How Inter Miami Looked Predictable Against Charlotte FC
Not the end of the world!
photo credit: Inter Miami CF
Inter Miami has had a great 2024 season, so far.
Not only have they clinched a spot in the playoffs, but the club is just one win away from potentially winning the Supporters Shield against the Columbus Crew.
For all the excitement and records that have been broken throughout the season, ultimately, the team (and Tata Martino’s coaching staff) will be judged on how much silverware they can bring in.
Though Miami is within reach of winning the Shield, Saturday night’s 1-1 draw revealed some eye-raising patterns that could become more of a concern if not addressed when the playoffs begin.
Lopsided, Predictable Attack
photo credit: Inter Miami CF
Heading into the game against Charlotte, Miami was - safe to say, an overwhelming favorite to win.
Unfortunately, that wasn’t the case and the Herons had a difficult time playing their usual brand of football
Charlotte played well. They were defensively organized and made life hard for the men in pink. Credit to Dean Smith and his crew where it’s due.
Charlotte’s defensive masterclass aside, Miami did themselves no favors.
Looking at the photo below, most of Miami’s attack during the match came through the left flank:
Most of the offensive actions ran through Jordi Alba, Lionel Messi, Luis Suárez or Diego Gomez.
That’s not a bad thing in general, but it is when the opposition defense crowds out the middle of the pitch, forcing a team to use crossing as its only attacking option:
That’s precisely what happened to Miami Saturday night.
Despite Messi’s moment of magic in the 67th minute (which will likely be up for Goal of the Week), Miami couldn't crack the code to Charlotte’s defense plugging the central areas of the field. Therefore, Miami was strong-armed into only playing through the wings.
It’s not so much that the team couldn't create multiple chances, the Herons did that and then some, particularly in the second half:
It’s the lack of convincing finishing (Messi golazo aside) and predictable attacking build-up that made it far too comfortable for Charlotte to sit back and absorb pressure.
Statistically, Miami is the best-scoring team in the league. Goals will come, but, the Herons can’t have a repeat of what happened on Saturday if they want to win MLS Cup.
What About The Right?
photo credit: Inter Miami CF
Another slight problem for Miami on Saturday was the lack of defensive stability on the right side.
We all know Messi likes to float and roam on the field, scoping out the feel of the game before getting into a rhythm. That’s perfectly normal and fine.
An issue arises because of what, usually, happens behind him.
When Messi slides in centrally…:
…there needs to be a player that vacates the space he left. That responsibility goes to the right central midfielder and the right-back:
Against Charlotte, while Messi did usual Messi things, the space vacated behind him, Gressel, and Weigandt was susceptible to being exploited.
With Weigandt overlapping high, and Gressel the ‘break in case of emergency’ defender behind him, Miami couldn’t be as bold on the right flank as they are on the left due to a lack of bodies behind them.
To incorporate more balance into the squad, what should Miami do?
So, What Now?
One suggestion is to revert to a 3-4-3 or 5-3-2.
The last two matches played in these formations resulted in a 2-0 victory against FC Cincinnati and a 4-1 win over the Chicago Fire.
Switching back will absolve Messi from tracking back duties, focusing his energy on the team’s attack while not comprising the team’s defensive shape:
A line of five just behind three industrious central midfielders would give Miami enough numbers going forward, all while keeping the side defensively sound, compact through the middle, and numerically superior if the opposing team counters.
It remains to be seen if Tata and his coaching staff will switch to this formation on Wednesday against Columbus. The only hiccup stopping them is the lack of depth at center-back.
Regardless, Miami has enough experience and determination not to let the opportunity of potentially winning the Supporters' Shield slip away.
This was like 500 words of me yapping. Hope you enjoyed it!
Good evaluation. But also, Miami missed a lot of good shots yesterday, chief among them Messi. They should have made at least 2 or 3 of those. Also, that correct no call at the end, the ref got it right. Messi was not fouled. Messi needs to start acting a little more mature and taking the blame where it is due, his missed shots, not the last frickin' call of the game, when extra time should have already elapsed. He's lucky the ref didn't give him a RED CARD after the game. <<< MLS.
Great analysis Alex. They’ve been trouble breaking teams down for a while now. Hopefully Tata will make adjustments for the Columbus match.