Tag: Corentin Jean

Inter Miami has figured out how to beat the Philadelphia Union: Just score bangers

It’s easy to win at soccer, just kick the ball very hard

Inter Miami showed MLS teams the way forward against the nightmare that is the Philadelphia Union.

The high-pressing juggernauts are widely favored to push for another MLS Cup appearance this season at the least, and have been generally miserable to play against. How did Miami solve the puzzle?

Easy: just kick the ball hard, and into the dang goal.

Inter Miami beat the Union 2-0 at DRV PNK Stadium Saturday night, and it a victory built on the foundation of bangers. First, after Philadelphia had crowded Rodolfo Pizarro enough to cause the Mexican international to lose possession, Corentin Jean — a high-profile signing late last season who never got on track for the Herons — uncorked a surgical strike from around 28 yards out to give his side a 32nd minute lead.

See? Soccer is simple: Jean collected the ball, looked up to see where the goal was in relation to him, and then kicked that ball very hard at the goal.

Miami’s one-goal edge was always something of a worry against a team as prolific as the Union were in 2023, so in the second half, Phil Neville’s men decided to give the tried-and-true recipe of just scoring golazos another whirl.

Robert Taylor, who had replaced Jean literally seconds before scoring, came in off the left wing to play a give-and-go with Jean Mota. Mota’s scooped return pass required some work from Taylor to bring the ball down, but once again the choice from that point was clear: locate the goal and kick the ball at it with as much power as possible.

The vicious, arcing shot left even a goalkeeper as good as Andre Blake clawing at the air. Given the power Taylor put behind it, maybe that was for the best.

“The two goals that won the game were probably two goals to win any game of football,” said Miami head coach Phil Neville during his post-match press conference. “I thought [Taylor’s goal] was our one bit of quality in the second half. I thought Coco [Jean]’s goal — and Coco’s performance — was really good.”

Unfortunately for the Union, teams unfamiliar with the “kick the ball hard, and at the goal” tactic will have some tape to study. On the plus side for them, at least they won’t see many more goals that are better than the two Miami struck Saturday night.

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