Two of the hottest teams in the MLS Eastern Conference go head-to-head at Chase Stadium this weekend.
It may not seem like it, but less than two months have passed since Inter Miami suffered a chastening 4-0 loss at the hands of the New York Red Bulls. Back in March the Herons, playing without the injured Lionel Messi, were thoroughly outplayed in the rain at Red Bull Arena and former player Lewis Morgan scored a stunning hat-trick.
This time around things will be a little different. Miami have Lionel Messi back in the team and in incredible form as they head into the rematch against NYRB. The Herons have also been able to strengthen their backline since the first fixture, bringing in Marcelo Weigandt and Nicolas Freire to fortify the defence. Here’s how head coach Tata Martino could start on Saturday...
Inter Miami predicted team: Drake Callender - Franco Negri, Nicolas Freire, Tomas Aviles, Marcelo Weigandt - David Ruiz, Sergio Busquets, Diego Gomez - Robert Taylor, Luis Suárez, Lionel Messi
Lionel Messi wins MLS Player of the Month
The Argentine began life in the United States with an incredible run of form in the 2023 Leagues Cup, dragging his new team to the first piece of silverware in franchise history. But the first months in MLS were not so easily for the former Barcelona star, suffering injuries that kept him sidelined for weeks at a time.
After missing four games due to a hamstring issue in March, Messi put together a string of stellar performances in April to clinch the MLS Player of the Month award. This is the first time he’s won the monthly prize in MLS and, with no CONCACAF Champions Cup distractions, he will be focused on domestic competition until the Copa América in June. Messi contributed six goals and four assists in four games to win the April award and earn resounding praise from his manager.
Speaking to reporters, Tata Martino said: “Messi is free to move and play in any position on the pitch, he is the best footballer in the world and a great goalscorer. We can’t limit his movement. Now we are not playing much and he has time to recover from the physical demands.”
Luis Suárez is expected to return to the Miami starting XI after featuring from the bench against the New England Revolution last weekend. The Revs’ Gillette Stadium has an artificial turf surface, something that Suárez specifically avoided during him time in Brazil. With Inter Miami back on home turf at Chase Stadium expect Messi and Suárez to lead the line for the Herons once again.