A state rivalry in Florida will be renewed on Wednesday when Orlando City welcome Inter Miami to Inter and Co Stadium in MLS action.
The Lions ended a three-match winless run over the weekend, claiming a narrow 3-2 victory over the Philadelphia Union, while the Herons won for a fifth successive time in this competition, defeating CF Montreal 3-2.
Match preview
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It was another thrilling affair featuring Orlando City over the weekend, with the Lions collecting only their third victory of the regular season and moving up to 11th in the Eastern Conference table, two points behind the Philadelphia Union for the final playoff spot.
Eight of their 12 points in MLS this season have come when conceding the opening goal, while they have lost two of their last three domestic encounters when netting the opener.
In 2024, the Lions have just two points in their four domestic home games against Eastern Conference opponents, winning only once at Inter and Co Stadium this year (2-0 versus Austin FC).
Oscar Pareja's side are just two points behind the Philadelphia Union for the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference but have not won consecutive league fixtures all year.
Since giving up three goals to Minnesota United in early March, the Lions have conceded a goal or fewer in three of their previous four encounters on home soil.
If they lose on Wednesday, it will mark the first time that they suffer three successive defeats at home in this competition since the end of 2022 (three).
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Down but not out has been the storyline for the Herons in 2024, and their never-say-die attitude enabled them to overcome another early deficit on Saturday.
Tata Martino's side are becoming accustomed to falling behind early before coming to life, winning on Saturday for a sixth time domestically this season despite conceding first.
Their victory in Montreal over the weekend was their fifth in a row, setting a new club record for a single season in the process.
Their resilience has enabled them to create a little separation in the Supporters' Shield standings, currently on 27 points, three above the previous team to lift that trophy, FC Cincinnati.
It seems to take a goal against to wake up their attack, but when they do, they have been virtually impossible to slow down, scoring a league-high 35 goals, 12 more than the next-highest side in MLS (Los Angeles Galaxy).
They have outscored the Lions 9-2 in their previous three meetings in all competitions but have never won an away match against them.
Team News
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Rafael Santos missed the previous Orlando fixture because of a shoulder problem, Tahir Reid-Brown sat out with a thigh issue and Ramiro Enrique did not feature due to an ankle injury.
Rodrigo Schlegel is eligible to return, having missed their weekend clash through suspension, while Dagur Dan Thorhallsson was no longer in concussion protocol, replacing Martin Ojeda just past the hour mark.
Duncan McGuire scored his sixth goal across all competitions on Saturday and his 21st overall, equalling Tesho Akindele for the seventh-most in club history, while Luis Muriel netted his first two goals for the Lions since moving from Serie A side Atalanta.
Miami were once again minus Diego Gomez, who has an ankle sprain, Jordi Alba was back training with the team but sat out due to a sore hamstring, Federico Redondo was out with an LCL issue and Robbie Robinson did not feature due to a problem with his knee.
Shanyder Borgelin was not on the team sheet due to a sore hamstring but might be back on Wednesday, Facundo Farias is out for the season with a torn ACL, Ian Fray may return soon from his previously torn ACL and Tomas Aviles is eligible to return from his yellow card suspension.
Over the weekend, Luis Suarez moved above his teammate Lionel Messi in the MLS Golden Boot race, scoring his 11th of the campaign, while Matias Rojas has three goals in his last two games and Benjamin Cremaschi netted his second of the domestic campaign.
Orlando City possible starting lineup:
Gallese; Brekalo, Cartagena, Jansson, Schlegel, Smith; Angulo, Ojeda, Lodeiro, Torres; McGuire
Inter Miami possible starting lineup:
Callender; Weigandt, Allen, Freire, Negri; Ruiz, Busquets, Bright, Rojas; Messi, Suarez
We say: Orlando City 2-4 Inter Miami
There are plenty of holes in the Miami backline, but being scored on seems to pick up their play, and we expect to see another strong reaction from that veteran group on Wednesday.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Joel Lefevre
