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Ryan Tolmich
Mar 15, 2026 07:52 +06:00
**Inter Miami player ratings vs. Charlotte FC: Javier Mascherano sent off, but Luis Suarez and the Herons grind out a point without Lionel Messi or Rodrigo De Paul**
**Despite the absence of multiple big stars, Javier Mascherano's side held firm in a scoreless draw**
**CHARLOTTE** — Lionel Messi didn’t make the trip to Charlotte. Rodrigo de Paul didn’t either. Dayne St. Clair, German Berterame, and Telasco Segovia did, but they were all on the bench. Those decisions said it all about Inter Miami’s mindset.
With the second leg of their CONCACAF Champions Cup battle against Nashville SC on the horizon, manager Javier Mascherano opted to prioritize. It was a treat for them, then, that they still left Bank of America Stadium with a point against a good Charlotte FC team.
A team of young stars, newcomers, and of course, Luis Suarez had their moments, and they did enough to earn a draw that, despite the rotation, could have been a win.
Saturday’s match finished scoreless, with both teams earning their first clean sheets of the young MLS season. There were chances for either side, but also two very good goalkeeper performances as Rocco Rios Novo and Kristijan Kahlina largely set the tone. The two combined for eight saves on the day, several of which were spectacular.
The match was tense, though. Wilfried Zaha, Charlotte FC’s star, suffered as many fouls as usual. Suarez, too, lived up to his reputation, emerging at the center of several flashpoints. Mascherano, too, had his own moment as he was sent off in the game’s final moments, much to the delight of the local crowd.
Inter Miami assistant coach Javier Morales believes the officiating crew was too hasty with the red card.
“Javier, he was talking to one of the players. He was a little bit outside the box. The referee was too sensitive,” Morales explained. “When you play this kind of game, we’re playing away with a lot of young kids in the game, you need to coach. Javier was coaching with a lot of energy on the sideline.”
By and large, though, Mascherano will have his own reasons to be delighted, outside of the ejection. Saturday produced a good point, one which also set up Miami for a big game on Wednesday in continental competition.
**GOAL rates Inter Miami’s players from Bank of America Stadium…**
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**Goalkeeper & Defense**
**Rocco Rios Novo (8/10):** Nice save in the 11th minute to get going. Had to make a few more, including a big stop on Wilfried Zaha in the second half. Overall, a good day from the club’s No. 2, who made the most of his opportunity to start.
**Sergio Reguilon (7/10):** A pretty good run out in his MLS debut. Created a few chances and caused some havoc down his side of the field. If that’s a sign of things to come, Miami have a new weapon.
**Noah Allen (6/10):** More moments on the ball than off of it. Hit a few good long balls to really drive the Herons forward.
**Gonzalo Lujan (7/10):** Was a rock defensively. Swatted away so many of Charlotte’s forays forward, really leading the way out of the back.
**Ian Fray (6/10):** Incredible chance cleared by Kahlina off the line as Fray’s header forced some incredible goalkeeping. Decent outside of that, although it was clear Reguilon was the attacking focal point in comparison.
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**Midfield**
**Santiago Morales (6/10):** Active and involved down that left-hand side, taking advantage of working alongside Reguilon in that part of the field.
**David Ayala (6/10):** Held down the fort in his first minutes of the season. Not spectacular, but solid.
**David Ruiz (7/10):** Pretty clean on the ball throughout his 67-ish minutes. So close to an insane goal in the 21st minute, too.
**Matteo Silvetti (6/10):** A little bit disappointing? Had made the most of his chances so far this season, but wasn’t particularly effective in this one.
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**Attack**
**Luis Suarez (5/10):** Shot early that flashed wide. Didn’t really find the ball in dangerous areas as Charlotte kept a close watch on him in those little pockets of space.
**Daniel Pinter (6/10):** Not bad from the 18-year-old homegrown, who made his first start. Didn’t look out of place, which is a big compliment given his lack of experience at this level.
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**Subs & Manager**
**Ezequiel Abadia-Reda (6/10):** Replaced Reguilon, and it wouldn’t be fair to hold him to that standard. He did have some decent moments, though, when he did get on the ball.
**Alexander Shaw (5/10):** Didn’t get enough touches to really do anything.
**Telasco Segovia (5/10):** Earned a silly yellow card just minutes after coming on. It was his most notable moment.
**German Berterame (6/10):** Given a few minutes to work, and almost got a much-needed goal from a 79th-minute header. Was right at Kahlina, though, so no luck there.
**Tadeo Allende (N/A):** Played just a few minutes in the end, which wasn’t enough to make an impact.
**Javier Mascherano (6/10):** All things considered, a good road point. Did well to rotate his team, give some young players confidence, and earn a draw in a tough place to play. He was sent off in the final minutes, though, for arguing with the referee.
Inter Miami Player Ratings vs. Charlotte FC: Suarez Steps Up as Herons Grind Out Point Without Messi
