News Summary
Inter Miami faced FC Cincinnati in a scoreless draw at Chase Stadium, missing star players due to suspension. Coach Mascherano criticized the officiating, while the team struggled to secure penalty kicks, raising questions about the league’s standards. Despite dominating possession, Miami was unable to capitalize on their chances, leaving them fifth in the Eastern Conference, while Cincinnati slipped to second. The match highlighted the ongoing challenges Miami faces with player suspensions and officiating issues as the season progresses.
Fort Lauderdale, Florida – Inter Miami faced FC Cincinnati in a scoreless draw at Chase Stadium on July 26, a match that saw the absence of star players Lionel Messi and Jordi Alba due to their suspension by Major League Soccer (MLS). The suspension resulted from the two players skipping the All-Star Game, prompting criticism from Inter Miami’s head coach, Javier Mascherano.
Mascherano questioned the rationale behind the suspension, particularly its impact based on whether the match was a home or away game. He argued that when it comes to attendance and financial success, there seems to be a double standard concerning player participation. Despite the challenges posed by the absence of key players, Inter Miami managed to dominate possession with 13 shots, albeit only landing three on target compared to Cincinnati’s four.
Throughout the season, Inter Miami has struggled significantly when it comes to earning penalty kicks, having not been awarded a single one so far. Mascherano noted there were two instances during the match against Cincinnati where he felt his team deserved penalties. The lack of penalty kicks raised questions regarding the officiating standards in the league.
The match also included a controversial moment towards its conclusion when Cincinnati’s Miles Robinson scored a header that was initially called a foul on Inter Miami defender Noah Allen. Following a video assistant referee (VAR) review, the referees upheld the foul decision, ruling out the potential goal. As tensions mounted, Mascherano received a yellow card for expressing his dissatisfaction with the officiating.
As a result of the draw, Inter Miami secured one point, keeping them positioned in fifth place in the Eastern Conference standings with a total of 42 points. In contrast, FC Cincinnati fell to second place with 49 points, narrowly trailing Philadelphia, which leads the conference with 50 points.
This match comes after Inter Miami previously lost to Cincinnati 3-0, making the draw feel like a missed opportunity for Miami to gain ground in the standings. The team was also missing several other players due to suspension and injury, including Maxi Falcon, who sat out due to accumulated yellow cards. Rocco Rios Novo, serving as the starting goalkeeper for Inter Miami, achieved his first clean sheet with the team and the club’s first since June 14.
Despite the absence of Messi and Alba, Miami struggled offensively throughout the match, illustrating the significant impact these players have on the team’s performance on the pitch. FC Cincinnati’s Evander, who had previously been successful against Miami by scoring twice in the prior encounter, was kept scoreless in this matchup.
Overall, the scoreless draw against FC Cincinnati has added another layer of complexity to Inter Miami’s season, where they continue to navigate player suspensions alongside underwhelming officiating. As the season progresses, how the team adapts to their circumstances may significantly influence their standings in MLS.
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Additional Resources
- ESPN: Inter Miami vs FC Cincinnati Report
- USA Today: Mascherano Questions MLS Discipline
- Goal: Inter Miami Player Ratings vs FC Cincinnati
- Cleveland.com: How to Watch Inter Miami vs FC Cincinnati
- NJ.com: Watch Lionel Messi Play Live
- Wikipedia: Lionel Messi
- Google Search: Inter Miami vs FC Cincinnati
- Google Scholar: Inter Miami Soccer
- Encyclopedia Britannica: Major League Soccer
- Google News: Inter Miami FC
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