Lewis Morgan comes up huge in Inter Miami’s win against Atlanta

Inter Miami finish their chances in a 2-1 home win to Atlanta United

Inter Miami gets their second win in club history with an emphatic home win to a wilting Atlanta United side. A brace from Scottish international Lewis Morgan sees the South Florida club move within two points of a playoff spot. This win couldn’t come at a better time for Inter Miami, the team went 300+ minutes without a goal, and scoring two during a must-win game will do wonders for the team’s confidence.

With the club’s next game against Orlando City, this home win was of utmost importance. What are the three big takeaways from this match?

Defense comes up big for Inter Miami

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Over the past three games, Miami’s defense has been able to keep two clean sheets and nullified the threat of both Nashville and Atlanta’s offense. Leandro Gonzalez-Pirez, in particular, has been a bright spot for Inter Miami’s defense.

The 28-year-old has been a leader at the back. With his MLS experience and aggressive tackling style, Gonzalez-Pirez is the blueprint in what Diego Alonso wants in his defense.

It’s safe to say that his fellow defenders have followed his lead. On Wednesday night’s win, Inter Miami’s defense held up against Atlanta’s attacking threat.

Due to an early yellow card, Nico Figal was replaced by rookie Dylan Nealis. The 22-year-old held his own and should be given more opportunities to start.

Despite an early mistake that saw Miami concede a goal Colombian international Andres Reyes had a phenomenal game. His three clearances and two interceptions helped Miami stay strong at the back when Atlanta pushed for an equalizer the last 10 minutes of the match. If Inter Miami wants to make the playoffs strong defensive performances like that are needed.

Luis Robles turns back time with penalty saves

Perhaps the least talked about acquisition during Inter Miami’s roster-building process was the signing of veteran goalkeeper Luis Robles. Against Atlanta, Robles showed what being a captain is all about. When Atlanta drew a penalty in the 39th minute, up stepped Miami’s captain, not once but twice, to save both penalty attempts.

The 36-year-old turned back the clock with those two saves, giving Inter Miami an extra added boost to go on and win the game. Furthermore, Robles had an additional 8 recoveries to go alongside his 4 saves to maintain Miami’s lead.

It’s evident that Robles’ calming presence and safe hands help Inter Miami’s defenders be confident if there is a mistake at the back. Having a goalkeeper like that can give this backline a sense of security as the game goes on. Wednesday night’s win against Atlanta was the perfect example of this.

Lewis Morgan’s Man of the Match performance

If there was any player on the pitch that deserves an endless amount of praise and adulation it’s Scottish international Lewis Morgan. The 23-year-old had a Man of The Match performance. His two goals and endless work rate helped Miami get over their three-game scoreless drought.

Against Atlanta, Morgan had a total of four shots on goal with the two on target being goals. Not only was he good offensively but on the defensive end, he worked with Dylan Nealis to lock down Atlanta’s attack on the right-hand side. He won seven of his defensive duels, won three tackles, and completed three of his dribbles.

Morgan has been one of Miami’s most consistent performers, it was only a matter of time before he got on the score sheet. This win for Inter Miami will be a huge boost to the team’s confidence. With the club’s next game against rivals Orlando City, it was imperative that a win at home was achieved. Now that Miami has settled into their style of play, look for the team to continue to push for a playoff spot.