Herons miss multiple chances against Nashville SC
By Official Florida FC
Inter Miami remain rooted at the foot of Major League Soccer.
The Herons (1-6-2, 5 points) had ample opportunties, but were held to a scoreless draw with Nashville SC (2-4-3, 9 points) on Sunday night at Inter Miami CF Stadium.
Julian Carranza and Rodolfo Pizarro both should have put their efforts on the frame of the goal in the first 10 minutes. Pizarro missed a sitter in the 20th from eight yards away.
Pizarro’s 8th minute miss showed the class Blaise Matuidi will bring to Inter Miami.
Matuidi became the 12th World Cup winner to play in Major League Soccer. The Frenchman started in the base of midfield in the Herons’ 4-2-3-1 system with Victor Ulloa.
“My role is very much like what I have been used to in my career, it is to help organize the team, push us forward, find the way to move us forward and set up players in attack, and help out pressing,” Matuidi told the team’s website. “Nothing has really changed from what I’ve been used to in my career which makes me really happy.”
The 33-year-old who has won 22 trophies in his career played 79 minutes in his Inter Miami debut.
Matuidi started the eighth-minute move when he held off a challenge and slid a pass between two midfielders into the path of Juan Agudelo who dribbled forward and laid off the ball to Floridian left back Ben Sweat. The cross came into Pizarro and the 26-year-old Mexican international missed.
Pizarro’s early misses may have been the most shocking; but, the Herons missed five chances on Sunday night.
That may explain why Carranza did not even make it 10 minutes into the second half. The 20-year-old Designated Player was replaced by Robbie Robinson. Though the latter did not score his first professional goal, he was an active runner who forced Nashville goalie Joe Willis into a spectacular save inthe 57th minute.
Sunday was not the first time Inter Miami’s finishing let them down. But, the hosts did not squander the best opportunity of the match. That distinction belonged to Nashville fullback Daniel Lovitz who was 1-on-1 with Herons goalie Luis Robles in the 80th minute and managed to miss the target.
In some ways it was fitting that the two lowest scoringg teams in Major League Soccer have combined for one goal in 180 minutes against each other this season.
Miami has scored six goals in nine games. Nashville has produced five goals in nine.
The Herons have produced two straight scoreless draws and not scored in 312 minutes. Pizarro’s celebration with a fan cut out following his 48th minute goal in an Aug. 22 win over Orlando City is fading into the rear view.
Inter Miami will try to end its scoreless streak at home against Atlanta United on Sept. 9.
