Player Ratings From Inter Miami's Do or Die Match vs. Monterrey

+ On MLS' mid-season roster rules changes.

Apr 11, 2024

photo credit: Inter Miami CF

Inter Miami’s CONCACAF Champions Cup run has come to an end with a 3-1 defeat away at Monterrey.

The Heron’s sloppy play cost them dearly, starting with a Drake Callender blunder in the 31st minute and some messy sequences in the 58th and 64th minute.

In a moment of reflection, I’ve always felt (mainly in WhatsApp discussions) that maybe this Miami squad in its current state is probably more equipped to make a run at MLS Cup than an international competition like the Champions Cup.

I write this while thinking of the 2022 Seattle Sounders. The Sounders did the unthinkable a few years ago, becoming the first MLS team to win the Champions Cup, née League.

Though their heroics brought a tear to even the most cynical MLS supporters, their regular season form suffered, as they ended that year 11th in the West, missing out on the MLS playoffs.

Though there are MLS teams who can handle both competitions, I don’t think this Miami team is one of them.

Between the older players on the squad and the youngsters who are still coming into their own, the less strenuous once-a-week MLS schedule is far better for this Miami roster than playing games every other Wednesday.

In the end, Miami will have the flexibility to add more talent to the roster if they so choose. Additionally, any team with Messi is bound to be in contention for silverware.

Without any further ado, here are the Player Ratings from IMCF’s match vs. Monterrey.

Goalkeeping, Defense:

🧤 Drake Callender - 4.5: Had a howler in the first half. Didn’t really look confident back there.
💨 Jordi Alba - 3.5: Lost his head and got sent off. Not a great look.
🐥 Noah Allen - 4: Still doesn’t look comfortable playing as a center-back.
🐻 Nicolás Freire - 5.8: A decent outing for the Argentine, but no one particularly covered themselves in glory.
🦌 Tomas Avilés - 5: Like Freire, was hustling, but no defender looked good tonight.
🎻 Marcelo Weigandt - 5: Was stranded on a defensive island at times due to his adventures in the final third.

Midfield:

🥨 Julian Gressel - 6.3: I feel bad for him, truly. Though the team didn’t play well, he was still running his butt off until the end.
🧮 Sergio Busquets - 6: Uhh, not much to say about Busquets. He did his thing. Only wish Redondo was there to pair alongside him.
✌️ Diego Gómez - 5.5: Had that mistake that directly led to a Monterrey scoring opportunity, so can’t really rate him higher than a five, but he also got a late goal…..

Attack:

🔫 Luis Suárez - 6: Didn’t have tons of service, but admittedly I enjoyed his theatrics.

🐐 Lionel Messi - 6.3: Off night for Leo! A lot of his passes didn’t connect, but I don’t place the blame solely on him (see below.) But, he got an assist near the end.

Substitutes:

Coaching:

🔢 Tata Martino - 4.5: I don’t think the original starting eleven inspired confidence. I would’ve gone with a 4-3-3 with Afonso on the left side. The winger could’ve brought energy and speed to a game that was frenetic and stretched. Also, playing out of the back under every circumstance is a flawed philosophy that I can delve into in another article. Furthermore, the lack of substitutes when the game was out of reach is…a choice.

On…MLS’ Mid-Season Roster Rule Change

This morning, MLS announced several rule changes that would allow teams to have more spending flexibility.

These modifications will be implemented during the summer, according to The Athletic.

In short, for you Miami fans, the significant changes were summarized by The Athletic below:

Any CONSTRUCTIVE comments, thoughts, or prayers? Leave them in the comments below!