Inter Miami lost miserably without Messi
AMERICAN Inter Miami suffered a 0-4 defeat in their away trip to New York Red Bulls in round six of MLS, March 23.
Due to not recovering from injury, Lionel Messi missed Inter Miami’s third consecutive match. Luis Suarez, Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba all started, but could not help the home team avoid a heavy defeat.
Right in the 3rd minute, Lewis Morgan escaped from a slot in the middle, then shot diagonally from 16 meters to open the score for the home team. The Scottish striker did not celebrate the goal, because he played for Inter Miami from 2020 to 2021.
The away team also had chances in the first half, but Suarez missed the ball twice. It was raining and the field was soggy, making the difficulty of shots significantly reduced.
New York Red Bulls players (red shirts) celebrate a goal in the 4-0 win over Inter Miami in round six of MLS on March 23, at Red Bull Arena. Photo: PM
After the break, New York Red Bulls continued to demonstrate the effectiveness of team play and simple finishes. In the 51st minute, after a pass in the penalty area from Dante Vanzeir, Morgan scored a low shot to double the gap.
Inter Miami’s defense continued to lack concentration in the 65th minute. This time, Vanzeir passed a short ball to Wikelman Carmona to increase the score to 3-0. In the 70th minute, Vanzeir crossed for Morgan to cushion the ball, sealing the 4-0 victory. The Belgian striker assisted all four goals in this match, and Morgan had a hat-trick.
After losing to New York Red Bulls, Inter Miami fell to second place in the MLS eastern table. Messi ‘s team has 10 points and a difference of +4 after six matches, behind Columbus Crew with a difference of +5. Columbus Crew has only played four matches. Meanwhile, New York Red Bulls ranked third, with 10 points and a difference of +3 after five matches.
Last season, Columbus Crew ranked third in the eastern group, before winning the play-off stage. They won MLS for the third time in 15 years. Meanwhile, New York Red Bulls ranked eighth in the Eastern Conference last season, and Inter Miami ranked penultimate.