Tuesday evening’s Leagues Cup 2023 action saw **Inter Miami CF** beat the **Philadelphia Union** 4-1 and clinch their spot in the tournament’s grand finale. Although the result highlights the Florida outfit’s attacking prowess, goalkeeper Drake Callender’s contribution was also important in securing the result. Here’s a rundown of his crucial stops this evening.
The shot-stopper was kept busy throughout the 90 minutes in the Inter Miami CF goal, but Callender made three key saves in particular from chances that could have made the match more difficult for Lionel Messi and his teammates.
The first dangerous chances came after eight minutes. After a through ball from Kai Wagner, Dániel Gazdag sent a right-footed shot towards goal from the center of the penalty area. The goalkeeper managed to parry it away, avoiding a rapid equalizer after his team had broken the deadlock on three minutes.
Another decisive moment from Callender came on the half-hour mark, after the visitors had gone 2-0 up thanks to another Messi goal. This time, the American was equal to a shot from Gazdag from outside the box.
The third and best save of the game came in the second half, in the 60th minute. The move started with a corner taken from the left by Wagner, which Chris Donovan headed down to the goalkeeper’s right. After lightning-quick reflexes to get down to the shot, Callender was able to keep it out - quite possibly one of the best saves we’ve seen at this summer’s Leagues Cup.
Later in the game, on 73 minutes, Alejandro Bedoya reduced the deficit for the hosts. The goal came from a corner, and Callender could do nothing about the close-range shot.
The attacking armada led by Lionel Messi, the tournament’s top scorer with nine goals, is backed up by a goalkeeper who is able to make decisive stops to keep his team in the game. Will this winning combination lead Inter Miami CF to the Leagues Cup title?
