The 2021 Inter Miami CF season was the second season in the history of Inter Miami CF and the 18th season of first-division club soccer in South Florida. In addition to playing in Major League Soccer, the club was scheduled to participate in the U.S. Open Cup but the competition was cancelled for the second consecutive year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
| 2021 season | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| President | David Beckham | ||
| Head coach | Phil Neville | ||
| Stadium | DRV PNK Stadium | ||
| Major League Soccer | Conference: 11th Overall: 20th | ||
| U.S. Open Cup | Canceled | ||
| Highest home attendance | 17,926 (6/25 v. ORL) | ||
| Lowest home attendance | 7,939 (4/18 v. LAG) | ||
| Average home league attendance | 14,713 | ||
| Biggest win | MIA 5–1 CIN (10/23) | ||
| Biggest defeat | MIA 0–5 NE (7/21) | ||
| |||
Background
Inter Miami is coming off their inaugural campaign, which marked the first time since 2001, with the Miami Fusion, that a soccer club in Greater Miami played in the first tier of American soccer. Ahead of and during the season, Miami signed several high-profile players including Argentine international, Gonzalo Higuaín, from Juventus; Mexican international, Rodolfo Pizarro, from Monterrey; and French international, Blaise Matuidi, from Juventus. The club also signed several notable young players including Matías Pellegrini, Lewis Morgan, and David Norman. Additionally, in the 2020 MLS SuperDraft, Miami drafted Clemson standout, Robbie Robinson with the first overall pick.
The club's first season was significantly altered due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which saw the season suspended on March 12 and not resume until July 8 with the MLS is Back Tournament. Miami lost their first two league matches before the season was suspended and subsequently lost their three group stage matches (which counted towards the regular season standings) at the MLS is Back Tournament. On August 22 against Floridian rivals, Orlando City SC, Miami won their first league match. Inter had better form following the MLS is Back Tournament, ultimately going 7–8–3, and finished the 2020 regular season with a 7–13–3 record, after 23 league matches, a reduction of the original 34 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Due to the pandemic, the size of the 2020 MLS Cup Playoffs was increased from eight teams in the Eastern Conference qualifying to 10 teams qualifying. Miami earned the 10th and final seed in the playoffs, where they played at fellow expansion side, Nashville SC in the Play-In Round on November 20. Miami lost the match 0–3, with several of their starters missing the match due to an outbreak of coronavirus on the team.
At the conclusion of the 2020 season, the club declined options on eight players. Notable players who did not have their contract renewed for the 2021 season included starting goalkeeper, Luis Robles, as well as Juan Agudelo, and Andres Reyes.
Review
Offseason
On January 7, 2021, Inter Miami and first year head coach, Diego Alonso mutually agreed to part ways. Several names were rumored as Alonso's successor including Phil Neville. On January 18, 2021, Neville was confirmed as head coach.
Management
| Position | Staff |
|---|---|
| Ownership | |
| Lead Managing Owner | Jorge Mas |
| President | David Beckham |
| Chairman | Marcelo Claure |
| Co-Owner | Jose Mas |
| Co-Owner | Masayoshi Son |
| Front Office | |
| Chief Business Officer | Xavier Asensi |
| Sporting Director | Chris Henderson |
| Vice President | Pablo Alvarez |
| Coaching Staff | |
| Head Coach | Phil Neville |
| Assistant Coach | Jason Kreis |
| Assistant Coach | Anthony Pulis |
| Director of Goalkeeping | Mark Mason |
| Assistant Goalkeeper Coach | Sebastián Saja |
| Head of First Team Performance | Miguel Motolongo |
| Sports Scientist | Nicholas Lewis |
| Performance Analyst | Alec Scott |
| Assistant Analyst | Brett Uttley |
Last updated: November 22, 2020
Source: Inter Miami CF
Roster
Transfers
Transfers in
| Date | Position | No. | Name | From | Fee | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Winter 2020–21 | ||||||
| December 18, 2020 | MF | 25 | Felipe Valencia | Fort Lauderdale CF | Homegrown player | |
| December 23, 2020 | DF | 15 | Patrick Seagrist | New York Red Bulls | Trade | |
| January 26, 2021 | DF | 24 | Ian Fray | Fort Lauderdale CF | Homegrown player | |
| MF | 28 | Edison Azcona | Fort Lauderdale CF | Homegrown player | ||
| January 27, 2021 | GK | 18 | Dylan Castanheira | Fort Lauderdale CF | Free | |
| February 12, 2021 | MF | 16 | Josh Penn | Indy Eleven | SuperDraft | |
| February 20, 2021 | DF | 17 | Ryan Shawcross | Stoke City | Free | |
| February 24, 2021 | MF | 26 | Gregore | Bahia | $4,000,000 | |
| March 11, 2021 | DF | 33 | Joevin Jones | Seattle Sounders FC | Free | |
| March 23, 2021 | DF | 31 | Kelvin Leerdam | Seattle Sounders FC | $75,000 GAM | |
| April 16, 2021 | DF | 35 | Sami Guediri | Fort Lauderdale CF | Free | |
| Summer 2021 | ||||||
| July 1, 2021 | DF | 3 | Kieran Gibbs | West Bromwich Albion | Free | |
| GK | 32 | Nick Marsman | Feyenoord | Free | ||
| July 7, 2021 | FW | 29 | Indiana Vassilev | Aston Villa | Loan | |
| July 29, 2021 | DF | 2 | Ventura Alvarado | Atlético San Luis | Free | |
Transfers out
| Date | Position | No. | Name | To | Fee | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Winter 2020–21 | ||||||
| December 3, 2020 | DF | 33 | Mikey Ambrose | Atlanta United FC | Option Declined | |
| FW | 12 | Juan Agudelo | Minnesota United FC | Option Declined | ||
| FW | 17 | Jerome Kiesewetter | FC Tulsa | Option Declined | ||
| MF | 15 | David Norman Jr. | Cavalry FC | Option Declined | ||
| DF | 2 | Alvas Powell | Al-Hilal | Option Declined | ||
| GK | 31 | Luis Robles | Retired | Option Declined | ||
| DF | 36 | Denso Ulysse | Richmond Kickers | Option Declined | ||
| MF | 6 | Wil Trapp | Minnesota United FC | Free | ||
| DF | 20 | A. J. DeLaGarza | New England Revolution | Free | ||
| December 13, 2020 | DF | 22 | Ben Sweat | Austin FC | $100,000 GAM | |
| January 1, 2021 | DF | 3 | Andrés Reyes | Atlético Nacional | End of Loan | |
| April 11, 2021 | DF | 18 | Dylan Nealis | Nashville SC | $175,000 GAM | |
| Summer 2021 | ||||||
| August 2, 2021 | MF | 11 | Matías Pellegrini | Estudiantes | Loan | |
MLS SuperDraft
| Round | No. | Player | Pos. | Team |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 10 | Josh Penn | FW | Indy Eleven |
| 1 | 26 | Aimé Mabika | DF | University of Kentucky |
| 2 | 37 | Joe Hafferty | MF | Oregon State University |
Non-competitive
Preseason
| March 27 1 | Tampa Bay Rowdies | 1–0 | Inter Miami | St. Petersburg, FL |
| Wyke 81' | Stadium: Al Lang Stadium |
Competitive
Major League Soccer
Standings
Eastern Conference
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | L | T | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9 | Columbus Crew | 34 | 13 | 13 | 8 | 46 | 45 | +1 | 47 |
| 10 | CF Montréal | 34 | 12 | 12 | 10 | 46 | 44 | +2 | 46 |
| 11 | Inter Miami CF | 34 | 12 | 17 | 5 | 36 | 53 | −17 | 41 |
| 12 | Chicago Fire FC | 34 | 9 | 18 | 7 | 36 | 54 | −18 | 34 |
| 13 | Toronto FC | 34 | 6 | 18 | 10 | 39 | 66 | −27 | 28 |
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) total wins; 3) total goal differential; 4) total goals scored; 5) fewer disciplinary points; 6) away goal differential; 7) away goals scored; 8) home goals differential; 9) home goals scored; 10) coin toss (2 clubs tied) or drawing of lots (≥3 clubs tied)
Overall table
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | L | T | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 18 | CF Montréal | 34 | 12 | 12 | 10 | 46 | 44 | +2 | 46 | CONCACAF Champions League |
| 19 | Los Angeles FC | 34 | 12 | 13 | 9 | 53 | 51 | +2 | 45 | |
| 20 | Inter Miami CF | 34 | 12 | 17 | 5 | 36 | 53 | −17 | 41 | |
| 21 | San Jose Earthquakes | 34 | 10 | 13 | 11 | 46 | 54 | −8 | 41 | |
| 22 | Chicago Fire FC | 34 | 9 | 18 | 7 | 36 | 54 | −18 | 34 |
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) total wins; 3) total goal differential; 4) total goals scored; 5) fewer disciplinary points; 6) away goal differential; 7) away goals scored; 8) home goals differential; 9) home goals scored; 10) coin toss (2 clubs tied) or drawing of lots (≥3 clubs tied)
Results summary
| Overall | Home | Away | |||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pld | Pts | W | L | T | GF | GA | GD | W | L | T | GF | GA | GD | W | L | T | GF | GA | GD |
| 34 | 41 | 12 | 17 | 5 | 36 | 53 | −17 | 7 | 8 | 2 | 26 | 35 | −9 | 5 | 9 | 3 | 10 | 18 | −8 |
Source: MLS
Pld = Matches played; Pts = Points; W = Matches won; T = Matches tied; L = Matches lost; GF = Goals for; GA = Goals against; GD = Goal difference
Results by round
A = Away; H = Home; W = Win; D = Draw; L = Loss
Match results
| April 18 1 | Inter Miami | 2–3 | LA Galaxy | Fort Lauderdale, FL |
| 3:00 p.m. EDT | Robinson 45+2' G. Higuaín 68' (pen.) | Report | Hernández 62', 73' Kljestan 81' | Stadium: DRV PNK Stadium Attendance: 7,939 Referee: Chris Penso |
| April 24 2 | Philadelphia Union | 1–2 | Inter Miami | Chester, PA |
| 8:00 p.m. EDT | Monteiro 54' | Report | G. Higuaín 73' F. Higuaín 83' | Stadium: Subaru Park Attendance: 5,000 Referee: Alex Chilowicz |
| May 2 3 | Nashville SC | 0–0 | Inter Miami | Nashville, TN |
| 1:00 p.m. EDT | Report | Stadium: Nissan Stadium Attendance: 13,855 Referee: Rosendo Mendoza |
| May 9 4 | Inter Miami | 1–1 | Atlanta United FC | Fort Lauderdale, FL |
| 1:00 p.m. EDT | Morgan 77' | Report | Martínez 9' | Stadium: DRV PNK Stadium Attendance: 8,074 Referee: Joseph Dickerson |
| May 12 5 | Inter Miami | 0–2 | CF Montréal | Fort Lauderdale, FL |
| 7:30 p.m. EDT | Report | Johnsen 14', 25' | Stadium: DRV PNK Stadium Attendance: 8,220 Referee: Guido Gonzales Jr. |
| May 16 6 | FC Cincinnati | 2–3 | Inter Miami | Cincinnati, OH |
| 4:00 p.m. EDT | Barreal 59' Hagglund 82' | Report | Shea 7' G. Higuaín 38', 85' | Stadium: TQL Stadium Attendance: 6,000 Referee: Ramy Touchan |
| May 22 7 | Chicago Fire FC | 1–0 | Inter Miami | Chicago, IL |
| 6:00 p.m. EDT | Stojanović 69' | Report | Stadium: Soldier Field Attendance: 10,844 Referee: Silviu Petrescu |
| May 29 8 | Inter Miami | 0–3 | D.C. United | Fort Lauderdale, FL |
| 8:00 p.m. EDT | Report | Kamara 15', 71' Arriola 21' | Stadium: DRV PNK Stadium Attendance: 15,945 Referee: Armando Villarreal |
| June 19 9 | D.C. United | 1–0 | Inter Miami | Washington, D.C. |
| 8:00 p.m. EDT | Kamara 72' (pen.) | Report | Gregore 47' 56' | Stadium: Audi Field Attendance: 15,500 Referee: Fotis Bazakos |
| June 25 10 | Inter Miami | 1–2 | Orlando City SC | Fort Lauderdale, FL |
| 8:00 p.m. EDT | G. Higuaín 67' | Report | Mueller 73' Nani 80' | Stadium: DRV PNK Stadium Attendance: 17,926 Referee: Allen Chapman |
| July 3 11 | CF Montréal | 1–0 | Inter Miami | Harrison, NJ |
| 7:30 p.m. EDT | Choinière 41' | Report | Stadium: Red Bull Arena Referee: Rosendo Mendoza | |
| Note: CF Montréal played their home matches at DRV PNK Stadium. However, due to Gold Cup Qualification, the match was played at Red Bull Arena. | ||||
| July 21 12 | Inter Miami | 0–5 | New England Revolution | Fort Lauderdale, FL |
| 7:30 p.m. EDT | Report | Traustason 15', 36' Bunbury 27' Buksa 45+4', 83' | Stadium: DRV PNK Stadium Attendance: 13,963 Referee: Robert Sibiga |
| July 25 13 | Inter Miami | 1–1 | Philadelphia Union | Fort Lauderdale, FL |
| 7:30 p.m. EDT | Robinson 71' | Report | Przybyłko 85' | Stadium: DRV PNK Stadium Attendance: 14,057 Referee: Joseph Dickerson |
| July 31 14 | Inter Miami | 2–1 | CF Montréal | Fort Lauderdale, FL |
| 8:00 p.m. EDT | G. Higuaín 49' (pen.), 69' | Report | Torres 20' | Stadium: DRV PNK Stadium Attendance: 14,303 Referee: Victor Rivas |
| August 4 15 | Orlando City SC | 1–1 | Inter Miami | Orlando, FL |
| 8:00 p.m. EDT | Carlos 45+1' | Report | Gibbs 66' | Stadium: Exploria Stadium Attendance: 17,966 Referee: Armando Villarreal |
| August 8 16 | Inter Miami | 2–1 | Nashville SC | Fort Lauderdale, FL |
| 6:00 p.m. EDT | G. Higuaín 60' Vassilev 90+5' | Report | Sapong 48' | Stadium: DRV PNK Stadium Attendance: 14,062 Referee: Nima Saghafi |
| August 14 17 | New York City FC | 2–0 | Inter Miami | Harrison, NJ |
| 3:30 p.m. EDT | Castellanos 20', 45+1' (pen.) | Report | Stadium: Red Bull Arena Attendance: 4,194 Referee: Alex Chilowicz | |
| Note: The match was originally scheduled to be played at Yankee Stadium. | ||||
| August 18 18 | Inter Miami | 3–2 | Chicago Fire FC | Fort Lauderdale, FL |
| 4:00 p.m. EDT | Vassilev 34' Robinson 62' Pizarro 90+3' | Report | Calvo 40' Stojanović 48' | Stadium: DRV PNK Stadium Attendance: 13,196 Referee: Baldomero Toledo |
| August 21 19 | Inter Miami | 3–1 | Toronto FC | Fort Lauderdale, FL |
| 4:00 p.m. EDT | Pizarro 15', 48' Robinson 35' | Report | Gibbs 62' (o.g.) | Stadium: DRV PNK Stadium Attendance: 14,897 Referee: Jair Marrufo |
| August 27 20 | Orlando City SC | 0–0 | Inter Miami | Orlando, FL |
| 8:30 p.m. EDT | Akindele 12' | Report | Stadium: Exploria Stadium Attendance: 17,817 Referee: Ismail Elfath |
| September 4 21 | FC Cincinnati | 0–1 | Inter Miami | Cincinnati, OH |
| 7:30 p.m. EDT | Report | Shea 90' | Stadium: TQL Stadium Attendance: 22,234 Referee: Lukasz Szpala |
| September 11 22 | Inter Miami | 1–0 | Columbus Crew | Fort Lauderdale, FL |
| 4:00 p.m. EDT | G. Higuaín 16' | Report | Stadium: DRV PNK Stadium Attendance: 15,014 Referee: Alan Kelly |
| September 14 23 | Toronto FC | 0–1 | Inter Miami | Toronto, ON |
| 7:30 p.m. EDT | Lawrence 37' | Report | Makoun 90+5' (pen.) | Stadium: BMO Field Attendance: 7,970 Referee: Ramy Touchan |
| September 17 24 | Inter Miami | 0–4 | New York Red Bulls | Fort Lauderdale, FL |
| 7:00 p.m. EDT | Figal 9' 38' | Report | Klimala 18' Fernandez 31' Fábio 65', 89' | Stadium: DRV PNK Stadium Attendance: 18,535 Referee: Guido Gonzales, Jr. |
| September 22 25 | Inter Miami | 1–5 | Nashville SC | Fort Lauderdale, FL |
| 4:00 p.m. EDT | Higuaín 64' Gregore 75' 86' | Report | Mukhtar 6', 48' Zimmerman 39' Leal 70' Johnston 90+6' | Stadium: DRV PNK Stadium Attendance: 13,033 Referee: Jon Freemon |
| September 29 26 | Atlanta United FC | 1–0 | Inter Miami | Atlanta, GA |
| 7:30 p.m. EDT | Martínez 78' (pen.) | Report | Stadium: Mercedes-Benz Stadium Attendance: 42,519 Referee: Ted Unkel |
| October 3 27 | Portland Timbers | 1–0 | Inter Miami | Portland, OR |
| 5:30 p.m. EDT | Niezgoda 83' | Report | Stadium: Providence Park Attendance: 22,006 Referee: Robert Sibiga |
| October 9 28 | New York Red Bulls | 1–0 | Inter Miami | Harrison, NJ |
| 6:00 p.m. EDT | Klimala 25' | Report | Stadium: Red Bull Arena Attendance: 17,561 Referee: Tori Penso | |
| Note: The match was originally scheduled for July 17 but was postponed due to inclement weather. | ||||
| October 16 29 | Columbus Crew | 4–0 | Inter Miami | Columbus, OH |
| 6:00 p.m. EDT | Zardes 39', 64' Santos 44' González Pírez 83' (o.g.) | Report | Stadium: Mapfre Stadium Attendance: 19,338 Referee: Rubiel Vazquez |
| October 20 30 | Inter Miami | 3–0 | Toronto FC | Fort Lauderdale, FL |
| 4:00 p.m. EDT | F. Higuaín 10' Makoun 45' Zavaleta 61' (o.g.) | Report | Stadium: DRV PNK Stadium Attendance: 13,717 Referee: Armando Villarreal |
| October 23 31 | Inter Miami | 5–1 | FC Cincinnati | Fort Lauderdale, FL |
| 4:00 p.m. EDT | F. Higuaín 6' G. Higuaín 53' Vassilev 69' Morgan 74' Carranza 85' | Report | Vazquez 21' Cruz 90+6' | Stadium: DRV PNK Stadium Attendance: 14,927 Referee: Drew Fischer |
| October 27 32 | Atlanta United FC | 2–1 | Inter Miami | Atlanta, GA |
| 7:30 p.m. EDT | Luiz Araújo 59' Martínez 73' | Report | G. Higuaín 32' (pen.) | Stadium: Mercedes-Benz Stadium Attendance: 42,536 Referee: Guido Gonzales, Jr. |
| October 30 33 | Inter Miami | 1–3 | New York City FC | Fort Lauderdale, FL |
| 3:30 p.m. EDT | Figal 56' | Report | Castellanos 33', 60' Magno 83' | Stadium: DRV PNK Stadium Attendance: 17,595 Referee: Rosendo Mendoza |
| November 7 34 | New England Revolution | 0–1 | Inter Miami | Foxborough, MA |
| 3:30 p.m. EST | Report | Matuidi 58' | Stadium: Gillette Stadium Attendance: 31,635 Referee: Alan Kelly |
U.S. Open Cup
On July 20, US Soccer finally announced that the tournament would be cancelled for 2021 and would resume in 2022.
Statistics
Overall
| Games played | 34 |
| Games won | 12 |
| Games drawn | 5 |
| Games lost | 17 |
| Goals scored | 36 |
| Goals conceded | 53 |
| Goal difference | -17 |
| Clean sheets | 7 |
| Yellow cards | 55 |
| Red cards | 3 |
| Worst discipline | |
| Best result(s) | 5-1(FC Cincinnati) |
| Worst result(s) | 0-5(New England Revolution) |
| Most appearances | 26 games (Lewis Morgan) |
| Top scorer | 12 goals(Gonzalo Higuaín) |
| Points | Overall:41 |
Last updated: October 30, 2021
Source: [citation needed]
Appearances and goals
Numbers after plus–sign (+) denote appearances as a substitute.
| No. | Pos | Nat | Player | Total | MLS | MLS Cup | USOC | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||||
- Last updated: November 22, 2020
- Source: TBD
Top scorers
| Rank | Position | Number | Name | MLS | MLS Cup | USOC | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | FW | 9 | Gonzalo Higuaín | 12 | 0 | 0 | 12 |
| 2 | FW | 19 | Robbie Robinson | 4 | 0 | 0 | 4 |
| 3 | MF | 10 | Rodolfo Pizarro | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| FW | 29 | Indiana Vassilev | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | |
| MF | 22 | Federico Higuaín | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | |
| 6 | DF | 28 | Brek Shea | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| MF | 7 | Lewis Morgan | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | |
| DF | 4 | Christian Makoun | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | |
| 9 | FW | 21 | Julián Carranza | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| DF | 3 | Kieran Gibbs | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | |
| DF | 5 | Nicolás Figal | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | |
| MF | 8 | Blaise Matuidi | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | |
| Total | 35 | 0 | 0 | 35 | |||
As of 8 November 2021.
Top assists
| Rank | Position | Number | Name | MLS | MLS Cup | USOC | Total |
|---|
Disciplinary record
| No. | Pos. | Player | MLS | MLS Cup | USOC | Total | ||||||||
| 26 | MF | Gregore | 12 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 12 | 2 | 0 |
| 16 | DF | Leandro González Pírez | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 0 | 0 |
| 5 | DF | Nicolás Figal | 7 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 1 | 0 |
| 8 | MF | Blaise Matuidi | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| 19 | FW | Robbie Robinson | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 |
Awards and honors
To be announced during the 2021 season.
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