With the score set at 1-1 after a thrilling battle between Miami and International Miami, there is not much time left for them to desperately need to move up the league standings with a view to competing for a spot in the playoffs. Therefore, in my opinion, this time, they are in a good position to win against Chicago Fire.
The stats seem to back up this view, as it has become incredibly tough to win games for Internacional Maia Miami without Mez. And this time, the Argentine legend seems to be out of action due to injury.
Inter Miami has picked up just one win in their last four league matches, and although the backline has only conceded two goals in their last three matches, there seems to be a hidden problem on the defensive end. New York City created a number of chances in the game and should have been able to extend their lead if they had capitalized on them properly.
Despite the absence of Mays, I firmly believe that their offense can still overwhelm the Chicago Fire. Right back Yedilian will be back from his suspension and will be a threat on the wing. I'm also concerned about young midfielder David Luers retaining his starting spot. Although he doesn't start often, he's been playing quite well lately and is expected to be a freshman in the team alongside Yedilian.
And the Chicago Fire beat the New York Red Bulls in the last round of the league, with goalkeeper Kisduhua El Baradei getting a lot of credit for a great first half. His many great saves make me think he might be one of the top goalkeepers in the USL.
However, prior to winning this game, the Chicago Fire were not trending well and had not won in their last nine games in all competitions, pulling further and further away from a playoff spot.
If Shakiri stays in good form, he's still a great player capable of finding openings in opposing defenses. And while young wing Brian Gudialis also has the ability to cause problems in the opposing frontcourt, the Chicago Fire's offense seems to be slightly lacking.
