Player Ratings From Inter Miami's CCC Match vs. Nashville SC

+ Luis Suárez continuing to prove the doubters wrong.

Mar 08, 2024

photo credit: Inter Miami CF

Inter Miami kicked off their 2024 CONCACAF Champions Cup campaign away at Nashville SC.

Nashville is a familiar opponent for the Herons, so it wasn’t surprising that Tata Martino rolled out a more defensive-heavy formation to stymie their counter-attacking style.

While in theory it’s supposed to work well, in practicality, Miami never looked comfortable playing in a back three.

Nothing exemplified that more than the Herons conceding in the 4th minute, just moments after kick-off.

Though Miami controlled large portions of possession, Nashville was able to strike again in the 46th minute.

But, Inter Miami is starting to develop this “Never Say Die” attitude that should make them scary as the season progresses. I’m intrigued to see how that plays out in the long run, haha.

Here are player (and manager) ratings from Inter Miami’s tough match against Nashville.

Goalkeeping, Defense:

🧤 Drake Callender - 6.8: Tough match for him! But luckily, the attack was able to make amends in the end.
🥨 Julian Gressel - 7.6: Another good game from the German-American. Showed why he has to start for Miami, no matter what the position is, though he’s probably better in midfield.
🦌 Tomas Avilés - 7.5: A good 90 minutes from the youngster. Looks much more comfortable playing in a back four, though.
🏋️ Serhiy Kryvtsov - 5: At fault for the first goal. Was physically beaten multiple times throughout the match.
🐻 Nicolás Freire - 7: Was left out to dry a couple of times due to his center-back partner. Tried his best to snuff out fires. Clearly a strong leader in the back.
🐥 Noah Allen - 6.8: Had an okay game. He’s young and still growing, so the inconsistencies will be there.

Midfield:

🧮 Sergio Busquets - 8: Human metronome. Was crucial in getting the equalizer at the end. Looks much more comfortable with Redondo in the middle.
✌️ Diego Gómez - 7: Once again, ran his behind off. Got into great positions and did solid work on both sides of the ball.
🐞 Federico Redondo - 7.3: Decent debut from the youngster, had some giveaways, but it’s evident that he’s that additional presence in midfield Miami needed.

Attack:

🐐 Lionel Messi - 8.5: Not the most clinical game from the World Cup winner, but he showed up when it mattered most.
🔫 Luis Suárez - 9: Continually showing why Inter Miami brought him over from Brazil. Best striker of his generation.

Substitutes:

💈 David Ruiz - 8: Brought progressive passing, and energy to the team when Miami needed it most.
🦩 Lawson Sunderland - 8.3: Like Ruiz, was integral in Miami pushing for the equalizer.

Coaching:

🔢 Tata Martino - 7: Got the starting formation wrong. Mentioned in his post-game conference that he did it to counter Nashville’s speed, but it’s clear that the Herons are much more comfortable in a 4-3-3. Got the substitutions spot on, however!

A quick note on…Luis Suarez

Miami is blessed to have him.

Agree? Disagree? Leave a comment below! Let’s discuss it!