For the second weekend in a row, Inter Miami CF were left wondering where things might have gone better. After drawing Toronto FC 1–1 on Matchday 7, the Herons played to a scoreless draw against Chicago Fire FC on Sunday.
While the Florida club found an emotional comeback victory over LAFC midweek to advance to the Concacaf Champions Cup semifinals, they appeared tired and were unable to generate high-percentage scoring chances against Chicago. Goalkeeper Oscar Ustari was called upon for seven saves to keep the game tied.
It marks the first time since Sept. 28, 2024, that Inter Miami have gone two games without a win in MLS, and things are going to only get more difficult over the next few weeks, clashing with Columbus Crew SC on Matchday 9 before facing MLS-leading Vancouver Whitecaps FC in the Champions Cup semifinals.
Yet, despite another disappointing result, there were still some key takeaways from Miami’s clash with Gregg Berhalter’s Chicago Fire.
Falcon, Aviles Shine at Center Back
As attackers struggled, center back Maxi Falcón showed just how important he is to Inter Miami’s success in challenging games. Despite having a rotation of center back partners over the last few weeks, the 27-year-old held down the Miami backline and was critical in breaking up Chicago attacks throughout the afternoon through four key defensive actions.
However, his partner on the day Tomás Avilés also had a strong showing with 11 defensive actions, including two blocks on attempts from Jonathan Bamba and Andrew Gutman. As much as the pairing struggled to launch attacks and still let Chicago get through, they were critical to keeping the clean sheet.
Inter Miami Struggle for Width
The two center backs were outstanding, partially due to Miami’s general struggles to find width.
Sitting in a 4-3-3, the Herons clogged the middle of the field and forced Chicago to attack from out wide. The strategy works against teams featuring elite central attackers, but less so against a side like Chicago that runs primarily from the wide channels, managed by Bamba and Philip Zinckernagel, who combined for five shots.
