Inter Miami cruised to a 4-0 victory over MLS opposition Charlotte FC to book their place in a semi-final spot in the 2023 Leagues Cup.
The Herons were heavy favorites going into this one, as the world was waiting to see Lionel Messi put on another clinic in front of the packed DRV PNK Stadium.
The visiting Charlotte FC were just starting to get into the game before left-back Harrison Afful impeded Dixon Arroyo's path in his own penalty box, and Miami were awarded a penalty ten minutes in. Arroyo arrived to the ball just a second earlier than Afful, resulting in the foul.
Once again, it wasn't Messi who placed the ball down on the penalty spot; instead, it was Josef Martinez who made no mistake from 12 yards out and gave his side an early 1-0 advantage.
Miami doubled their lead after half an hour of play, with DeAndre Yedlin setting up Robert Taylor who fired a shot from just inside the top of the 18-yard box and Charlotte's Kristijan Kahlina should've done better in preventing the goal. Yedlin's pass to set the goal up was excellent, but Taylor's finish was almost straight down the middle.
Nonetheless, after a brief lull in the game, Miami ramped up the tempo again and the second goal was coming for the Herons.
The second half, for the most part, was dull and didn't feature much action as Miami didn't have to get out of first gear and looked quite comfortable - up until around the 80th minute.
The Herons extended their lead to 3-0 as substitute Diego Gomez played a cut-back pass towards the run of fellow substitute Leonardo Campana, but Charlotte's Adilson Malanda turned the ball into his own net as he tried to stop the pass from reaching Campana.
Just as it appeared that Messi would end the game without a goal contribution, he set Campana through with a perfect through ball, and the ball bounced around the Charlotte 18-yard box before finding Campana's feet again. The forward looked up and made a simple pass to Messi and he finished the move with ease to extend Miami's lead to 4-0 and brought his goal tally with his new club to eight.
The Herons punched their ticket to the Leagues Cup semi-final after a dominant performance. The visiting Charlotte FC couldn't keep up, and Miami were more impressive in defense as they kept a rare clean sheet. Will this much improved defensive showing carry on to the semi-final?
Inter Miami player ratings vs Charlotte FC (4-3-3)
GK: Drake Callender - 6/10 - Was a bystander for most of the game, and came out to collect any cross that looked somewhat dangerous.
RB: DeAndre Yedlin - 7.5/10 - He was the best player on the pitch in the first half, making vital interventions at the back and finding acres of space going forward. Grabbed an assist for Miami's second goal.
CB: Serhiy Kryvstov - 6/10 - Stepped in between a couple of passes to deny the visitors from building up, didn't really put a foot wrong.
CB: Kamal Miller - 7/10 - Had a strong first half and didn't allow any Charlotte attackers any space near his goal. Had a strong second half performance to help Miami keep a rare clean sheet.
LB: Jordi Alba - 6.5/10 - Started the game in fast fashion by sending in a few good low-driven crosses that couldn't find a Miami teammate.
CM: Dixon Arroyo - 6.5/10 - Although he's usually not involved going forward, he did well to win Miami a penalty kick and even nutmegged the Charlotte defender in the process.
CM: Sergio Busquets - 6.5/10 - Another solid showing from the Herons' midfield general. Put in another expected performance as he wasn't flashy but kept his team in check.
CM: Benjamin Cremaschi - 6/10 - Had a few loose touches but was still trying to make things happen all around the midfield.
RW: Lionel Messi - 8/10 - Didn't have as many touches on the ball early on but still played a key part in getting Miami up the pitch. Played his full-backs through with over-the-top through balls several times and got on the scoresheet with a simple finish late in the game.
ST: Josef Martinez - 7.5/10 - Dropped deep on several occasions to get involved in the buildup and converted his penalty with ease.
LW: Robert Taylor - 7/10 - Was quiet for the first 20 minutes or so before getting back on the scoresheet with a strike that probably should've been saved. But, every goal counts the same, and Taylor won't care how he scored it.
Substitutes
ST: Leonardo Campana (60' for Martinez) - 7/10 - Made some nice runs in behind that went unnoticed and tallied an assist in the late stages of the game.
CM: David Ruiz (72' for Cremaschi) - Had a decent cameo in the middle of the park.
CM: Diego Gomez (72' for Taylor) - 7/10 - Was involved in the third goal with an 'assist' as his cut-back pass resulted in a Charlotte defender putting the ball in his own goal.
CM: Victor Ulloa ( 89' for Arroyo) - N/A.
Manager
Gerardo 'Tata' Martino - 7.5/10 - Made the right decision by putting Benjamin Cremaschi back in the starting lineup as well as giving Jordi Alba his second straight start (as expected). Miami didn't really have too much trouble with Charlotte and now looks on to the semi-final.
Player of the match - Lionel Messi (Inter Miami)
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This article was originally published on 90min as Inter Miami 4-0 Charlotte FC: Player ratings as Herons dominate to reach Leagues Cup semi-final.
