Football General Manager
Rodrigo De Paul scored his first goal for Inter Miami as the Herons booked their spot in the Leagues Cup quarterfinals with a commanding 3-1 win over Mexican giants Pumas.
De Paul struck early to set the tone, and Luis Suárez ran the show in the final third, having a hand in all three goals. Javier Mascherano’s side made light work of one of the tournament’s pre-tournament favorites, who now exit the competition earlier than expected.
The Herons struggled to find a foothold early on, especially in the absence of Lionel Messi. They lacked a focal point, instead opting to swing the ball around without real direction or intent. And Pumas took advantage with their one real good chance, Jorge Ruvalcaba finishing a well-constructed counter with a poked finish in the 34th minute.
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But the Herons responded. Yannick Bright, finding form after an injury layoff, played architect. His sweeping pass found Suarez, who cut inside and found a surging De Paul, who tucked home to level things on the stroke of halftime. Miami thought they had a second when Suarez found the net off a set piece, but he was marginally offside when he finished – and VAR correctly ruled his goal out.
He was handed another chance 10 minutes later. Telasco Segovia’s stray touch in the box hit the arm of a Pumas defender. The referee pointed to the spot, and Suarez converted with aplomb, chipping the ball down the middle. They grabbed a third to seal it after 70 minutes. Suarez played architect, perfectly feeding Tadeo Allende, who couldn’t miss from close range. It might have been more, but Benjamin Cremaschi and Allende both missed late chances. Still, it won’t matter, as the Herons remain in the hunt for another trophy.
BALLGM rates Inter Miami’s players from Chase Stadium…
Rodrigo De Paul scored his first goal for Inter Miami as the Herons booked their spot in the Leagues Cup quarterfinals with a commanding 3-1 win over Mexican giants Pumas.
De Paul struck early to set the tone, and Luis Suárez ran the show in the final third, having a hand in all three goals. Javier Mascherano’s side made light work of one of the tournament’s pre-tournament favorites, who now exit the competition earlier than expected.
The Herons struggled to find a foothold early on, especially in the absence of Lionel Messi. They lacked a focal point, instead opting to swing the ball around without real direction or intent. And Pumas took advantage with their one real good chance, Jorge Ruvalcaba finishing a well-constructed counter with a poked finish in the 34th minute.u0026nbsp;
But the Herons responded. Yannick Bright, finding form after an injury layoff, played architect. His sweeping pass found Suarez, who cut inside and found a surging De Paul, who tucked home to level things on the stroke of halftime. Miami thought they had a second when Suarez found the net off a set piece, but he was marginally offside when he finished – and VAR correctly ruled his goal out.u0026nbsp;
He was handed another chance 10 minutes later. Telasco Segovia’s stray touch in the box hit the arm of a Pumas defender. The referee pointed to the spot, and Suarez converted with aplomb, chipping the ball down the middle. They grabbed a third to seal it after 70 minutes. Suarez played architect, perfectly feeding Tadeo Allende, who couldn’t miss from close range. It might have been more, but Benjamin Cremaschi and Allende both missed late chances. Still, it won’t matter, as the Herons remain in the hunt for another trophy.u0026nbsp;
BALLGM rates Inter Miami’s players from Chase Stadium…
Rocco Novo (6/10):
Perhaps could have come off his line quicker to deny the opener. Untroubled otherwise.u0026nbsp;
Marcelo Weigandt (5/10):
Pretty poor in the first half, and deservedly hooked for Ian Fray – who held it down.u0026nbsp;
Gonzalo Lujan (7/10):
A solid shift at center back. Kept things tidy on his side.u0026nbsp;
Maxi Falcon (5/10):
Erratic at times, and didn’t track his man on the Pumas opener.u0026nbsp;
Jordi Alba (7/10):
Scampered up and down the left. Wonderful defensively, but his final ball was lacking on the night.u0026nbsp;
Sergio Busquets (6/10):
Not his best game. Looked leggy when Pumas hit on the break. Pinged a few nice long balls, though.u0026nbsp;
Yannick Bright (8/10):
Played a lovely pass in the run-up to Miami’s equalizer. Clamped Adalberto Carrasquilla. Excellent.u0026nbsp;
Telasco Segovia (7/10):
On the ball a lot, and tried to find all sorts of cute passes. Instrumental in winning the penalty that saw his side take the lead.
Tadeo Allende (8/10):
An evening of agreeable legwork from a player who has consistently put the team first. Deserved his goal.u0026nbsp;
Rodrigo De Paul (8/10):
Truly excellent filling in for Messi in the No. 10 role – even if he does play it differently. Took his goal wonderfully. Put in some hard work right after the break, too.u0026nbsp;
Luis Suarez (8/10):
Assisted his unlikely strike partner in style, dinked his penalty home, and grabbed another assist. His legs are fading by the minute, but he can still kick a footy.u0026nbsp;
Ian Fray (7/10):
Shored things up on the right, and put in an excellent defensive shift in the second half.
Noah Allen (N/A):
An agreeable cameo.u0026nbsp;
Fafa Picault (N/A):
No time to make an impact.u0026nbsp;
Federico Redondo (N/A):
No time to make an impact.
Javier Mascherano (8/10):
One of his better nights in charge of Miami. His side struggled in the first half, but they turned things around admirably and were excellent value for the win.u0026nbsp;
