Kenya Sport

Inter Miami Player Ratings vs Columbus Crew: Messi Shines but Morales Red Card Costs the Team

Lionel Messi scored a remarkable free-kick to level the game for Inter Miami, but a late red card for Santiago Morales allowed Columbus Crew to snatch a stoppage-time winner through Jamal Thiare.

The match, held at ScottsMiracle-Gro Field, saw Miami’s 3-4-3 setup aimed at freeing Messi’s creativity, but defensive weaknesses surfaced in the final minutes. Despite controlling 56% possession, Miami managed only three shots on target.

Miami equalized in the 33rd minute after Josef Martinez had put Columbus ahead with an early penalty. The game turned when Morales was sent off with two quick yellow cards in the 96th minute, leaving Miami down to ten men just before Thiare’s decisive strike deep into added time.

Goalkeeper & Defence

  • Rocco Rios Novo - 6/10: Made four saves and showed good reflexes but couldn’t stop the penalty or the late close-range goal.
  • Gonzalo Lujan - 5/10: Struggled against Columbus’ attack, picked up a yellow card late as the defense faltered under pressure.
  • Casemiro - 4/10: Out of position and lacking mobility, he was targeted frequently and had a tough night.
  • Micael - 6/10: The most steady defender, clearing several dangerous balls during the match.

Midfield

  • Facundo Mura - 6/10: Worked hard as wing-back, balanced attack and defense until being substituted in the 71st minute; earned a yellow card.
  • Yannick Bright - 5/10: Failed to influence play much, received a yellow card and conceded the penalty leading to Columbus’ opener.
  • Rodrigo De Paul - 6/10: Connected defense and attack but lacked his usual creative spark.
  • Sergio Reguilon - 5/10: Offered width but inconsistent crossing and struggled to track overlapping runs.

Attack

  • Lionel Messi - 7/10: The brightest spot, scoring a precise equalizer and showing quality despite Miami’s overall limited chances.
  • Luis Suarez - 6/10: Had a quiet night, often isolated, failed to test the keeper but created space for Messi.
  • Daniel Pinter - 5/10: Minimal involvement in attacking moves.

Substitutes & Manager

  • David Ayala - 6/10: Came on for injured Bright, helped stabilize midfield possession but lacked incisive passes.
  • Riquelme Fillipi - 5/10: Entered late but didn’t make a significant impact amid a disrupted game.
  • Santiago Morales - 2/10: His brief appearance ended badly with two yellows and a red, weakening Miami at the worst moment.
  • Ezequiel Abadia-Reda - N/A: Too brief a spell to rate fairly.
  • Kily Gonzalez - 5/10: The coach’s strategy maintained possession but lacked penetration, and Morales’ red card led to tactical chaos.

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