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By James Nalton
An Argentine stars in Miami… but it’s not Messi
At three goals up with just over half an hour gone, Lionel Messi on the scoresheet, and both he and Luis Suárez assisting goals, Inter Miami looked to be cruising to a first win at their new stadium, Nu Stadium.
Even as Orlando City pulled a goal back before halftime, a scoreline of 3-1 at the interval had Miami set up for a memorable win against their state rivals.
But Inter Miami have always had a defence prone to collapse, regardless of how well their star attackers perform, and this means no result is ever secure.
That was the case on Saturday night, as what looked set to be one of the best nights at their new home ended up being one of the worst.
Messi’s compatriot Martín Ojeda had given the visitors a lifeline with a nicely taken goal before halftime, and Orlando’s own Argentine star ended up driving his team to a dramatic turnaround to win the game 4-3 in the second half.
It meant Inter Miami’s winless run at Nu Stadium continued, and this particular failure to win was even worse for them as far as local bragging rights go, as Orlando City can now say they were the first team to win there.
It’s the kind of moment that could boost Orlando’s season, which has been fairly indifferent so far. There was some momentum from another 4-3 win in the US Open Cup against New England in midweek, but they had only won twice in 10 MLS games, sitting second from bottom of the Eastern Conference going into this Florida Derby.
Martín Ojeda finished the game with a hat-trick and could have scored more, overshadowing a frustrated Messi, who headed straight down the tunnel at full-time, as his team will have to wait a little longer for their first win in their Miami home.
Real Salt Lake stars (and stripes)
For some time, Diego Luna has been tipped as a potential star of the United States national team; a player who can offer his nation a rare cutting edge and a spark in attack that they have been unable to find from anyone else in their player pool.
Despite this, and despite Mauricio Pochettino turning to him early in his tenure as US head coach, Luna’s role ahead of this summer’s World Cup is still up in the air, but the 22-year-old’s performances for Real Salt Lake are constant nudges in Pochettino’s direction.
In their 2-0 win against Portland Timbers this weekend, Luna created ten chances, scored a goal, and was a constant threat to the opposition defence.
RSL were two goals up by halftime, but it could have been four or five. They created seven big chances in that first period, for an xG of 3.27.
RSL’s dominance is shown by the fact that, despite being on the end of a comprehensive defeat, Timbers goalkeeper James Pantemis ended up with the highest FotMob rating in the match, along with Luna on 9.1.
The Utahns have another up-and-coming American star in the shape of Zavier Gozo, who opened the scoring. In a season in which there have been a number of standout young homegrown players across MLS, 19-year-old Gozo is one of the most impressive.
While these two are providing the USMNT interest, Spanish striker Sergi Solans continues to show that there is a route from college soccer to MLS, and that MLS teams can find quality from that level of the game in the US.
Designated Player Morgan Guilavogui is also contributing, and, overall, RSL are an interesting example of how an MLS roster can be built using the various pathways available.
Luna’s pathway could yet take him to the World Cup, and performances like these certainly won’t do his chances any harm.
Vancouver’s road trip begins amid uncertainty at home
Back in the Canadian province of British Columbia, there are ongoing worries about the future of the Vancouver Whitecaps. Following the fans’ campaign to #SaveTheCaps beginning last week, things escalated, and there were rumours circulating midweek that the franchise would be relocated to Las Vegas.
Some of the Whitecaps’ issues revolve around their use of the BC Place stadium, especially as they are tenants rather than owners, but they will not play there again until August as the venue begins its preparations to host matches in the 2026 World Cup.
The Whitecaps’ road trip began with a game against LA Galaxy this weekend, resulting in a 1-1 draw, and ends late July. It’s a total of eight away games before they play their next one at home in August.
The Whitecaps have been one of the best teams in the league on the back of their early-season home run, but plenty could change between now and then as the players fight to keep their strong start going, and the fans fight for their team’s very existence.
(Cover Image from IMAGO)
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