On the Verge of More Glory: A Closer Look at Inter Miami's US Open Cup Win Over FC Cincinnati | The Heron Outlet
After winning their first title in club history with the Leagues Cup, Inter Miami are now hungry for more as they clinch a spot in the US Open Cup Final.
photo: Inter Miami CF
Cincinnati, Ohio - Who possibly could’ve predicted this after Inter Miami’s terrible start to the 2023 season?
After toiling in the bottom of the Eastern Conference for months, plagued with injuries and poor coaching, it took one summer transfer window for Miami to become must-watch TV.
The fans who have supported the club since the beginning know the struggle.
There were times when the team was unwatchable, yet they stayed faithful to the end. The supporters remained faithful long enough to see the club enter a new era. A new era that sees the Herons head to their second final in club history, a US Open Cup match-up against the Houston Dynamo.
Let’s review how they got to the final in their 5-4 penalty win against FC Cincinnati.
Wrong Time To Experiment?
Miami seemingly did the impossible.
Coming off a boozy Leagues Cup celebration and short rest, the men donned in pink were tasked with flying to Ohio and taking on the best team in the league, Cincinnati, in the US Open Cup semi-final at TQL Stadium.
Not ideal.
Head coach Tata Martino set up his team in a rather head-scratching 3-5-2, deviating from the standard 4-3-3 he heavily leaned on during the Leagues Cup.
When it works correctly, the 3-5-2 should be able to provide extra defensive support for the midfield and wingbacks while simultaneously allowing attackers to get forward without worrying about tracking back.
In short, this formation should’ve provided cover for Busquets and fewer defensive responsibilities for Messi and Alba as they would’ve set up their offensive posture in a 3-2-5:
However, Cincinnati read Miami well and stymied every attacking chance the Herons had, limiting them to just one shot on target in the first half.
The flow looked off, Miami didn’t play like their usual selves under Martino, and it was evident by the time Cincinnati’s second goal went in the 53rd minute that tactical changes were needed on the field.
Martino did that and then some, swapping out Kamal Miller for Robert Taylor, Jean Mota for David Ruiz, and DeAndre Yedlin for Facundo Farias in the 58th minute.
With these substitutes came a change in shape, with Miami shifting to a 4-3-3.
The new formation allowed Miami’s front three to interchange their positions and provided more combination play down the wings via Alba and Taylor, who slotted in as a right back.
Farias, in particular, was a breath of fresh air.
His direct dribbling style, technical ability, phenomenal work rate, and budding chemistry with Messi were useful, playing one-touch passes off the World Cup winner, which helped Miami’s attack circulate the ball.
In the end, Martino’s substitutions and formation change paid off as Messi would combine with Leo Campana in the 68th and 97th minute to send the game into extra-time and eventually win on penalties:
What They’re Saying
After the match, Tata spoke to the media and addressed several topics, including his substitutions, Messi, and the team’s never-say-die attitude.
On the sub-par first half:
“I think we were lacking sharpness to navigate that first half. We were a step off. I saw a team with one gear less than our rival. The good thing about all of this is that we didn’t drop our shoulders, we pressed on. It’s not easy in a semifinal to turn things around the way we did. We adapted a lot. I think we were controlling the game well in the second half. And the penalties, after that … If I’d had this kind of luck in penalties for the rest of my career, things would have been a lot less stressful.”
On Messi:
“He’s a leader on the pitch and with the group he’s shown it for a long time, not only here with Miami but also with Argentina. Luckily, players get behind his leadership and enthusiasm in his response for every moment, no matter the circumstances, and today he showed it more as a conductor than a finisher, and you saw that with the pass late in the match but he makes difficult plays look easy.”
On the team’s spirit:
“The good thing about all of this is that we didn’t put our heads down, we kept trying, and decided this semifinal. It’s not easy to completely turn a semifinal match around. We’ve been able to overcome many matches, more as a result of the team’s character than its play, and obviously for having the best player in the world with us, and we each take turns to get behind him. The expectations keep growing as we face each challenge, but the exhaustion we have is overcome with the excitement we get from moving on in each stage.”