Inter Miami gets first franchise win behind Julian Carranza vs Orlando City
By Alex Windley
Inter Miami got its first win ever behind the speedy youngster Julian Carraanza against Orlando City
After an 0-5 start to the season, Inter Miami finally got their first win in club history. It was a shaky performance at times, but Diego Alonso’s men got it done. What are the three things we learned from this match?
Although it looked improbable at times, Inter Miami fought hard to get their first win in club history against cross-state rivals Orlando City. With goals from Julian Carranza and Designated Player Rodolfo Pizarro, Diego Alonso got his tactics spot on during Saturday night’s matchup.
Miami was the better team on the night, but that doesn’t mean the performance didn’t come without some suspect moments. There were several instances where Orlando had the opportunity to get back into the game.
The 18th-minute equalizer by Daryl Dike proved to be a bit of a nervous moment for Inter Miami and again in the 80th minute, where Nani pulled a goal back to make the final few moments of the game heart wracking. Luckily, Diego Alonso’s men were able to hold steady and start of the regular season on the right foot.
What are the three takeaways from Inter Miami’s historic victory?
3. Orlando has tenacity
Oscar Pareja has Orlando City playing above expectations. From league laughing stock to potential playoff contenders, it’s no surprise that Orlando City gave Miami a matchup that didn’t come without a few bruises.
Orlando controlled the ball, which saw them have 63% of the possession compared to Miami’s 36%. Based on their performances at the “MLS is Back” tournament, it was safe to say that Orlando would’ve been the more dominant side during the game. On the contrary, Inter Miami had a perfect gameplan; they stopped most of Orlando’s attacks by counter-pressing and blocking off passing lanes to disrupt the flow of their offense.
This tactic saw Miami score their first goal, a bad giveaway in midfield led to Pizarro picking up the ball and driving at Orlando’s defense before he passed the ball off to a sprinting Julian Carranza who finished with ease.
Despite this setback, Orlando kept scrapping and fighting until the very end, which saw Miami concede two goals at the 18th and 80th minute. It’s clear that the Orlando City of previous years is long gone, and that Pareja’s project looks well on its way to becoming a success. If they continue on the path they’re on, it’s safe to say that the Lions look to be a threat in the East.