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MLS Inter Miami CF

Inter Miami CF Keeps Clean Sheet, Earns Road Win over San Jose Earthquakes with Mota Strike

August 4, 2022 - Major League Soccer (MLS)
Inter Miami CF News Release


Inter Miami CF kept a clean sheet on the road to earn a victory over the San Jose Earthquakes in the first-ever meeting between the sides. Heineken Man of the Match Jean Mota scored the winning goal with a long-range effort in the first half.

Lineup Notes

Inter Miami took the field at PayPal Park with a tweaked lineup from its last outing. Drake Callender started in goal; Chris McVey, Damion Lowe, and Kieran Gibbs lined up in the center of defense with DeAndre Yedlin and Robert Taylor in front of them as wingbacks; Jean Mota, captain Gregore and Alejandro Pozuelo lined up in midfield; Gonzalo Higuaín and Leonardo Campana led the line in attack.

Gibbs and Campana returned to the starting XI for the match, while Higuaín remained in the starting XI following his MLS Player of the Week winning first-half hat trick. Callender, meanwhile, started in his return to San Jose, where he was an Earthquakes academy player from 2013 to 2016.

Match Action

Inter Miami set the tone in the opening minute, launching an incisive counterattack that was eventually cut out in the box. Just over 10 minutes later, the visitors capitalized on the early attacking momentum to take the lead; Mota took one touch to collect possession outside of the box after a defensive header and hit a precise strike with the outside of his foot into the upper 90 for the early 0-1 lead. The goal was Mota's first in MLS, and second across all competitions for Inter Miami.

In the 23rd minute, though, the team was forced into a first-half injury substitution, bringing on Ariel Lassiter for the hampered Campana. From then, Inter Miami continued to probe for openings in attack but the first half whistle blew and the scoreline remained 0-1.

Inter Miami again came out of the gate the quicker of the two sides to start the half, creating two significant scoring opportunities in the opening five minutes of the half. First, a perfectly worked transition opportunity for the team started with a precise long ball from Callender to Yedlin down the right wing, who then played a well-timed ball to the run of Lassiter behind the defense. The Costa Rican cut in from the right wing and laid a pass off to Higuaín at the top of the box, and the Argentine striker drove past three San Jose defenders before testing the goal, but the keeper saved his shot. Minutes later, the visitors won the ball in a dangerous area with a high press before Higuaín shuffled a pass off to Lassiter in the box, but his shot was cleared off the line by a San Jose defender.

Inter Miami was then tested defensively on a few occasions, including two San Jose shots that drew saves from Callender, but the visitors remained stout to keep the clean sheet on the road and claim all three points.

Heineken Man of the Match

Mota was voted Heineken Man of the Match after his volleyed first-half strike gave the team a lead it wouldn't relinquish for the remainder of the night.

Post-Match Reaction

"It was a good three points," said head coach Phil Neville. "We spoke the last two days about taking the next step again for the team, and that's winning on the road. We've won one on the road, [and now] we've got another big game Saturday against Montreal."

Next Match

Inter Miami's long-distance road trip will continue later this week when the team travels north of the border to take on CF Montréal at Stade Saputo on Saturday, Aug. 6 at 7:30 p.m. ET.

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