By Kevin Barral
Today marks the final time that Gonzalo Higuain will step on an MLS stadium in the regular season. Today Inter Miami (14-13) plays to find out where they will be playing in the MLS Playoffs. Prior to the start of the game, there was an on-field ceremony held for Gonzalo Higuain.
Something to keep in mind for today's game is what is on the line for Inter Miami CF in terms of the playoffs. Yes, they are in the playoffs, but they have a chance to host the first-ever playoff game in Inter Miami CF History. ”With a win against CF Montréal and a New York Red Bulls loss or draw on Sunday, Inter Miami can finish the regular season in fourth place in the Eastern Conference, which would be enough to host the first-ever playoff match at DRV PNK Stadium.”
CF Montreal wasted no time in getting themselves on the board as in the 5th minute Djordje Mihailovic scored one of the easiest goals of the season with Goalie Drake Callendar losing the ball bringing it up which left the goal open. Just two minutes after the first initial goal, Lassi Lappalainen of CF Montreal scored a goal in the 7th minute to extend the lead, 2-0.
Just after the 30-minute marker, minute 33 was not Inter Miami’s best friend as Kei Kamara sliced through the Inter Miami defense and scored their 3rd goal of the game extending the lead, to 3-0.
At this point in the game, Inter Miami CF has had many opportunities to score. Those included a couple from Higuain, one from Robert Tayler, and one from Lassiter. Drake Callendar has also struggled in this game with a quick pace from CF Montreal. CF Montreal leads 3-0 in the 43rd minute.
After the first half of action, CF Montreal leads 3-0. The story of the first half is easily the missed opportunities that Inter Miami CF had. The substitutions that were made during halftime was the entrance of Bryce Duke and Ryan Sailor. Damian Lowe and Indiana Vassilev were both subbed out.
Just a couple minutes into the second half, DRV Pink stadium went completely silent when they saw Gonzalo Higuain fall on his hand which he began holding for a while until the medical staff came and checked it out. Although Higuain got up and played for a couple more seconds, he was taken out of the game and Emerson Rodríguez was brought in to replace Gonzalo.
In the 79th minute, DeAndre Yedlin was subbed out in place of Harvey Neville. Neville is making his Inter Miami CF debut. In the 85th minute of the game, Inter Miami CF got something going which resulted in a CF Montreal own goal, but the one given the goal is Harvey Neville.
Although the nice moment of Harvey Neville is lived, Inter Miami CF dropped the final game of the regular season and drops to 6th place in the MLS Standings. Miami will head over to New York and face off against New York City FC in the first round of the 2022 MLS Playoffs.