Top 2 takeaways from Inter Miami's outstanding victory against Orlando City | OneFootball

Inter Miami completed their task: beating Orlando City in the Leagues Cup semifinal. With a historic comeback led by Lionel Messi, the Herons will face Seattle Sounders in the final.

Despite the impressive victory against the Lions, many players didn’t perform up to the standards, and it didn’t go unnoticed. On the other hand, Inter Miami cut a streak of two consecutive losses against Orlando.

Nevertheless, the match seen on Wednesday night left two crucial details Miami must figure out for the final and the end of the MLS season.

The defense is vulnerable to any attack

This is a recurring concern, yet little improvement is seen. While every football fan recognizes that a potent offense is essential, it is elite defenses that truly elevate a club to greatness.

This is precisely the issue facing Inter Miami. With stars like Lionel Messi, Rodrigo De Paul, Telasco Segovia, and Luis Suarez, their attacking prowess is undeniable.

However, the defensive statistics tell a different story; the Herons consistently struggle at the back.

For 90 minutes, neither Falcon, Lujan, nor Fray could stop Ivan Angulo. The Colombian striker made a meal out of the Herons' defense.

Every time Angulo got the ball, he went through the defensive lines as if nobody was there. Showing that if the rival team has a speedy and agile winger or striker, he won't have any trouble going through the Herons' players.

The Herons must play with two up front

Inter Miami lined up against Orlando City in a 4-2-3-1 formation, with Luis Suarez as the lone striker up front.

This formation left in evidence the need for Miami to have another striker in the box. This was the picture all game long: Suárez outside the box and nobody inside to finish the crosses.

Until the 60th minute, this was Inter Miami’s game, until the entrance of Tadeo Allende. The former Celta de Vigo player needed 10 minutes to cause a penalty for the Herons to tie the game.

After the penalty kick, Allende stayed in the box, focused on any cross that could land in the box to finish it.

Inter Miami became that offensive powerhouse with Suarez and Allende, but without the Argentine, the Herons depended only on Messi to shoot from outside the box.

So, Javier Mascherano, you need to stick with the two men up front if you want to create as much danger as possible.