Inter Miami CF (14W-6L-7D, 49 points) returned to winning ways tonight with a dominant 3-1 home win over Seattle Sounders FC. Stellar performances from captain and Royal Caribbean Icon of the Match, Lionel Messi, and defender Jordi Alba - who scored a goal and dished out an assist each - and a goal from Academy product Ian Fray led Inter Miami to victory on the evening at Chase Stadium.
Lineup Notes
Inter Miami took the pitch with Óscar Ustari in goal; Fray, Gonzalo Luján, Maximiliano Falcón, and Noah Allen made up the back four; Rodrigo De Paul, Sergio Busquets and Yannick Bright started in midfield; Tadeo Allende, Messi and Alba led the team in attack.
Notably, recently signed attacker Mateo Silvetti featured in a matchday squad for the first time since joining the Club last month and made his Inter Miami debut in the win.
Match Action
Inter Miami got off to a quick start with Alba finding the opener early in the 12th minute. Bright recovered possession close to the halfway line to kickstart a counter. Messi subsequently picked up the ball and cleared his path before finding Alba on the left side, where the Spanish defender took a touch before finding the back of the net with a left-footed finish. The goal took Alba’s tally to three this regular season, while the assist was the 11th for Messi this league campaign.
Fray had a good chance to extend Inter Miami’s lead shortly after in the 16th minute, but his shot from the right end of the box following a precise pass from Messi was met by a save from Seattle’s goalkeeper.
Messi nearly struck in the 28th minute, bringing down a sublime ball from Busquets inside the box and hitting the left post with an outside of the foot finish. Fray then had another dangerous attempt in the 33rd minute, with a powerful header at the near post that was stopped by Seattle’s keeper.
Messi ultimately was able to double the lead for Inter Miami in the 41st minute. Bright once again kickstarted the play, winning possession and finding Alba on the left wing. The left-back then fed a precise ball towards the center of the box, where Messi slid to send the ball to the back of the net. The goal was the 20th for Messi in 21 regular season appearances, while the assist was Alba’s ninth this regular season.
It was an overall dominant performance for Inter Miami throughout the initial 45 minutes, with six shots on target to two for Seattle, while also controlling the ball with 53% of the possession.
Inter Miami opened the second half further extending its lead through Fray in the 52nd minute. The Academy product headed home a delivery into the box from De Paul on a corner kick to bag his first goal of the campaign. The assist, on the other hand, was De Paul’s fourth this regular season.
Seattle shortened the deficit in the 69th minute, with Obed Vargas scoring for the visitors.
Inter Miami later on made a substitution in the 81st minute, with Silvetti coming on to replace Allende to make his debut for the Club.
The 3-1 scoreline would subsequently remain unchanged through the final whistle for Inter Miami to claim all three points at home.
Post-Match Reaction
“It’s an important and much-needed victory,” said head coach Javier Mascherano. “What matters most is regaining good feelings and getting back to winning ways against a strong opponent. We approached the match the right way and played the game we needed to play. We managed to come out on top, and this allows us to climb up the standings and get closer to the playoffs.”
Next Match
Next, Inter Miami will close out the week by hosting D.C. United at Chase Stadium this Saturday, Sept. 20 at 7:30 p.m. ET. Secure your tickets for the match HERE!
Stats
Possession:
MIA - 53.7%
SEA - 46.3%
Shots:
MIA - 14
SEA - 14
Saves:
MIA - 5
SEA - 5
Corners:
MIA - 5
SEA - 2
Fouls:
MIA - 14
SEA - 11
