Orlando City
Orlando City vs. Inter Miami CF: Preview, How to Watch, TV Info, Live Stream, Lineups, Match Thread, and More
Orlando City heads down the Florida Turnpike in search of more points.
Welcome to your match thread for a Saturday night Tropic Thunder matchup between Orlando City (4-4-4, 16 points) and the team’s Publix Enemies, Inter Miami CF (5-7-0, 15 points), at DRV PNK Stadium (7:30 p.m., MLS Season Pass on Apple TV+). It’s the first of two scheduled regular-season meetings between the in-state and Eastern Conference rivals in 2023, with the Herons scheduled to make the return trip north on the Florida Turnpike on Sept. 24.
Here’s what you need to know ahead of the match.
History
Orlando City is 4-3-2 in this fledgling series (but only 1-3-0 on the road) in the regular season and 4-3-3 in all competitions. The most recent meeting took place at DRV PNK Stadium and saw the only scoreline in the series so far in which the winner had more than a one-goal margin, as Inter Miami won, 4-1, on Oct. 5, 2022. Leonardo Campana scored in the game’s first minute and Orlando City never settled in. Gonzalo Higuain added two goals — one from the spot — and Ariel Lassiter also scored before Ercan Kara pulled one back to spoil the shutout.
The first regular-season meeting of 2022 resulted in a 1-0 Orlando City win at Exploria Stadium on July 9 as a stoppage-time own goal by Damion Lowe was the difference between the Lions earning just one point or all three. The ball was sent into the box by Jake Mulraney.
The teams also met at Exploria Stadium on May 25, 2022 in U.S. Open Cup action, with the two sides needing extra time after a scoreless 90 minutes. In extra time, Miami got a goal from Jean Mota against the run of play, but Facundo Torres quickly equalized for Orlando. The match ended 1-1 and Orlando won the ensuing penalty shootout, 4-2. Bryce Duke was denied by Mason Stajduhar and DeAndre Yedlin missed the net during the spot kicks, while all four Orlando shooters scored.
The intrastate rivals played to a scoreless draw in Orlando on Aug. 27, 2021. Tesho Akindele missed a penalty in the match, but the Lions had several other good opportunities to score (but didn’t) in a wasteful performance. Orlando and Miami battled to a 1-1 draw at Exploria Stadium on Aug. 4, 2021. Antonio Carlos scored in first-half stoppage time but was knocked into concussion protocol on the play by Kelvin Leerdam. Kieran Gibbs equalized in the 66th minute on a header in front of a less-than-attentive Ruan. Akindele had a goal called back after video review for being offside and the teams split the points. Earlier in the season, the Lions came from behind in Fort Lauderdale to win 2-1 on a pair of brilliant goals by Chris Mueller and Nani on June 25, 2021.
In the final meeting of 2020, the Lions saw their 12-match unbeaten streak end on Oct. 24 in a 2-1 road loss in Fort Lauderdale. Miami defender Leandro Gonzalez Pirez’s header in the 89th minute was the difference after a Daryl Dike goal and an own goal off Robin Jansson saw the game tied up at halftime. The teams met in Orlando on Sept. 12 of 2020 with Orlando battling to a 2-1 win on Mauricio Pereyra’s goal. The Lions had taken the lead on an own goal by Andres Reyes. Former Lion Brek Shea tied things up in the 65th, before Pereyra answered with a nice goal off the left post in the 69th minute.
The first meeting in Fort Lauderdale opened Phase 1 of Major League Soccer’s return to regular-season play after the MLS is Back Tournament. That one was an uncharacteristically sloppy match for the Lions, who fell 3-2 in Inter Miami’s first-ever home match. It was Miami’s first franchise win after an 0-5-0 start. Orlando trailed by more than one goal for the first time all season in that game. Dike and Nani provided the offense for Orlando but Julian Carranza’s brace and Rodolfo Pizarro’s insurance goal were enough to lift the Herons.
The first Tropic Thunder match went Orlando City’s way, with Nani scoring late to lift the Lions to a 2-1 win over the upstarts from South Florida in the opening match of the MLS is Back Tournament. Despite it being a tournament match, it was also a league game. Juan Agudelo opened the scoring for the Herons, but Mueller equalized, setting the stage for Nani’s 97th-minute winner.
Overview
The Lions are coming off back-to-back draws, including a plodding 1-1 effort Wednesday night at home against New York City FC. Orlando City has gone four straight matches (in all competitions) without a win (0-2-2). The Lions are also on a poor run of road form, going 0-2-1 in their last three games away from Exploria Stadium. Still, the club is a respectable 2-1-2 on the road in 2023.
Inter Miami is coming off a 2-1 loss in Nashville on Saturday. The Herons have been a streaky team, starting the season with consecutive wins over Montreal and Philadelphia and then losing their next six games in a row before beating Columbus, Atlanta, and New England in the runup to the trip to Nashville. Location has been critical for Miami, as the club is 4-2-0 at home this season vs. 1-5-0 on the road.
It’s a rivalry game, so anything can happen. History suggests it’ll be tight.
The Lions will need to deal with Miami’s duo of Campana and former Atlanta United star Josef Martinez. So far this season, Martinez leads the club in goals (3), just ahead of Campana (2), but the South Floridians have been taking a goals-by-committee approach in 2023, with 10 different players finding the net in league play. Compare that to just five different Orlando City scorers this season.
Miami has been better on transition opportunities but that doesn’t mean Inter doesn’t want the ball. Orlando may be better served to let the hosts have more of the possession and make them string together long sequences to get scoring chances.
“We always have the responsibility to win. Miami is a team that is also trying to find their best form at this point of the season, like many others, including us,” Orlando City Head Coach Oscar Pareja said. “They are players that we recognize, some of them young, the other ones have more experience in the league. It’s very level the league in that aspect, but we recognize in the details what their strengths and their weaknesses are. At this point, we’re trying to find our best form.”
The Lions will be without Luca Petrasso (thigh), and young defenders Michael Halliday and Thomas Williams, who are both on international duty with the United States U-20 team. Miami will not have Gregore (Lisfranc), Jean Mota (knee), or Rodolfo Pizarro (hamstring), while Edison Azcona (Dominican Republic) and David Ruiz (Honduras) are also on duty in the U-20 World Cup. In addition, the Herons list Sergii Kryvtsov (calf) and Robbie Robinson (calf) as questionable.
Match Content
Here’s your match content for this one:
- The most recent episode of the PawedCast includes our key matchups and predictions for tonight and a preview with Ian Hest of The Heron Outlet.
- Our David Rohe provided his three keys to an Orlando City victory.
Official Lineups:
Orlando City (4-2-3-1)
Goalkeeper: Pedro Gallese.
Defenders: Rafael Santos, Robin Jansson, Antonio Carlos, Kyle Smith.
Defensive Midfielders: Cesar Araujo, Wilder Cartagena.
Attacking Midfielders: Gaston Gonzalez, Facundo Torres, Ivan Angulo.
Forward: Ercan Kara.
Bench: Mason Stajduhar, Alex Freeman, Rodrigo Schlegel, Felipe, Dagur Dan Thorhallsson, Mauricio Pereyra, Martin Ojeda, Ramiro Enrique, Duncan McGuire.
Inter Miami (3-4-3)
Goalkeeper: Drake Callender.
Defenders: Kamal Miller, Sergii Kryvstov, Christopher McVey.
Wingbacks / Midfielders: Franco Negri, Benjamin Cremaschi, Dixon Arroyo, DeAndre Yedlin.
Forwards: Joseph Martinez, Leonardo Campana, Corentin Jean.
Bench: Nick Marsman, Noah Allen, Harvey Neville, Ian Fray, Ryan Sailor, Victor Ulloa, Robert Taylor, Nicolas Stefanelli, Shanyder Borgelin.
Referees:
REF: Ramy Touchan.
AR1: Cory Richardson.
AR2: Diego Blas.
4TH: Kevin Lock.
VAR: Guido Gonzales Jr.
AVAR: Craig Lowry.
How to Watch
Match Time: 7:30 p.m.
Venue: DRV PNK Stadium — Fort Lauderdale.
TV/Live Stream: MLS Season Pass on Apple TV+.
Radio: Real Radio 104.1 FM (English), Acción 97.9 FM, 810 AM (Spanish).
Twitter: For rapid reaction and live updates, follow along at @TheManeLand, as well as Orlando City’s official Twitter feed (@OrlandoCitySC).
Enjoy the game. Go City!