Inter Miami CF earned a 1-0 win over the Charleston Battery in the team’s second match of the Breeze Airways Carolina Challenge Cup. Ariel Lassiter scored the winning goal, his second goal in as many games, earning the team three points and a spot atop the tournament standings with one match remaining.
Lineup Notes
Inter Miami kicked the match off with a number of young players in the starting XI, including Fort Lauderdale CF products; Drake Callender started in goal; DeAndre Yedlin, Aimé Mabika, Modesto Mendez, Jairo Quinteros and Noah Allen lined up in defense; Gregore, Harvey Neville, and George Acosta started in midfield; Leonardo Campana and Lassiter formed the team’s attack. Two of the team’s starting center backs, Mendez and Quinteros, marked their first starts with the team in the preseason affair.
Match Action
The early stages of the match saw Inter Miami attacking consistently with swift moves in transition. Early chances came in the first 15 minutes of the match, with shots coming from midfielders Gregore and Acosta that tested the Charleston defense and goalkeeper, but the scoreline remained level at zero.
After the half hour mark, Lassiter began to assert his influence on the match; the pacey Costa Rican forward made a pair of runs down the left wing, finding Campana with a low passes to his feet in the box on both occasions, but the striker’s first shot went wide and his second was saved.
The first half saw the left side of Inter Miami’s attack, led by Lassiter and Academy product Allen, create the majority of the danger, but the match went into halftime scoreless.
After a number of second half substitutions, Inter Miami continued to threaten in attack through Lassiter’s lead. A pair of chances came to him around the hour mark; first a header on a cross from Yedlin tested the goal, and minutes later a first-time shot went just wide of the goal following a strong run and pass from Fort Lauderdale CF product Romeo Beckham.
Lassiter eventually found his breakthrough goal in the 77th minute; the forward collected a precise ball from Fort Lauderdale CF product Neville at the top of the box, then turned onto his right foot and curled a shot inside the far post and past the keeper for the 1-0 lead. The team held the one-goal lead through the final 13 minutes of regulation and stoppage time, earning all three points.
Inter Miami also made a number of substitutions in the second half; Fort Lauderdale CF products Shaan Hundal and Abel Caputo came on for Campana and Allen at halftime. Around the hour mark, Emerson Rodríguez made his Inter Miami debut off the bench, replacing Acosta. He was joined on the field by Beckham and Academy products Ethan Hardin and Braxton Najib, replacing Yedlin, Quinteros and Gregore.
Post-Match Reaction
"I think tonight was a real brilliant exercise for the rotation of the squad. We decided after Saturday’s game to change the plan a little bit to expose the younger players even more," said head coach Phil Neville. "We knew what type of game it was, we thought it would be brilliant for the young players to play in that type of game, and some of the players that are new to the club, and it was proven to be a really good exercise for them…I thought there were some real outstanding performances.”
Next Match
Inter Miami will return to action on Saturday, Feb. 19 at 7:30 p.m. ET to conclude the Breeze Airways Carolina Challenge Cup with a match against MLS expansion side Charlotte FC.
Join the Heartbeat!
Inter Miami fans can join the Heartbeat of the club and secure their seats for the 2022 campaign by becoming Season Ticket Members. Season Ticket Members receive the best prices and priority seating locations for all 2022 home matches. Additional benefits include priority access to home playoff matches, interest free payment options, and discounts on season parking passes. For more information on Season Ticket Memberships, please visit intermiamicf.com/tickets.
Individual match tickets for each of the 17 regular season home matches on the Inter Miami CF schedule – beginning with the highly anticipated home opener on Saturday, February 26 are available visiting https://www.intermiamicf.com/tickets/single. Fans can also call 305-428-0611 to learn more.
