Inter Miami overcomes tropical storm, beats FC Cincinnati 2-1, clinches playoff spot
Sheets of blinding rain blew across the field at Inter Miami CF Stadium on Sunday afternoon as wind gusts of up to 40 mph swirled, whipping the ball, corner flags and surrounding trees. But after everything Inter Miami had endured this inaugural season, the team refused to let Tropical Storm Eta or FC Cincinnati spoil its playoff dreams.
Miami conquered the nasty weather and clinched the final Eastern Conference playoff berth with a 2-1 victory in its regular-season home finale.
When it was all over, the drenched Miami players hugged, danced and jumped up and down like school boys in the center of the field as Latin music blared through the stadium loudspeakers. Defender A.J. De la Garza dropped to the ground and stared up at the rainy skies for several minutes before getting up to join the party.
“We were very emotional,” coach Diego Alonso said. “It was a very difficult year for us; we went through so much. Today we got the reward for all the hard work. This is a very big step for us. Maybe in normal conditions, we would have won more easily, but we did it this way and I’m very happy with the result and the playoff qualification.”
So much pressure. So much on the line. And they came through after falling short so many times this season.
A few thousand of the most diehard fans were there to celebrate, braving the elements, soaked to the bone and serenading the team with songs and drumbeats for 90 minutes straight.
In order to finish in the Eastern Conference top 10 and advance to the playoffs, Miami needed a victory on Sunday, plus other results around the league had to go their way.
Everything fell into place.
Montreal beat D.C. United 3-2, Atlanta United lost 2-1 to the Columbus Crew and the Chicago Fire lost to New York City FC 4-3.
Miami finished the season with a 7-13-3 record (24 points) and moved up from 12th place to 10th to secure the final playoff spot. Inter Miami’s opening-round playoff game will be on the road Nov. 20 at Nashville SC, the other expansion team. The 9 p.m. game will be broadcast on ESPN2.
The urgency of Sunday’s game was evident from the opening whistle. Despite the stormy conditions, Miami players looked sharp and set the tempo.
There was some question whether the game would be played at all as hurricane watches were called for the surrounding areas. The wind swirled so much that an American football style “holder” was needed for free kicks because the ball was moving too much. The corner flags were swaying almost to the ground, and surrounding trees were blowing in all directions.
But none of that was enough to ruin Miami’s final home game.
Inter Miami dominated from the start and scored two first-half goals in a five-minute span to take a comfortable lead over the last-place visitors.
The first came from an unlikely source, backup left back Mikey Ambrose, who started in place of injured Ben Sweat. Ambrose, playing in just his fifth game all season, settled the ball with his chest and then cranked a left-footed rocket from outside the box into the bottom right corner following a Miami corner kick.
“I am very happy for Mikey because he worked hard behind Ben Sweat all season and his goal was a reward for his efforts, and it was well-deserved,” Alonso said. “I was also happy with the play of Alvas Powell, who was out for a long time, but when we have needed him he has responded, and the same with A.J. de la Garza. I am very for the whole group and those players.”
Then, in the 23rd minute, Leandro Gonzalez Pirez made it 2-0, curling in a Lewis Morgan corner kick from the left side.
“That was crazy wind and crazy conditions,” Gonzalez Pirez said. “When we knew the hurricane was coming so close to our game time, we imagined this weather. It was so difficult to play in it. The first half we had the wind on our side, so we knew we had to do everything in the first half. So, we scored two goals and then in the second half we managed the lead. The rain was no problem, but the wind was crazy. We are super happy to win the game and make the playoffs in our first year.”
Inter Miami maintained the two-goal lead until the 66th minute, when Cincinnati’s Joseph-Claude Gyau scored on a left-footed shot from outside the box to the top left corner, past the outstretched arms of Miami goalkeeper John McCarthy. Brandon Vazquez had the assist.
Gyau is a 28-year-old Tampa native whose father, Phillip Gyau, played for the U.S. national team.
Desperate to preserve the lead late in the game, Inter Miami coach Diego Alonso made two substitutions in the 83rd minute. Lewis Morgan and Rodolfo Pizarro went out, and Victor Ulloa and Alvas Powell went in.
The final minutes got even more tense after defender Andres Reyes picked up a second yellow card in the 88th minute, leaving Inter Miami down a man until the end of the game.
“I’ve played in some horrible weather conditions, but this was probably the worst,” said Ambrose. “After the game, I felt joy and relieve. We had so much pressure all year long, we know it’s a big club, so to win and make the playoffs is a great relief and joy. I am so happy for the boys.”
Missing from Miami roster for the third game in a row was Brek Shea. The versatile veteran, who scored a few big goals this season, missed the previous two games with an undisclosed injury he suffered at home. Coach Diego Alonso said on Thursday that Shea had recovered, practiced and would be ready for Sunday’s game. But he was not on the roster.
Asked about his absence, a team spokesperson said Shea had not been “medically cleared” to play. He was replaced by Juan Agudelo, who played 63 minutes and then headed to the bench in place of Julian Carranza.
Miami will likely have to open the playoffs without Pizarro, who is expected to travel to Europe with the Mexican national team for two friendlies against Japan and South Korea. “Rodolfo has his ticket to leave on Monday with the Mexican team,” Alonso said. “We will try to see if maybe he can stay, but we understand he has an obligation with his national team.”
This story was originally published November 8, 2020 at 6:05 PM.