“It’s crunch time.” Energized Inter Miami team faces Houston Dynamo at home Saturday
Inter Miami coach Diego Alonso made a wardrobe change the past few games, opting for a track suit one game and shirtsleeves the next, a departure from the elegant suits and dress shoes he wore the rest of the season.
Alonso’s new look is in sync with the team’s get-down-to-business attitude as it heads into Saturday’s home game against the Houston Dynamo (5 p.m., UniMas).
Miami is hoping for a late-season playoff push following a 2-1 road win against the New York Red Bulls Wednesday that was punctuated with a game-winning free kick from Argentine forward Gonzalo Higuain. The team is in 12th place with 14 points, two spots shy of a playoff spot with seven games remaining.
“It’s crunch time,” said midfielder Wil Trapp, who will be playing his 200th MLS game.
“The season is quickly approaching its regular season end. Any points we pick home, home or away, are so important. For this group on Wednesday to win the game as we did with five starters out was pretty impressive, to be honest.
“We did a good job of coming together. You add in the quality of Gonzalo’s goal, and that helps immensely, but you’re seeing a group that’s started to congeal a little more from a team spirit perspective.”
And the team is about to get another impact player.
Federico Higuain, Gonzalo’s older brother, has requested a trade to Miami from D.C. United and the clubs are working on a deal, a league spokesperson confirmed Friday night.
The elder Higuain, 35, is a forward and attacking midfielder. He played 157 games in Argentina’s first division, including spells at River Plate and Independiente from 2003 to 2012. He went on to play in Turkey and Mexico before joining the Columbus Crew in 2012 for a club record $650,000. He won the MLS Newcomer of the Year Award in his debut season.
He made nearly 200 appearances and scored over 50 goals for the club, and this season joined D.C. United. Unlike his brother Gonzalo, known for his clinical finishing, Federico is more of a playmaker. His strengths are his vision, passing, ball control, and play off the ball. He will be reunited with longtime Crew teammate Trapp.
Alonso said the win over the Red Bulls gave the team an emotional lift, but they have already put that game behind them.
“No matter if it’s a win or a loss, you have to forget about it in 24 hours and move ahead,” Alonso said. “We are coming home now, where we like to win, and we want to bring our fans a victory, even though they can’t be in the stands. We want to win for them whether they are on the street or in front of their T.V.’s. We want to keep getting points.”
The Dynamo, coached by former U.S. national team midfielder Tab Ramos, is 4-5-7 and in ninth place in the Western Conference. They are coming off a 2-0 win over FC Dallas. A player to watch is Damian Quintero, who has six goals and two assists.
“They are very expansive, want to keep the ball and dominate possession,” Trapp said of Houston. “In doing that they leave themselves at times open for counterattacks. For us, that is something we’ve been very good at, creating chances on the counter, understanding where we can hurt them where they’re vulnerable.”
Goalkeeper John McCarthy will be starting his second game in place of captain Luis Robles, who underwent surgery on Thursday to repair a fractured forearm. McCarthy said he was a bit shaky the first 15 minutes against New York, but felt he got more comfortable as the game went on.
“I had to step up, and we really pulled together as a team, made a statement,” McCarthy said. “To get a chance to play, that’s what I work for every week. I was very sad to see what happened to Luis. I wouldn’t wish that on anybody, your best friend or your worst enemy. I wish him a speedy recovery, know he’ll come back stronger, but to be able to play is a mindset I prepare for every week and I want to make the most of my opportunity.”
In addition to the absence of Robles, Inter Miami will be missing midfielder Rodolfo Pizarro, who is with the Mexican national team; defender Andres Reyes, who is recovering from a fracture to a facial bone; and forward Juan Agudelo, also injured.
This story was originally published October 9, 2020 at 5:12 PM.