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So far, so good: What we learned from Inter Miami’s friendly win against Club America

All but the most optimistic Herons fans expected Los Águilas — Mexico’s three-time defending champions — to easily defeat the Pink and Black.
ByKen Garner|
Santi Morales rushes to celebrate his match-winning penalty kick with Inter Miami goalkeeper Rocco Rios Novo. The 17-year-old was a late substitution in the Herons’ 2-2 (3-2) friendly victory against Mexican champions Club America.
Santi Morales rushes to celebrate his match-winning penalty kick with Inter Miami goalkeeper Rocco Rios Novo. The 17-year-old was a late substitution in the Herons’ 2-2 (3-2) friendly victory against Mexican champions Club America. | Ethan Miller/GettyImages
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So, what did we learn?

Mascherano favors a more direct attack

Under Martinez, the Herons liked to build from the back, controlling possession with short passes and breaking down the defense with precision runs. Mascherano seems to favor more intensity on defense, forcing turnovers and looking to counterattack. Maybe it was because they haven’t played in several weeks or maybe they were responding to Mascherano’s coaching, but attackers Messi and Suarez were noticeably more active defensively against Club America.

Alejandro Zendejas, Noah Allen
Inter Miami center back Noah Allen, 32, fights off Club America attacker Alejandro Zendejas during the teams’ preseason friendly Saturday in Las Vegas. | Ethan Miller/GettyImages

Rio Novo could challenge Callender

Don’t get me wrong, Callender is still my pick to start. He almost single-handedly earned Inter Miami’s first trophy, the 2023 Leagues Cup, and has remained among MLS’ most reliable netminders. But the 6-foot-3, 27-year-old Sacramento native — the only player left from the Herons’ original roster — hasn’t really worried about losing his spot since the departure of Nick Marsman before last season. Rio Novo is shorter (6-foot) and younger (22), but is Californian; he was born in Los Angeles to Argentine parents. And despite the bobble that led to Club America’s second goal (Rio Novo lost the ball in a collision with teammate Federico Redondo), the former Atlanta United and Club Atletico Lanus (Argentina) product looked more than comfortable between the sticks. I hope we’ll see more of him throughout the preseason.

Messi remains feisty

Finally, the Messi reminded us that success hasn’t dimmed his competitive spirit. After scoring a header (served up by Suarez after a cross from Alba on the break), the captain seemed to remind Los Aguilas’ fans that his national team, Argentina, has three World Cup titles, while Mexico has none. Some fans were offended by the display, but c’mon — we’ve all seen worse. I love the spirit.

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