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Inter Miami Vs Orlando City: 3 tactical battles to watch for

By Alex Windley

Inter Miami, Orlando City, Nani (Photo by Andrew Katsampes/ISI Photos/Getty Images)
Inter Miami, Orlando City, Nani (Photo by Andrew Katsampes/ISI Photos/Getty Images) /
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LOS ANGELES, CA – MARCH 01: Wil Trapp #5 of Inter Miami CF advances the ball in a match against LAFC during a game between Inter Miami CF and Los Angeles FC at Banc of California Stadium on March 01, 2020 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Rob Ericson/ISI Photos/Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES, CA – MARCH 01: Wil Trapp #5 of Inter Miami CF advances the ball in a match against LAFC during a game between Inter Miami CF and Los Angeles FC at Banc of California Stadium on March 01, 2020 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Rob Ericson/ISI Photos/Getty Images) /

1. Who can control the midfield?

Ultimately, this match will come down to who will control the tempo in the midfield. Both teams have very strong players in central areas, with Inter Miami boasting MLS veterans Victor Ulloa and Wil Trapp and Orlando City having the talents of Junior Urso and Jhegson Mendez. Depending on which formations that Pareja and Alonso choose, central midfield could easily be the most impactful area on the pitch during those 90 minutes.

Against Colorado, Orlando had Mendez and Urso play as a doubt pivot, providing defensive coverage when full-backs Joao Moutinho and Kyle Smith advanced forward into the final third. Both Urso and Mendez have great positional awareness and are capable of providing defensive balance to shield against turnovers and attacking transitions.

For Inter Miami, Trapp and Ulloa will likely be the starting midfield pair. If Alonso is to shift into a 3-4-3 as he did against D.C. United, expect to see Trapp and Ulloa recycle possession of the ball. With Miami’s tactical fluidity, a stable midfield is imperative to keep the team moving seamlessly.

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Trapp usually sits a little deeper, linking the back three to the attacking trident ahead of him, while Ulloa will look to push forward at times, helping the front three while possibly having a shot on goal himself. His and Trapp’s partnership looked promising in the early stages of 2020. Can they replicate that after a four-month hiatus?

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