Three Up, Three Down: Welcome back, Robert Taylor! Farías continues fine form, Aviles shows versatility

Three Down

Drake Callender N/A

>sigh< My least favorite role, choosing three Herons least important to a match’s result. I’ll start with Callender not because he was so obviously bad — notice I didn’t assign him a score — but because he was so obviously unnecessary, especially in the second half. His primary function was to receive the ball from the back line and redistribute it forward.

Yeah, this is tough. I don't want it to indicate we believe Callender was playing below his expectations because that certainly isn't the case. I guess it's nice to collect a paycheck and not really have to do anything for it. Credit that more to Toronto's inability to pass or find the back of the net than Callender's ability in this match.

Josef Martinez, C-

Martinez again underwhelmed. He did make some intelligent runs clearing space in the middle, but I want our King scoring goals.

If he's trying to make a case to be shipped out of South Florida in the next transfer window, Martinez is doing a good job. There were several times it looked like he had no idea what he was doing on the pitch. Not what La Familia expects from a player of his caliber.

Jordi Alba, C

Muscle fatigue or something more serious? Inter Miami is annoyingly cagey about their players’ physical condition but, for whatever reason, Alba didn’t contribute during his time on the pitch. Coach Tata Martino already has said he’ll rest Alba and Messi (who at least earned some “ooohs” and “ahhhs” during his starting cameo) against Orlando City on Sunday.

I get it... Alba is certainly no spring chicken. If that's the case, then why risk it against a team you, me and Ken could probably beat by ourselves? If there was a game to sit Alba and Messi, this was it because it doesn't get any easier than a home match against hapless Toronto.