Orlando City (7-7-4, 25 pts.) and Inter Miami (6-7-4, 22 pts.) are set for their first regular-season derby clash of the year at Exploria Stadium this Saturday after the Lions knocked the Herons out of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup back in May. This weekend’s match, presented by Heineken, is set to kick off at 8 p.m. ET and will be televised locally on FOX35 PLUS and LionNation TV, with pre-game coverage beginning at 7:30 p.m. ET. Local radio coverage will be available from 7:30 p.m. ET on FM 96.9 the Game in English and Acción 97.9 FM in Spanish.
Here’s everything you need to know about Inter Miami:
Key Transactions and Player News
Key Additions - AM Alejandro Pozuelo (Toronto FC), CF Leonardo Campana (Wolves, loan), F Indiana Vassilev (Aston Villa, loan), CM Jean Mota (Santos), RB DeAndre Yedlin (Galatasaray), CB Damion Lowe (Al Ittihad), D Chris McVey (Elfsborg), AM Bryce Duke (LAFC), CF Ariel Lassiter (Houston Dynamo), AM Robert Taylor (Brann)
Key Departures - AM Rodolfo Pizarro (Monterrey, loan), CM Blaise Matuidi (retirement), RW/AM Lewis Morgan (New York Red Bulls), CF Julián Carranza (Philadelphia Union), CB Leandro González Pirez (River Plate), CB Nicolás Figal (Boca Juniors), LB/CB Christian Makoun (Charlotte FC), AM Federico Higuaín (retirement)
News - Inter Miami made a major splash this week, acquiring attacking midfielder Alejandro Pozuelo from Toronto FC as a Designated Player. Pozuelo was the 2020 Landon Donovan MLS MVP and has produced 26 goals and 31 assists in 88 league appearances for the Reds, including four goals and five assists this season.
Take a look at Miami’s full roster here.
Team Form
Inter Miami has managed to stick around in the Audi MLS Cup Playoffs race, with the club stationed three points below the red line with a game in hand. Miami’s current points per game sits at 1.29, which would be a club record. Center forward Leonardo Campana, who has displaced Argentine star Gonzalo Higuaín in the starting lineup, scored his eighth goal of the season in the 89th minute to nab Miami a point in Dallas on Monday night. Overall, Miami is 3-1-1 in its last five MLS matches.
Head-to-Head
Orlando has a 3-2-3 record overall against Miami, with the teams drawing their last three encounters. However, that last draw was in the U.S. Open Cup, which meant the game went to a penalty-kick shootout, where the Lions emerged victorious thanks to a key save from Mason Stajduhar. City actually trailed in the match after Jean Mota scored the opener minutes into extra time, but Facundo Torres tied the game up just a few moments later to send it to penalties.
Rasmussen University Fact
The Florida Derby, El Clásico del Sol, whatever you want to call it – Orlando vs. Miami has delivered time in and time out. All eight games in the budding rivalry have been decided by one goal or fewer, with the result-decider coming in the second half or later in every match.
