Inter Miami earned a point against the reigning Supporters’ Shield champion Philadelphia Union on Saturday, playing to a 1-1 draw at DRV PNK Stadium. The team was led to the result by a number of performers, including its new captain in midfield Gregore, the front four of Federico Higuaín, Gonzalo Higuaín, Lewis Morgan and Robbie Robinson, and a number of other standout contributors.
Gregore Dominates in Debut as Captain
The Brazilian midfielder returned to the starting XI following his yellow card accumulation suspension and immediately claimed new responsibility, donning the captain’s armband for the first time. He rose to the occasion on the field, putting in a stellar shift in all facets.
Gregore, who went the full 90 minutes, led the match with two tackles and won a higher percentage of his duels than any other player in the match, again proving to be instrumental to Inter Miami’s defensive efforts in midfield.
It wasn’t just his ball-winning that helped the team, however, as he was also one of the team’s focal points in possession. According to Opta, Gregore recorded 70 touches, third most on Inter Miami. The midfielder was also efficient with his usage of the ball, constantly pushing the team forward. He attempted (56) and completed (47) the second-most passes on the team behind Federico Higuaín, while also making 28 of his passes in the opposition half - third-most on Inter Miami - despite his positioning as a deep-lying midfielder.
Front Four Clicking in Attack
The team’s attacking unit proved to be up for the challenge against one of the league’s top sides. In total, Inter Miami ended the match with 1.6 xG (expected goals), its highest total since the team’s win over Cincinnati in May.
Most notably, Robinson ended the team’s goal drought with his second goal of the campaign, which earned him Heineken Man of the Match honors. The goal, however, wasn’t an isolated moment of influence for Robinson, as the young forward attempted the most shots of any player in the match and created a game-high 1.08 xG (expected goals).
The Higuaín brothers, meanwhile, each played provider in the match, creating many of the match’s best moments in attack. Gonzalo Higuaín’s efforts paid off in the end-product department, with the striker registering an assist (his second of the season) on Robinson’s goal, playing a clever first-time pass over the top of the defense for Robinson to latch onto. The younger Higuaín brother contributed more than just an assist as well, putting three shots on target (the most in the match), and tallying a game-high four key passes. Federico Higuaín, meanwhile, led the match in touches (89), total pases (73) and successful passes (64), while also tallying the second-most key passes (three), tied with Lewis Morgan.
While Morgan finished second in key passes, he also led the match with nine crosses attempted, constantly providing an outlet down the wings for Inter Miami.
LGP and Figal’s Well-Rounded Performances
The Higuaín brothers weren’t the only Argentine duo to shine for Inter Miami, as Leandro González Pirez and Nicolás Figal proved pivotal in defense.
Notably, LGP, won possession a team-high 10 times for the hosts while Figal led the team in both clearances (four) and interceptions (three). The pair also contributed to the team’s efforts in possession, with LGP completing 97% of his passes - the most among Inter Miami players with more than three attempted passes - and Figal tying Gregore with the second-most attempted passes of any Inter Miami player and finishing second on the team 30 passes in the opposition half from his position at right back.
