1. Dealing with adversity
There appears to be a re-occurring theme in most Inter Miami matches where some incident (i.e. a red card, or an injury) knocks the team off their perch. Before the club’s inaugural match, forward Julian Carranza was not available due to a foot injury. Against D.C. United, Robbie Robinson was forced off with a knee injury and center-back Roman Torres was sent off with a red card.
The game against Orlando City was no different.
Due to unfortunate circumstance, the collision between Andres Reyes and Dom Dwyer was also one of those re-occurring incidents. Dwyer didn’t mean any harm, but the poor refereeing allowed a more physical style. Several fouls weren’t called, a couple of penalty calls were missed and even Inter Miami captain Luis Robles admitted that the game got out of hand.
As an expansion side, Inter Miami will need to learn how to grind out results. Of course, it’s normal to lose a player in a game to injury or a sending off, but as the club continues to grow, they will need to deal with the hand that has been given to them.
The game against Orlando City was a perfect example of a team that had a defined goal and executed it flawlessly. Inter Miami will have to correct their mistakes if they are to win their first game in club history.