Inter Miami Player Ratings: Makoun, Figal, Chapman show well in dramatic win vs. Toronto FC
The young Venezuelan centerback made an impact on both sides in a game-winning performance
The old saying goes that sometimes it is better to be lucky than good. Well, Inter Miami was just that.
Inter Miami extended its current unbeaten run to a franchise-record six games on Tuesday night with another dramatic victory, this time by a 1-0 mark over 10-man Toronto FC. The road win saw the South Florida side use the familiar formula of being defensively tough while being opportunistic up top despite a lack of stellar attacking play.
As a result, unexpected hero Christian Makoun and fellow centerback Nicolas Figal were once again among the top performers while front-line players Robbie Robinson and Indiana Vassilev had games to forget.
Here are the Inter Miami Player Ratings following Tuesday’s victory over Toronto FC:
Nick Marsman (6) — His late blunder should have cost Inter Miami a goal, but he put himself in a spot to make the decision tough on the refs and made several other stops.
Kelvin Leerdam (5.5) — Serviceable defensively and projected forward into the attack often, though he was not able to provide much in the final third.
Leandro Gonzalez Pirez (7) — Had some trouble in 1-on-1 battles, but was overall defensively solid once again.
Nicolas Figal (8) — Continued his recent run of good form with another strong display in which he provided ample coverage and never really set a foot wrong.
Christian Makoun (9) — Donned the hero’s cape by drawing the late penalty with a brilliant attacking move, confidently converted the ensuing take for the winner, and was stout at the back.
Lewis Morgan (5.5) — Competent as a left wing back before switching to the right, though he missed a first-half scoring chance you would expect him to put away.
Gregore (6) — Moved the ball with extreme precision, but did not make his usual mark on the defensive side after struggling to put out some fires.
Jay Chapman (7) — The midfield link passed accurately though mostly safely while also hitting the exquisite through pass that led to Kemar Lawrence’s ejection.
Rodolfo Pizarro (5) — Enjoyed a couple of good moments, but the team needed more than just mostly safe passes from the Designated Player in this one.
Robbie Robinson (4) — Hit a pair of nice passes in dangerous areas and drew the red card, but was otherwise a black hole where attacks went to disappear via lackluster play and a whopping five offside calls.
Indiana Vassilev (3.5) — Was largely invisible with the fewest touches of any Inter Miami starter, something made to look worse by his tame shot on a decent look in the first half.
Federico Higuain (5) — Came in and brought some new attacking ideas without being all that dangerous.
Brek Shea (5.5) — Another professional display off the bench, though he was not that threatening.
Julian Carranza (4.5) — Needed to do better on the late header he had, especially since it was one of only eight touches from him in a 14-minute cameo.
Blaise Matudi (6.5) — Sharp despite entering as a late sub, passing accurately and playing a part in the build-up on the sequence that led to the decisive penalty.
Phil Neville (5) — Got the job done late again, but the team failed to translate its man advantage into the run of play, looked more likely to surrender a goal, and might have been bailed out by a missed call against the worst team in the league.