Inter Miami v Orlando City match preview
One of the fiercest rivalries in the MLS resumes in the semi-finals of the Leagues Cup on Wednesday, when Orlando City will attempt to inflict a third defeat of the season on the 2023 winners of the competition, Inter Miami.
USMNT newcomer Alex Freeman has added motivation after the Orlando defender was rejected in trials for Miami before joining City’s academy.
“I started off trying out as a winger, as a striker, so it was different,” reflected the 21-year-old. “But I would lie if I said it didn’t drive me forward.
“It gave me time to look back and know that I need to do more, that maybe I wasn’t good enough and needed to work even harder. It gave me the energy to train more and better myself.
“It’s a derby and we know we’ve got quality but we’ve also got to fight and want it more than them. We know how much is on the line.”
Lionel Messi and Jordi Alba have trained fully since missing Miami’s 1-1 draw at DC United on Saturday through injuries.
“Whether Messi is or isn’t playing, we have the same mentality to go out there, be the best and try to win,” added Freeman.
Miami defenders Noah Allen and Ian Fray also know more than most about the rivalry, having grown up in South Florida.
“We’re both younger teams in the MLS, so the rivalry’s still building,” said Allen, via the Miami Herald.
“But since youth academies, the truth is I’ve hated Orlando – just playing against them, it’s not anything personal.
“II have a lot of respect for the players and club but the goal every time we play them is to beat them. Since our first year, there have been games where there’s kicking each other and fouling each other.”
Orlando beat Miami 4-1 at home in August and 3-0 away in May. “Credit to them,” said Fray. “They’ve played really, really well against us.
“If you watch some of their other games, when you watch them against us, they turn it up a notch and we have to figure that out.
“It’s a huge game – the semi-final of the Leagues Cup after they beat us twice this season – so we’re looking to change that.”
Inter Miami v Orlando City team news
Ecuador forward Allen Obando missed Miami’s draw with DC with a hamstring problem but midfielder Baltasar Rodriguez, who had been a doubt with a hip issue, came off the bench.
Assistant manager Javier Morales sounded hopeful about Messi’s return from a hamstring injury and Alba’s comeback from a knee complaint but did not confirm that either will be ready.
Morales will take charge of the team because boss Javier Mascherano is suspended as a result of his red card in the 2-1 home win over Tigres in the quarter-finals.
Forward Duncan McGuire missed Orlando’s 5-1 MLS defeat at Nashville with a shoulder injury.
Midfielder Wilder Cartagena (left Achilles tendon surgery) and forward Yutaro Tsukada (left knee surgery) are out for the season.
Inter Miami v Orlando City predicted line-ups
Inter Miami starting XI: Ustari, Fray, Falcon, Allen, Alba, Busquets, Bright, Allende, De Paul, Suarez, Messi
Orlando starting XI: Gallese, Smith, Schlegel, Jansson, Marin, Araujo, Gerbet, Thorhallsson, Spicer, Rodriguez, Enrique
How to watch Inter Miami v Orlando City: Live stream, TV channel
Kick-off on Wednesday is at 20:30 ET (17:30 PT on Wednesday/ 01:30 on Thursday BST), with live coverage available through the MLS Season Pass on Apple TV+.
In the US, a subscription costs $14.99 a month or $69 a season. Existing Apple TV+ subscribers pay $12.99 per month or $59 a season.
Inter Miami v Orlando City stats
- Orlando were on a four-match winless run against Miami before beating them twice this season (D2 L2)
- City have won both of their away games in this season’s competition on penalties, beating Pumas and Toluca
- Argentinian midfielder Martin Ojeda’s next goal will tie him with Nani at third in Orlando history, with 31
- Ojeda has the second-most assists of all time for Orlando and is six away from matching Mauricio Pereyra’s record of 47
- Former Colombia forward Luis Muriel has 12 goals and five assists in 32 appearances in all competitions this season, including an 11-minute hat-trick against Necaxa during the group stage
- No players still involved in the competition can better the three goals each scored by Luis Muriel and Miami’s Luis Suarez in the 2025 Leagues Cup
- Messi has 25 goals and 11 assists in 32 appearances this season, although the Miami captain is yet to score in the Leagues Cup, in which he has played for 101 minutes and set up two goals on his only start
- Miami are unbeaten in nine home games in all competitions, winning eight times along the way
- They have won all four of their home games against MLS opponents in the Leagues Cup, including a 3-1 victory over Orlando in August 2023 in which Messi scored twice
- Uruguay record scorer Suarez ended a three-game wait for a direct goal contribution against Pumas, scoring once and setting up another two before converting penalties in either half against Tigres, including the 89th-minute winner
Inter Miami v Orlando City prediction
With the usual disclaimer that Messi’s presence could prove pivotal, the 50-50 feel to this tie makes going with form seem sensible, meaning a 4-2 win for Orlando, who have comprehensively had the measure of Miami twice this season.
Those results and Miami’s victory in 2023 give both teams cause for revenge. The winners will qualify for the 2026 CONCACAF Champions Cup and meet the Seattle Sounders or LA Galaxy in the final on August 31.
