Benjamin Cremaschi Shines as Inter Miami and FC Cincinnati Battle to Scoreless Stalemate

Inter Miami CF earned a valuable point on Saturday evening, settling for a goalless stalemate against FC Cincinnati at Chase Stadium while missing the suspended duo of Lionel Messi and Jordi Alba.

Although both teams failed to break the deadlock, the contest featured numerous squandered opportunities in the latter half, along with two disputed decisions regarding potential penalty awards.

Miami might consider themselves fortunate after a foul was whistled against Cincinnati's Miles Robinson during the second minute of added time in the second half. He had directed the ball beyond keeper Rocco Rios Novo before the goal was disallowed.

Following this stalemate, Miami maintains their fifth position in the Eastern Conference standings and will turn their attention to their upcoming fixture, serving as their Leagues Cup debut against Liga MX side Atlas on July 30.

Below are Sports Illustrated's observations from the goalless encounter.

Messi's Absence More Impactful Than in 2024

Ever since Messi arrived at Inter Miami during the 2023 summer window, the organization has typically maintained a squad capable of functioning without him. During the previous campaign, they competed without him for a considerable stretch due to Copa América commitments and a following injury, yet still managed to capture the MLS Supporters' Shield with the league's top regular-season record.

However, they lack the same well-balanced roster in 2025, which became apparent on Saturday evening, as Suárez and Picault failed to convert their limited opportunities, while the squad appeared lacking in creativity during set-piece situations.

Miami concluded the evening with 13 attempts and 1.19 expected goals, but lacked the quality to achieve a breakthrough, despite Sergio Busquets and Federico Redondo creating numerous opportunities through quick transitions.

While the addition of Rodrigo De Paul enhances the team's overall quality, additional attacking depth is required, particularly with Suárez, who has netted only five goals this campaign and consistently displays frustration with his performances.

The transfer market remains active until Aug. 21, should David Beckham, Jorge Mas and the ownership group determine improvements are necessary. Nevertheless, it may prove difficult, as the team must already be extremely inventive to accommodate their current players.

Benjamin Cremaschi Rises to Replace Alba

While striker depth remains a concern for Inter Miami, the left-back situation presents an even greater challenge, with Jordi Alba serving as the only established starter at that position currently. With the Spanish veteran serving his suspension, 20-year-old Benjamin Cremaschi assumed the role, while the club brought in Cesar Abadia-Reda from Inter Miami II.

Despite this being Cremaschi's debut appearance in the position, he emerged as one of the standout performers on the field. The opening minutes saw him venture forward from the defensive line, but once he found his rhythm, his passing ability and skill became a crucial transitional element for the Herons.

Simultaneously, he displayed defensive assurance, representing a notable development in his game that emerged from playing more centrally in midfield this season alongside Busquets, rather than in wide positions as previously.

Cremaschi won't serve as the permanent left-back solution for Inter Miami. Nevertheless, with eight defensive interventions, five successful challenges and nine duel victories, Mascherano can maintain some confidence in this backup option.

Neutralizing FC Cincinnati's Pressing Game

For Inter Miami overall, this fixture showcased a marked improvement from their 3–0 defeat to FC Cincinnati merely 10 days earlier, with much of that progress coming from containing Cincinnati's aggressive pressing approach.

During the contest, Busquets and Redondo intercepted passes in the middle of the park, while Cremaschi and Telasco Segovia successfully contained MLS MVP candidate Evander from creating significant influence along his preferred right flank.

This resulted in a rather uninspiring spectacle, one that left FC Cincinnati's manager Pat Noonan dissatisfied, expressing his displeasure post-match by criticizing his attacking trio for many of the offensive shortcomings that favored Miami's defensive strategy.

"I felt our attacking three performed very poorly tonight regarding how we attacked space and our decision-making in and around the penalty area," he stated. "There were some positive moments where perhaps the concept was correct but the execution was lacking, but there were also numerous instances where both the concept and decision were incorrect."

Still, while a draw provides minimal assistance to Miami in the Eastern Conference standings, managing to bounce back from a 3–0 defeat and secure a point, despite the distractions surrounding Messi and Alba, can be viewed as a meaningful display of character for the organization.