Inter Miami faces pivotal home game against FC Cincinnati as playoff pressure mounts
If Inter Miami fans are looking for encouraging statistics to hang on to heading into Saturday’s pivotal home game against FC Cincinnati, consider these two:
Six of Miami’s seven wins this season have come at DRV PNK Stadium.
A staggering 82 percent of Miami’s goals have been scored at home, the highest percentage in the league. The team has scored 18 goals in 11 home games and just four in 10 road games (one of those a penalty kick by Gonzalo Higuain against Cincinnati at TQL Stadium in March).
In its last game at home, Inter Miami scored three second-half goals to come from behind and beat Charlotte FC 3-2. Coach Phil Neville is hoping for that kind of output again in a game that is critical in the race to the playoffs.
With 13 games remaining in the regular season, Miami is in 11th place in the East, three points and four spots short of Cincinnati, which sits on the playoff line at seventh place. Miami (7-10-4, 25 points) could pull even with Cincinnati with a win, and Cincinnati could stretch its lead to six points over Miami with a victory.
After Saturday, Miami heads west for a Wednesday night game against the San Jose Earthquakes and then plays at CF Montreal next Saturday.
Neville is calling this week a “nine-point week” and has demanded that his players attack the trio of games with urgency.
“We are approaching the most important part of the season where we’ve got to really earn our money and the wins are going to be big for us,” Neville said.
“It starts with a really important game against one of the most improved sides in the conference, fantastic coach, good staff around him, front players really exciting. It’s going to be a real important game for both teams. We know where a win takes us, and we know where the win takes them.”
Cincinnati has made drastic improvements this season under first-year coach Pat Noonan, a longtime assistant coach under Jim Curtin with the Philadelphia Union and Bruce Arena with the Los Angeles Galaxy. Cincinnati had three bottom-of-the-league finishes since joining MLS in 2019, but this season is on the cusp of its first playoff berth.
The last time the two teams met, on March 19 at TQL Stadium, Brandon Vazquez score twice to lead Cincy to a 3-1 win.
“Totally different team than the last time we saw them,” Noonan said of Miami. “They’ve gradually improved in a way where, Phil [Neville] has them in a good spot. I think they have different ways to be able to cause you problems, I think, with the addition of [Alejandro] Pozuelo now, the creativity in the middle of the field with him, as he gets more and more comfortable with his teammates.”
The Miami attack is also expected to get a boost from French winger Corentin “Coco” Jean, who will make his debut after joining from French club RC Lens. Although he has not played a game since May, and trained only a few days with Miami, he could make a difference.
Inter Miam’s leading scorer Leo Campana (knee) and winger Ariel Lassiter (calf) are “50-50” for the game (8 p.m., CBS4), Neville said.
“Two strikers that know how to score goals in different ways. So, depending on who’s on the field, we have to be aware of both options to make sure that we’re limiting them in and around goal. I think the two in the middle of the field are kind of the spine for them, I think Gregore and [Jean] Mota have been excellent ball winning, controlling the tempo of the game connecting passes, two strong players.
“Then they’ve got wide options, both at the outside back position and at the winger position that have been pretty dangerous in terms of their speed and how they can create some overloads out wide and an attack you one-versus-one. So it’ll certainly be a good challenge for us.”
Both coaches said the game has a playoff feel. Neville said it is time for his team to “put its foot down.” He had not decided yet whether to start Drake Callender or Nick Marsman in goal. Marsman, the early-season starter, is recovered from a back injury. Callender has played well since stepping in for Marsman.
“Drake’s done absolutely fantastic,” Neville said. “For Nick, it’s about becoming No. 1 again, getting up to levels we know he can get to. There’s been a big push from Nick this week. He knows we’ve got big games coming up.”
FC Cincinnati midfielder Luciano Acosta, who was suspended the past three games, is available for selection. He has six assists from open play this season, tied for the most in MLS.