph:
Nick Marsman (7) — Delivered two key interventions late, but was otherwise largely untested on the night.
Lewis Morgan (7) — Solid with his defending and occasionally got forward well to provide a wide outlet on the right to play to when the team was in possession.
Leandro Gonzalez Pirez (8.5) — Was exceptional defensively, and also jumped into the attack on a couple of occasions to try and create some danger.
Nicolas Figal (9) — Played his modern-day sweeper role to near perfection by turning in seven clearances, connecting on eight of his 13 long balls, and covering well for his teammates.
Christian Makoun (8.5) — Another quiet but strong outing in which he was tactically and defensively sound in addition to moving the ball fairly well.
Brek Shea (6.5) — Sound overall on both sides, though he was beaten on the dribble late by Luis Diaz on a play that led to a decent shot on goal for the Crew.
Gregore (8.5) — Bounced back from last week’s showing by being a physical presence in the center of the park that constantly disrupted Crew sequences, especially with well-timed tackles.
Blaise Matuidi (7) — Passed precisely and did plenty of the dirty work to help clog the middle of the field.
Rodolfo Pizarro (4) — Had few touches and did not make much of an impact before being substituted late in the second half.
Gonzalo Higuain (7) — Capitalized on an errant back pass to score the winner, moved the ball well, and was the player on the front line that looked sharpest in this one.
Robbie Robinson (4.5) — Started strong by using his speed to challenge the Crew back line, but was unable to provide much else and faded once the opposition adjusted to that.
Julian Carranza (5.5) — Fought hard and drew fouls after entering to help close out the game.
Victor Ulloa (5) —Helped reach the finish line with some decent contributions during his late substitute cameo.
Jay Chapman (N/A) — Did not see much of the ball in his four minutes of action.
Phil Neville (7) — The attack was once again lacking venom and only scored due to a poor back pass, but the defense was downright remarkable and the team never really seemed to be in danger of giving up a goal despite losing the possession battle.