Inter Miami CF narrowly fell to Charlotte FC 1-0 on the road on Saturday afternoon at Bank of America Stadium.
Lineup Notes
Inter Miami took the field against Charlotte for the first time with a starting XI featuring a few changes from the team’s last match. Drake Callender started in goal; DeAndre Yedlin, Chris McVey, Ryan Sailor, and Kieran Gibbs started in defense; Gregore, Jean Mota and Bryce Duke formed the midfield trio; Indiana Vassilev and Robbie Robinson started on the wings, flanking striker Leonardo Campana.
After being re-acquired on loan by Inter Miami earlier this week, Vassilev slotted into the starting XI. Sailor, meanwhile, made his MLS debut with Inter Miami as a starting center back. Callender started in place of the injured Nick Marsman, registering his second start of the 2022 MLS regular season. Defender Joevin Jones also appeared in the team’s matchday squad for the first time since suffering an injury last season.
Match Action
Inter Miami shined defensively through the early stages of the match. Notably, Callender made a handful of standout saves, while Sailor and Mota made a pair of crucial blocks in the box.
Later in the half, a handful of chances came to Inter Miami, including a strong passing combination between Duke, Robinson and Gibbs that saw Gibbs receive a pass from Robinson in the box and fire at goal but his attempt was saved in the 34th minute. Vassilev then took a pair of shots before halftime, one from the edge of the box and one from in front of goal, but both were saved, sending the match into halftime scoreless.
Inter Miami created another big chance just after halftime, with Gibbs receiving a pass from Mota in the box and striking an attempt at goal, but his shot was again saved.
In the 68th minute, however, Charlotte took the lead; Yordy Reyna crossed from the left wing to Andre Shinyashiki at the far post, who slid and hit a volleyed strike across goal and into the back of the net to make it 1-0.
Following the goal, Inter Miami made a notable substitution, bringing Jones on for his first MLS appearance since his injury in 2021.
Despite continued efforts to equalize from Inter Miami, however, the scoreline remained 1-0 through the final whistle in Charlotte.
Post-Match Reaction
"I am disappointed, we knew it was going to be a tough game. The result was not a reflection of how I thought we played. I thought we played some really good football," said head coach Phil Neville. "We created some really really good chances. We had a lot of opportunities where we could make an extra pass, so I feel as if it's not the result we deserved."
Next Match
Inter Miami will face a quick turnaround as it returns to South Florida to take on South Georgia Tormenta FC in the first-ever U.S. Open Cup match at DRV PNK Stadium on Tuesday, May 10 at 8 p.m. ET. Tickets are available for Season Ticket Members and members of La Familia for as low as $5, and to the public for only $10, while parking will be free on a first-come, first-serve basis. Individual match tickets for each remaining regular season home match on the Inter Miami CF schedule are available visiting https://www.intermiamicf.com/tickets/single. Fans can also call 305-428-0611 to learn more.
Stats
Possession:
CLT - 53.1%
MIA - 46.9%
Shots:
CLT - 14
MIA - 12
Saves:
CLT - 6
MIA - 6
Corners:
CLT - 11
MIA - 3
Fouls:
CLT - 9
MIA - 7
