Inter Miami ended its run of three straight defeats with a road win over New York Red Bulls thanks to Gonzalo Higuain’s wonder-strike.
The Argentinian superstar could hardly have asked for a better first goal in MLS and it was enough to hand his new team all three points after Matias Pellegrini cancelled out Omir Fernandez’ opener.
Inter Miami came into this one on the back of three straight defeats and without key players in Rodolfo Pizarro and captain Luis Robles, facing a team buoyed by the appointment of new manager Gerhard Struber.
So, it was perhaps predictable the home side dominated much of the first half, even without their new boss on the sidelines just yet.
But Miami hung in there much to the thanks of Blaise Matuidi who cleared a Tom Barlow header off the line and stand-in goalkeeeper John McCarthy, who did excellently to deny Barlow in a one-on-one.
Red Bulls had to wait until eight minutes into the second half to take the lead, Inter failing to clear a corner before Jared Stroud laid the ball on a plate for Fernandez to tap home.
OH, OMIR! Fernandez slams it home for the lead!
1-0 #RBNYvMIA | #RBNY pic.twitter.com/FlO1QyFvQY
— Red Bull New York (@NewYorkRedBulls) October 8, 2020
But Miami responded and quickly. Within two minutes, Lewis Morgan delivered a teasing ball across the New York box for Pellegrino – left all alone – to hammer home.
Clear-cut chances were few and far between after the two goals in quick succession and it took a set-piece to decide the game.
With 80 minutes on the clock, Higuain stepped up to fire a free-kick into the top right corner from the best part of 25 yards, the highest paid player in MLS showing his quality to score his first Miami goal.
Gonzalo Higuaín
MLS goal: 1⃣
Career goal: 3⃣0⃣7⃣?: @bystith pic.twitter.com/eV5X0cyGva
— Major League Soccer (@MLS) October 8, 2020
And it was enough to see Diego Alonso’s men take all three points, bouncing back from three straight defeats which included a 4-1 loss to this Red Bulls side just two weeks ago.
The win sees Inter move up one spot in the Eastern Conference to 12th and to within four points of Nashville in the 10th ahead of Saturday’s clash with Houston Dynamo.
Meanwhile, Red Bulls are in seventh with new boss Struber set to take over for Saturday’s meeting with Atlanta United.
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