WOW.
That’s the best way to describe the atmosphere and performance from the fans and Fire respectively in Sunday night’s 1-0 win over Columbus at Soldier Field.
Now unbeaten in four, the Fire will enter the gauntlet: 11 of their last 15 matches will be played on the road – including the next six straight - and it all begins with Inter Miami CF on Wednesday night at DRV PNK stadium.
STAR POWER
We all knew what Inter Miami were going to be when they entered the league as an expansion team last year.
Glitz, glamour, bright colors and big names.
They haven’t disappointed on those fronts, but what has been disappointing is their performance on the field. Despite sporting players that have dazzling resumes, the football has been less than inspiring from head coach Phil Neville’s bunch since he took over in January after the dismissal of Diego Alonso.
A lack of creativity and bite in the final third have been the biggest criticisms of this Inter Miami side.
Inter Miami have scored the second-fewest goals in MLS this season to-date, only outdone by Austin FC in that department. They’ve only found the back of the net just 15 times over the course of 17 games. While their side features Mexican international Rodolfo Pizzaro and a man who used to terrorize the international and club scene in Gonzalo Higuain, goals have been tough to come by.
Despite those types of names present (not to mention World Cup winner Blaise Matuidi), their most consistent and active attacking performer is the pacey, dynamic Scot, Lewis Morgan.
Higuain may have 8 of the 15 Inter Miami goals this year, but he is typically the beneficiary of a move. At 33 years of age, the man who scored over 100 goals for Real Madrid and 31 goals for the Argentine national team is not terribly involved in the build-up and isn’t exactly a pressing machine. He still has the magic, though, and can be a match-winner for this club.
Pizzaro hasn’t been the Designated Player that Inter fans had expected, but if given the proper amount of time and space, he is capable of picking out the killer pass for Phil Neville.
TRENDING UPWARDS
Inter suffered a stretch of six-straight losses not too long ago but since then, they look to be turning things around. After that sixth loss to New England (by a score of 5-0, at home) Miami has picked things up and gone 2-1-2 in their last five including wins over two teams above the playoff line in Montréal and Nashville. They’ve also drawn Orlando in that span, and are coming off their first loss since that Revs defeat – Saturday’s 2-0 loss to NYCFC.
While Miami have certainly struggled, they have match-winners and experience all over the field, which makes them dangerous on any given day. They’ve proven they can beat the some of the best in the league. The Fire, while riding a lot of momentum, shouldn’t be turning their noses up at anyone.
LAST TIME OUT
The Fire picked up their first win of 2021 against Inter Miami back on May 22 by a score of 1-0.
It was not a particularly electric affair. Inter looked sloppy and poor in build-up and it made the game a bit choppy. The Fire created enough chances to score from the run of play, but got the lone goal of the game from Luka Stojanović. Both of these teams are virtually unrecognizable from their last meeting, in my estimation.
FINAL THOUGHTS
Speaking with Raphael Wicky recently, he emphasized how it will be all-hands on deck for this Sunshine State road swing. Given the humidity and heat in Florida during August and the quick turnarounds, he’ll need everyone. We’ve already seen big performances from guys stepping in like Fabian Herbers, Carlos Terán and Wyatt Omsberg, who helped close out the win against Columbus after replacing Terán as a substitute.
Miami have been playing some better football as of late, but are still lacking in the attacking third. They don’t create chances by the dozen, but if given the chance they can punish you, especially Higuain who has more than half of their goals this year.
Nico Figal and Leandro Gonzalez Pirez are good centerbacks and can battle. The Fire will need to be clever in pulling them out of position and trying to isolate the likes of Kelvin Leerdam, Kieran Gibbs or whoever is playing that fullback (or wingback) position depending if Neville goes with three or four at the back.
This back three for the Fire featuring Terán, Calvo and Pineda have let in just one goal in 180 minutes of play. They’ll need be to be really sharp once again and engage in that defensive attacking mentality to be weary of the counter with the speed of Morgan and quality of Higuain/Pizzaro at play.
Tony Meola and I will have the call from DRV PNK Stadium at 6:30 p.m. CT in Fort Lauderdale Wednesday night on WGN and CFFC Live. Chicago are six points off Montréal for a playoff spot. There’s still a decent amount of ground to be made up, but the Fire are very much making their playoff push. Let’s make it three in a row and call it a streak.
