D.C. United and Inter Miami draw in an entertaining affair, leaving D.C. United is out of playoff contention

D.C. United were playing to keep their mathematical playoff hopes alive on Saturday night when they hosted Inter Miami. D.C. was looking to improve under new head coach Rene Weiler, who was making his home debut as D.C. head coach after United got a draw on the road against Montreal in the Swiss head coach’s debut for The Black and Red; meanwhile, Miami was looking to notch another victory after their midweek win at home against Mexican side Tigres during the Leagues Cup. 

Inter Miami and D.C. would be without several of their major star players in the first meeting of the season between the two clubs. D.C. would be without star striker Christian Benteke, who was suspended for this game due to yellow card accumulation. As for Inter Miami, they would be without star players Lionel Messi and Jordi Alba, both out with injury, while Luis Suarez, Sergio Busquets, and Rodrigo DePaul started on the bench. 

Jackson Hopkins opening up the scoring Saturday night against Inter Miami. Photo Credit: D.C. United

“We have played 41 games, more than any other team, our players needed some rest, we have an important game Wednesday and then a game on the West coast next weekend,” said Inter Miami head coach Javier Mascherano “So we decided this game was an opportunity to give minutes to players who have not played much this season because we will need them later,”

In front of a sellout crowd at Audi Field in Washington, D.C., both D.C. United and Inter Miami played to an entertaining 1-1 draw Saturday night. With this result, D.C. is officially eliminated from playoff contention and bringing their winless streak to 12 games in all competitions.

“It’s frustrating to have a season come to an end in that sense,” goalkeeper Luis Barraza said. “It’s been a tough year, obviously.”

The Game 

D.C. United opened up the scoring in the 12th minute. Aaron Herrera took a corner kick, his cross flew to the top of the box to a waiting Lucas Bartlett, who headed the ball towards the box, but the Miami defense cleared out to a waiting Matti Peltola, who lobbed the ball back into the box. The ball was settled by Jackson Hopkins inside the box, and the D.C. academy product ripped a shot that went past Miami goalkeeper Rocco Rios-Novo and pierced the back of the net to give United the lead. 

“That’s kind of where I grew up playing,” said Hopkins, who was also named captain for the game. “So, I understand the position.”

D.C. nearly doubled its lead in the 28th minute after Hopkins set up a string of passes in the midfield, laying the ball off to Brandon Servania. Servania left the ball to Gabriel Pirani, who laid the ball off to a wide-open Hosei Kajima on the left-hand side. Kajima took the ball into the box, shot the ball, but Rios-Novo parried the ball away for a corner kick. 

“If we had played the first half like we did the second half, we could have gotten three points, but it wasn’t easy for those players because they did not have continuity playing together and some of them had gone a long time without playing,” Mascherano said. “I told them at halftime that it was on me that I made eight changes and that makes things complicated, so I told them not to feel the weight of the result, to play freely and go forward. I understand how hard it is to make eight rotations and put them all together to play. I thanked them for fighting until the end.”

Inter Miami created their first big opportunity early in the 2nd half when David Ruiz played a pass to Benjamin Cremaschi, whose shot deflected off a D.C. defender for a corner kick. 

Noah Allen would have a goalscoring opportunity of his own in the 62nd minute after getting behind a Marcelo Weigandt cross, but Barraza sent the ball out for a corner. 

In the ensuing corner from DePaul, one minute later, the ball would sail over everybody and to the outside of the box for a waiting Baltasar Rodriguez. Rodriguez hit a one-time powerful shot from outside the box that found its way into the upper right-hand side of Barraza’s goal to make it all one a piece midway through the second half. 

“I was happy for Balta, not just the goal, but how he played when he entered the game,” Mascherano said. “He has had injuries and had another minor one this week, so we gave him minutes and were happy to see him finish the game well.”

Jacob Murrell had a chance to give United the lead in the 71st minute as he had a one-on-one with Rios-Novo, but his shot hit the crossbar and went out of play. 

Miami had an opportunity to take the lead three minutes later when a Rodriguez cross found DePaul inside the box. The Argentine international headed the ball in the direction of Suarez. The Uruguayan striker stretched out his foot and redirected the ball towards goal, but Barraza was able to stretch his hand out and keep the ball from crossing the line. The D.C. backline was able to clear out the ensuing rebound, keeping Miami’s offense at bay. 

“It was normal for me as coach that we were suffering a little bit more in the second half,” United Coach René Weiler said. “There’s also, I tell you now, a little lack of quality. We don’t have the same bench as Miami has, and that is the reality.” 

Murrell thought he had gotten the go-ahead goal to give United the lead in the 77th minute after receiving a through ball from Joao Peglow, Murrell muscled a Miami defender off the ball and shot the ball towards goal and into the back of the net, however the happiness was short lived as the referee of the match Ricardo Montero deemed that Murrell was offside. 

When the referee pool reporter asked about the offside call, Montero responded to the question by saying: “In the 78th minute, No. 17 (Jacob Murrell) for D.C. United scored, but it was called outside by the linesman despite two Miami players touching the ball and No. 17 appearing to be in an offside position when he received it. Can you explain what portion of the offside rule was broken by No. 17, and what was the communication with the VAR official for not reviewing the play on the monitor” 

In the 92nd minute, Miami had a chance to win it late with a DePaul free kick that Suarez in the box, as he touched the ball, hitting the post, but Montero called the play back for offside. 

“We came for three points but go home with one,” said Mascherano. 

With this result, United, who are now out of playoff contention, sit in last place of the Eastern Conference with 21 points, while Inter Miami sit in 6th place of the Eastern Conference with 46 points. 

D.C. now travels to the “Big Apple” as they will face off against New York City FC on the road at Yankee Stadium in The Bronx, NY. The game is scheduled for Saturday night, and kickoff is scheduled for 7:30 PM.