Orlando City SC (4-4-4, 16 points) at Inter Miami CF (5-7-0, 15 points)
When: Saturday, 7:30 p.m.
Where: DRV PNK Stadium, Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
TV: MLS Season Pass on Apple TV (subscription required)
Radio: Real Radio 104.1 (English), Acción 97.9 FM (Spanish)
Official Watch Party presented by Heineken Silver: Game Room Social Club (55 N Orange Ave, Orlando, FL 32801)
As Orlando City prepares to meet in-state rival Inter Miami in Fort Lauderdale, here's everything you need to know to get ready for kickoff in The Road Ahead presented by Audi:
Milestone watch
-- Robin Jansson will become Orlando City’s all-time regular season games played leader with his next appearance, passing Chris Mueller. The two are currently even at 112 MLS appearances each. Jansson is already the club’s all-time leader in appearances (all competitions), minutes played, and MLS matches started.
-- Antonio Carlos’ next appearance will be his 90th in all competitions for Orlando City, and his next start will be his 80th for the club. The Brazilian has started six consecutive MLS matches since returning from injury.
-- Mauricio Pereyra is two starts away from 100 for the club in all competitions. The captain made his return from a thigh injury on Wednesday night against NYCFC, playing 31 minutes and contributing three key passes off the bench.
Stats and storylines
-- Ercan Kara found the back of the net once again on Wednesday night, his second straight game with a goal and his third in his last four MLS matches. Kara now has 16 goals in his Orlando City career, moving him past Facundo Torres for sole possession of ninth place in club history. Kara is three goals behind Benji Michel and Daryl Dike for seventh.
-- Over the past 365 days, Kara is in the 93rd percentile of all forwards in MLS and comparable leagues with 0.65 non-penalty goals per 90 minutes, according to Football Reference. Kara has four goals in just 462 minutes played in all competitions this year.
-- File this one under the bizarre stats category: Orlando City is an unbeaten 2-0-4 when having fewer expected goals (xG) than its opponents this year, while the club is 2-4-0 when achieving a higher xG total than its opposition.
Series history
All-time vs. Inter Miami - 4-3-3, -1 GD (1-3-0, - GD away)
MLS only vs. Inter Miami - 4-3-2, -1 GD (1-3-0, - GD away)
- 2020 - W 2-1 (N), L 2-1 (A), W 2-1 (H), L 2-1 (A)
- 2021 - W 1-2 (A), D 1-1 (H), D 0-0 (H)
- 2022 - D 1-1 (4-2) (H/USOC), W 1-0 (H), L 4-1 (A)
Meet the opponent: Inter Miami CF
-- Last year’s trip to Fort Lauderdale was the first time in the 10-game history of the Florida Derby (or El Clasico del Sol, if you prefer) where the final margin was larger than one goal. The Lions will be out for revenge after Miami clinched a trip to the 2022 Audi MLS Cup Playoffs against them with a 4-1 win last October 5.
-- Orlando’s lone win in four trips to DRV PNK Stadium came in June of 2021, when Nani assisted Chris Mueller’s equalizer and scored an outside-the-box winner to lead the Lions to a 2-1 comeback victory. Inter Miami has never won in Orlando.
-- Miami made one of the bigger splashes of the offseason when they signed former Landon Donovan MLS MVP Josef Martínez, one of the most iconic villains in Orlando City history. Josef scored eight goals in 10 appearances against the Lions as a member of Atlanta United, winning the MVP and the Golden Boot in the Five Stripes’ MLS Cup-winning 2018 season. Martínez has eased off his record-breaking pace since a 2020 ACL tear, though, scoring a more modest but still impressive 24 goals in 60 games since the injury.
-- The Herons also feature former Lion Kamal Miller, whom they acquired along with $1.3 million in General Allocation Money from Montréal in exchange for Bryce Duke and Ariel Lassiter. Miller played for Orlando City from 2019-20 after being taken out of Syracuse near the top of the second round in the 2019 MLS SuperDraft. Miller spent the last two years with Montréal and played for his native Canada at the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
Don't miss Kickoff -60, airing one hour before Orlando City's match against Miami, exclusively on the LionNation App. Join host Gabrielle Amado and Orlando City’s English-language radio talents Evan Weston and Paul Shaw as they break down the upcoming match, with special guests appearing regularly throughout the season.
Fans can download the LionNation App at the link here.
