Inter Miami Beat Philadelphia Union, Advance To Its First Final in Club History
Inter Miami have booked its ticket to the Leagues Cup Final! Here how it all went down.
Chester, Pennsylvania - Well, the Herons have done it.
Inter Miami secured their spot in the Leagues Cup Final by defeating the Philadelphia Union 4-1, marking a historic moment for the club.
Though many believed that the Union would make the game far more competitive, that was nullified rather quickly when Josef Martinez opened the scoring for Miami in the third minute.
Subsequent goals scored by Lionel Messi, Jordi Alba (getting his first for the club,) and David Ruiz would see Miami clinch victory despite being outshot 16-5.
Though it wasn’t their best game, Miami still outscored the Union comfortably. Philadelphia appeared scared and overly respectful towards Miami, failing to bring their usual high-octane and high-tempo energy.
Of course, when teams face Messi, there is an aura of shock and awe, but the Union started the first half timid and seemingly afraid to implement their usual playstyle.
Even manager Jim Curtin said as much in his post-match conference:
"Maybe we were too excited, maybe showed too much respect. We got humbled a bit."
Miami did a good job taking advantage of the space between the Union’s backline and midfield brought on by their passivity:
Once the attack got into these positions, they wasted no time in transition before the Union’s three center backs could return to a defensive posture.
In the end, the Herons were clinical in the final third, exploited the space that was given to them, and took their chances when the Union looked susceptible to concede.
IMCF Fans, Enjoy It.
This is a momentous occasion for the club.
Miami has endured years of ridicule, criticism, and dismissal due to various challenges on and off the field.
The fans - La Familia, deserve to see the fruits of the labor put on by the Miami front office.
Saturday’s final against Nashville will, without a doubt, be the biggest game in club history.
After the match, Drake Callender spoke to the media about the occasion and how special it will be for the organization:
Callender: “It’s a great moment for the team, the orgnazation to get into a postion where we can lift a trophy. All eyes are on Saturday for us.”
All eyes are on Saturday, IMCF fans.
Enjoy it.