By Milcah Tanimu
Inter Miami triumphed once again despite missing stars Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez, securing a 2-1 victory against Charlotte FC on Wednesday night. The winning goal came from teenager Benjamin Cremaschi, who scored with a diving left-footed shot in the 86th minute, assisted by a perfect cross from Julian Gressel following a fast break initiated by Sergio Busquets.
This win keeps Miami at the top of the Eastern Conference with 47 points and extends their unbeaten streak on the road to eight games. Their next match is a crucial away game against second-place FC Cincinnati, who trail Miami by just two points. Miami will face this challenge without Messi and Suarez, who are participating in Copa America, and without Jordi Alba and Diego Gomez due to yellow card suspensions.
Miami’s coach, Tata Martino, praised his team’s consistency, hard work, and fluidity in attack during their four-game win streak. Martino was pleased with the midfielders’ precise passing and their ability to close gaps left open earlier in the season. He described both of Miami’s goals as “very pretty” and attributed them to effective use of the field’s width and strategic positioning of attackers.
Robert Taylor scored Miami’s first goal in the 30th minute, receiving a pass from Alba and finishing with a right-footed shot to the bottom right corner. Charlotte equalized 11 minutes later through Patrick Agyemang, who sprinted past Miami’s defense and beat goalkeeper Drake Callender.
Midfielder Fede Redondo was rested as a precaution after experiencing leg tightness following a previous match. Martino expressed hope that Redondo would return to practice and be available for the upcoming game against Cincinnati. Martino also addressed Redondo’s potential travel with Argentina’s Olympic team, indicating it would depend on the availability of other players on the roster.
The coach noted that Messi’s groin injury is being monitored by the same kinesiologist used by Inter Miami, and he is expected to be available for Argentina’s quarterfinal match against Ecuador.
