Amid all the remarkable things Inter Miami CF have been involved in over their brief history, it sometimes seems they’re chronically allergic to normalcy.
Such was the case again Thursday night at Chase Stadium.
Paced by a truly extraordinary first half featuring five goals (four of them netted in the first 20 minutes), two penalty kicks, a straight red card to David Martínez for denial of an obvious goalscoring opportunity, a hat trick of assists by Jordi Alba and two penalty kicks converted by Lorenzo Insigne, the Herons held off spirited but sloppy Toronto FC 4-3 to advance to the Leagues Cup Round of 16.
“It was a wild game. It was a wild game,” TFC head coach John Herdman later said ruefully. “There was just all sorts going on.”
Wild half
Strange things can happen in south Florida during hurricane season, and pregame rain showers set the mood accordingly in Fort Lauderdale. With Leo Messi watching from a pitchside suite as his recuperation from an ankle injury continues, the hosts stormed out to a 2-0 lead in a matter of minutes, Matías Rojas and his fellow Paraguayan Diego Gómez clinically exploiting some profoundly naive defending from the visiting Reds.
Marcelo Weigandt’s clumsy error under pressure from Derrick Etienne Jr. deep in his own penalty box quickly gifted Toronto a lifeline from the penalty spot. Almost immediately afterwards, Luis Suárez restored the two-goal lead thanks to yet another backline breakdown. Then the tables turned once again.
TFC star Fede Bernardeschi had to limp off the pitch early with an ankle issue Herdman later revealed he’d picked up during warmups. The silver lining was the No. 9 reference point provided by his replacement, Prince Owusu. And when Deybi Flores’ clever through ball sent the German striker clear, Martínez forced referee Adonai Escobedo and his crew to make a big decision by tugging and tripping Owusu to the turf.
After initially ruling a yellow card and another PK, Escobedo consulted with his colleagues and a DOGSO red with a free kick just outside the box was the result. In sum, it greatly complicated Miami’s task – but Drake Callender’s nimble save of Insigne’s ensuing free kick offered a preview of the resistance to follow.
“Normally, these games that happen in this way, where for 20 or 25 minutes it seemed like we were going to score a goal in every attack and then came so many misfortunes,” said Herons coach Gerardo 'Tata' Martino, “I think you lose.”
Back and forth
Still, TFC earned, then dispatched yet another penalty not long after. And the weirdness abated only slightly after the intermission, with shorthanded IMCF managing their lead savvily while their Canadian guests labored to draw level in the tropical humidity. Just when it seemed Miami’s resistance was slowly crumbling, Rojas popped up to bag his brace at the hour mark, blasting a stunner of a strike past Sean Johnson from 25 yards out, via a career-best fourth assist from Alba, as the Spaniard drifted infield to deliver a well-weighted layoff.
Owusu would make things interesting by nodding a header off substitute Noah Allen in the dying minutes. Yet it was too late, Miami yet again tempting fate and living to laugh about it.
“We started a little bit rattled, and they score after two minutes, and you just got the sense that our heads hadn't cleared, and everything they seemed to hit went in the back of the net. It was a crazy start,” said Herdman. “I’ve not experienced that with this team yet. But the fightback was important, I thought, just to see us get back into the game and force some of their errors and show a few of their vulnerabilities.
“I think the second half, they did a good job just managing what they needed to manage, defending the width of the goal. But at the same time, we needed more. We needed more in that crazy game, and I think it's a missed opportunity for our group.”
Next up
All season long, even with their talisman Messi sidelined, the Herons have conjured up victories in unlikely circumstances – digging deep, riding their luck and making the most of contributions from unexpected sources. The pattern continues in Leagues Cup.
“That, for me, is the good news – that even with everything, with all the situations in the game that were unfavorable,” said Martino. “If I have to analyze the performance of the team, the truth is that I liked it a lot. I told the players that the key was overcoming adversity, and fortunately, we were able to do that.”
Miami will now continue their title defense on the road, with a Tuesday visit to the winner of Friday night’s matchup between MLS Cup holders Columbus Crew and Sporting Kansas City (7:30 pm ET | Apple TV - Free).
