Inter Miami held in-state rivals Orlando City to a 1-1 draw at Exploria Stadium, as goals from David Ruiz and Duncan McGuire scored to earn each side one point.
The Herons played without star signings Lionel Messi, Jordi Alba and Sergio Busquets as the trio remain on the sidelines with muscle fatigue. Head coach Gerardo Martino confirmed earlier this week Messi and Alba suffered setbacks to previous injuries in the match against Toronto FC on Wednesday night. Though the former FC Barcelona players started the game, the two left the pitch before the halftime whistle.
Busquets failed to train with the team throughout the week, inspiring Martino to leave the player off the roster entirely.
Still, Miami held their ground away from home. Leonardo Campana kicked off the goalscoring play from the right, passing the ball to Josef Martinez before the Venezuelan attempted to find the back of the net. Goalkeeper Pedro Gallese managed the initial save, but Ruiz capitalized on the rebound and rocketed into the goal to secure the lead.
Orlando attempted to find the equalizer, but Inter Miami goalkeeper Drake Callendar blocked every attempt until the 67th minute. After overwhelming the defense, McGuire weaved his way into the box to inspire the right-footed shot and bury the ball in the center of the net.
The two teams saw offensive opportunities before the final whistle, but failed to convert any strike into the game-winning goal.
With the point, Inter Miami go down to 14th on the Eastern Conference table while Orlando retain their second place reign. The Herons must win every game going forward to qualify for the MLS playoffs.
Inter Miami player ratings (4-4-2)
GK: Drake Callender - 7/10 - Inconsistent. Saw a great first half with a couple saves, before crumbling when it came time to Orlando's equalizer.
RB: DeAndre Yedlin - 6/10 - Doesn't adequately perform on either end. Mediocre crosses into the box and shaky defending.
CB: Tomas Aviles - 6/10 - Lucky not to be shown a red card early in the first half. Silly mistakes and aggressive fouls could've changed the game completely.
CB: Serhiy Kryvtsov - 6/10 - Struggled in the 45 minutes he played. A clear backup to Kamal Miller, but Martino chose to rotate and prioritize Wednesday's US Open Cup final.
LB: Noah Allen - 6/10 - Needs more experience. Makes too many mistakes when the opponent pushes forward.
CM: David Ruiz - 10/10 - Scored the opening goal.
CM: Dixon Arroyo - 7/10 - Delievered, but could've given more on the attacking end.
CM: Benjamin Cremaschi - 7/10 - Great first half, creating opportunities while holding off Orlando but declined in energy tremendously in the second half. Somewhat injured before coming off.
CM Robert Taylor - 7/10 - Delivered, but underwhelmed after a great game against Toronto FC.
ST: Josef Martinez - 7/10 - Managed the assist on the opening goal, but otherwise could've inspired more on the attack. Constantly feeling let down by the overall performance given his potential.
ST: Leonardo Campana - 6/10 - Disappointing compared to previous performances, though he did initiate the team's only goal-scoring opportunity.
Substitutions
CB: Kamal Miller - /10 - ( '46 for Serhiy Kryvtsov) - 4/10 - Responsible for the equalizer.
CB: Ryan Sailor ( '46 for Tomas Aviles) - 5/10 - Weakened the defense when coming in.
ST: Facundo Farias ( '71 for Josef Martinez) - 7/10 - Decent for the time he was given. Not much to change the game.
RW: Robbie Robinson ('74 for Robert Taylor) - 6/10 - Did little to improve the game.
CM: Víctor Ulloa ( '91 for Benjamin Cremaschi) - N/A
Manager
Gerardo 'Tata' Martino - 6/10 - Prioritized the US Open Cup final, rotating the starting line up but questionable substitutions as the game progressed.
Player of the match - David Ruiz (Inter Miami)
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This article was originally published on 90min as Orlando City 1-1 Inter Miami: Player ratings as Herons earn point without Messi, Alba and Busquets .