Charlotte FC will make their first ever trip to DRV PNK Stadium on Saturday with an opportunity to set a club record for the longest unbeaten run in their inaugural MLS campaign when they battle Inter Miami.
The Crown have won consecutive games for the second time this year, defeating Nashville SC 4-1 last Saturday, while Miami are without a victory in their previous three matches after a 2-1 defeat at home to the Philadelphia Union on Wednesday.
Match preview
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So far in 2022, the campaign in South Beach has gone up and down in waves, and right now, Phil Neville's side are on a downward trajectory.
It has been a streaky season for this club, who began the year by losing four in a row before winning three straight matches, then going winless in four and finally capturing two successive encounters prior to their current run.
They conceded the opening goal for a fifth successive encounter in midweek and were chasing the game while struggling to generate many chances in the final third.
When the Herons finally find the back of the net, it is usually far too late, scoring four goals in their last four matches with fewer than five minutes remaining of normal time.
They sit tied with Sporting Kansas City for the fewest goals scored in the league this season (19), and at the halfway point of the campaign, this team are starting to fall behind in the playoff chase, four points back of Charlotte in the Eastern Conference with four teams to catch.
It never seems to be a straightforward result when they hit the field, as they can get hot out of nowhere and then relapse into a dry spell just as quickly.
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A victory away from home seems to have reinvigorated the newest club to Major League Soccer, who have not suffered a defeat this month.
Since Christian Lattanzio replaced Miguel Angel Ramirez as the interim manager, this team look more cohesive and sharper technically which has translated into some solid performances on the field.
The questions in Charlotte throughout the year have centred mainly around two topics, their inability to win away from home and a lack of quality in the attacking third.
On their current run, they have answered both of those questions, edging the Houston Dynamo 2-1 in the Texas heat and following that up by setting a record for the most goals in one match in franchise history, when they defeated Nashville.
Their impressive run has them clinging to the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference with 26 points, a tremendous achievement for a side who are still trying to develop some continuity with one another on the pitch.
The Crown have managed to draw first blood in each of their previous two games, while winning their last three encounters when leading at half time.
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Team News
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Gonzalo Higuain got his name on the scoresheet for Miami in their defeat to Philly earlier this week, his third of the campaign, while Jean Mota picked up his second assist this year.
Fans have been anxiously waiting for Alejandro Pozuelo to make his debut after the former league MVP was traded to the Herons from Toronto FC about a week after the club signed forward Corentin Jean from Lens in Ligue 1.
Robbie Robinson has not seen the field since suffering a hamstring injury, while DeAndre Yedlin was the only player selected from Miami for the MLS all-star game on August 10, when the best players in the league take on the top stars of Liga MX.
Andre Shinyashiki has goals in back-to-back games for Charlotte, tallying a total of five on the season, one fewer than Karol Swiderski, who fired home the winner versus the Boys in Gold.
Christian Fuchs notched the opening goal in that match, and Sergio Ruiz tallied his first of the season for Charlotte in that emphatic triumph.
Ben Bender is up to five assists this season, as he had two in their victory last Saturday - leading the team in that department - while Yordy Reyna is now tied with Ruiz and Christian Ortiz for second after picking up his second assist of the year in that encounter.
Vinicius Mello is still out after undergoing left foot surgery, while Adam Armour continues to recover from his left knee surgery.
Inter Miami possible starting lineup:
Callender; Yedlin, Lowe, Sailor, Gibbs; Gregore, Ulloa; Taylor, Duke, Vassilev; Campana
Charlotte FC possible starting lineup:
Kahlina; Lindsey, Corujo, Walkes, Fuchs; Bronico; Jozwiak, Bender, Makoun, Reyna; Swiderski
We say: Inter Miami 1-2 Charlotte FC
It may be too early to tell if Charlotte have genuinely solved the issues which have plagued them this season, but they look far more comfortable and poised going forward, which is not the case in Miami at the moment.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Joel Lefevre
