Inter Miami Out of MLS Tournament, Becomes First Expansion Team to Start With 5 Losses

Miami becomes the first MLS expansion team to lose its first five games.

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. (AP) — David Beckham’s Inter Miami became the first Major League Soccer team to lose its first five games when Ismael Tajouri-Shradi scored midway through the second half Monday in New York City’s 1-0 victory.

Two other expansion teams had been winless in their first five games, including draws: Chivas USA in 2005 and Montreal in 2012.

NYCFC (1-4) won for the first time in the 2020 season and guaranteed a third-place finish in Group A with three points. But NYCFC will need help from others to advance in the MLS is Back tournament as one of the top four third-place finishers. NYCFC’s minus-2 goal differential through three matches means it likely will need stumbles from a combination of teams in order to reach the knockout round.

Tajouri-Sharadi scored on NYCFC’s first shot on goal in the match. Coming off a water break, Tajouri-Sharadi split the Inter Miami defense to collect a long pass from Alexandru Mitrita and beat Inter Miami goalkeeper Luis Robles. It was just the second goal for NYCFC.

Inter Miami is staring at a third straight loss and a rapid exit at #MLSIsBack after NYCFC takes the lead on Ismael Tajouri-Shradi's goal

(via @MLS) pic.twitter.com/Yj41QVmhUu

— SI Soccer (@si_soccer) July 20, 2020

Inter Miami finished with 10 players when striker Juan Agudelo was sent off late in the match for his second yellow card. Inter Miami had the better scoring chances early in the match, including headers by Agudelo and Nicolas Figal that forced saves from NYCFC goalkeeper Sean Johnson.

But Inter Miami’s attack failed to test Johnson in the second half and it became the first team eliminated from the tournament..