Philadelphia Union Vs Inter Miami: 3 things to watch for
By Alex Windley
On Tuesday night, Inter Miami’ face the Philadelphia Union. With Diego Alonso’s side desperately needing a victory, here are three things to watch for.
Inter Miami and the Philadelphia Union’s opening games could not have gone more differently. The Union comfortably won their tournament opener, easing past New York City FC in a 1-0 win. As for Inter Miami, they lost to their Florida rivals Orlando City to a last-minute goal from Nani.
This won’t be the first meeting between these two clubs. Back in February, the Union beat Miami on an 86th-minute strike from Matej Oravec. Miami, meanwhile, is still looking for its first win in club history.
On Tuesday night, they have another chance. With Andres Reyes and Roman Torres possibly returning from injuries and suspensions, and Rodolfo Pizarro looking to make his first start of the tournament, this matchup could be quite interesting. As such, here are three things to watch for.
3. Miami’s defense needs a flawless game
Inter Miami need to clean up their mistakes across the defense. The last-minute goal conceded to Orlando City, that was a result of heavy legs and lapses in concentration, was particularly egregious. With Roman Torres and Andres Reyes returning, Diego Alonso will have his first-choice backline available.
It’s clear that a 3-4-3 is his preferred formation. In the 3-4-3, Miami’s creative players are afforded the freedom to roam without the worry of tracking back. Their center-backs specifically, Nicolas Figal, are on comfortably on the ball, which allows the team to play through the back if needed.
If Inter Miami wants to get their first three points of the tournament, Figal, Reyes, and Torres will all need to be on the same page against an excellent Union midfield and attack that will ask them plenty of questions.