Inter Miami keeper Marsman likely to miss a few more games, Haiti friendly at DRV PNK
Nick Marsman, last year’s Inter Miami starting goalkeeper, is on schedule with his recovery from a knee injury but will likely miss a few more games. Backup Clement Diop started the season-opening scoreless tie against the Chicago Fire last Saturday and was voted Man of the Match after making three big saves.
Inter Miami is on the road Sunday at Austin FC.
“Nick’s schedule was never to be fit for the start of the season,” coach Phil Neville said. “He’s out on the grass every day working with the goalkeeping unit. I think if we see any action of him in March we’ll be lucky because he’s had a real serious injury and we want to make sure we get him back for the marathon and not just the first sprint.
“We’re going to take it really cautiously with Nick but he’s pushing every single day to be back. He wanted to be back for the first game of the season, the second game of the season. So, don’t be surprised if he does play in March, but in terms of a timeline the next few games will be a tough ask.”
Noah Allen assesses debut
Pembroke Pines 17-year-old left back Noah Allen didn’t find out he was starting the season opener until just before the game. He said the experience was a dream come true, and he planned to get his jersey signed by his teammates as a memento.
He played 77 minutes before being replaced by Brek Shea and got a rousing ovation as he went to the bench.
“I was really happy with the ovation, it was beautiful I had butterflies coming off the field, but I wish I could have stayed in there longer,” Allen said. “I wish I had done better on both sides. There were a few times I misplaced passes to (Gonzalo) Higuain. Defensively I should have been a little bit stronger, but the team trusted me. We combined a few times on the left, I got a shot off and a good diagonal cross back that almost connected, so I’m happy how I played but I know there’s a lot more I could have done better.”
Allen said traveling with the senior team to the preseason Carolina Challenge Cup in Charleston, South Carolina was a great confidence boost.
“It helped a lot because it was a bonding trip, so I got to know a lot about the guys and they got to know a lot about me,” Allen said. “In the games I got more confident every game, got used to playing with the guys because obviously, I’m a young guy coming from the academy, so the trust isn’t going to be there immediately. As the games went on I got the ball more, I was impressing them more, so I’m happy I got so much confidence from those games.”
Guatemala vs. Haiti
The national teams of Guatemala and Haiti will play a friendly at DRV PNK Stadium on March 27 at 4 p.m. Guatemala is under new coach Luis Fernando Tena. Haiti returns to Fort Lauderdale after having a good showing at that stadium in the 2021 Gold Cup preliminary round. Tickets are available through ticketmaster.com.
This story was originally published March 1, 2022 at 6:46 PM.