Inter Miami can tie a club record for their longest unbeaten run at home in MLS when they host New York City FC on Saturday at DRV PNK Stadium.
The Herons settled for a 1-1 draw with Orlando City in their previous domestic encounter, putting them five points behind the Pigeons for the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference, while the Boys in Blue climbed above the postseason line thanks to a 3-0 victory over Toronto.
Match preview
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Fresh off a 2-1 defeat versus the Houston Dynamo in the final of the US Open Cup, Miami can now focus squarely on the MLS playoff race.
Since bringing in a trio of experienced footballers with championship pedigree, the Herons have gone from the worst team in the league to a Leagues Cup winner, but qualifying for the MLS Cup playoffs will be a steep hill to climb, as Miami are second from the bottom in the Eastern Conference with five teams above them in the postseason race and only five matches remaining.
They have not lost an MLS home game since Tata Martino took charge, winning their last two domestic fixtures played at DRV PNK Stadium while conceding in only one of their previous three league contests in Fort Lauderdale.
On the one hand, things look complicated for Inter Miami, given how many points they are below the postseason line and the number of teams they have in front of them, but on the other, it is pretty simple as all they need to do from here on out is win and they will qualify for the playoffs.
Should they fail to make the postseason, they will rue the opportunities missed over the past couple of months of the regular season, as Miami have squandered six points when leading in the second-half since the beginning of July.
This team have suffered nine MLS defeats by a single strike this season, conceding three winning goals to their opponents with fewer than 20 minutes to play.
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From a season that looked all but over just a couple of weeks ago, there is suddenly life in New York City as the Boys in Blue have reeled off back-to-back victories, putting them above the Eastern Conference playoff line.
New York City have posted three successive MLS clean sheets, while they only conceded one goal over their recent five-game homestand.
As a result, Nick Cushing's men are in control of their playoff destiny, currently a point above DC United for that final position, but two of their remaining three matches take place away from home where the Pigeons have struggled in 2023.
NYCFC have only emerged victorious from one away fixture in the 2023 regular season (1-0 win at CF Montreal), while they have let three second-half advantages slip away on the road, dropping six points in those three matches, while conceding a pair of equalising goals in stoppage time.
They have failed to find the back of the net in six road contests this season, scoring multiple times on only two occasions away from home in 2023.
The Pigeons have won seven of their eight previous meetings versus the Herons in all competitions, with their only defeat coming in this exact fixture last year (3-2).
Team News
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Two of the big three Miami signings over the summer, Lionel Messi and Jordi Alba, were absent at the US Open Cup final, and the status of each remains uncertain this weekend, the other big name Sergio Busquets played a full 90 minutes in the defeat to Houston, DeAndre Yedlin will be suspended for this clash after being cautioned in the draw versus Orlando City, Corentin Jean, Ian Fray and Franco Negri are all expected to be sidelined with ACL injuries, while Gregore is still out with a Lisfranc issue.
Facundo Farias has a goal contribution in his last three home matches in all competitions, setting up Josef Martinez for a consolation goal in their US Open Cup defeat on Wednesday.
Farias was one of four Miami goalscorers in their previous MLS encounter at DRV PNK Stadium when Robert Taylor notched a brace and Benjamin Cremaschi had one, while Drake Callender made two stops for a clean sheet as they defeated Toronto 4-0.
New York City will be without Maxi Moralez for the remainder of the season after he ruptured his right ACL in a 1-1 draw with the Vancouver Whitecaps, Keaton Parks missed their previous match with a sore ankle, while Richy Ledezma was forced out through suspension.
Andres Perea and Julian Fernandez each netted for the first time in the regular season with the Boys in Blue, Andres Jasson scored his first since late August, Talles Magno has a goal involvement in back-to-back contests and Matt Freese made four stops for his third successive MLS clean sheet.
In their previous meeting with the Herons this season, an own-goal by Christopher McVey gave NYCFC a 1-0 victory, with Luis Barraza collecting a shutout on that occasion.
Inter Miami possible starting lineup:
Callender; McVey, Kryvtsov, Aviles, Allen; Cremaschi, Busquets, Farias, Taylor; Campana, Martinez
New York City FC possible starting lineup:
Freese; Gray, Martins, Risa, Cufre; Sands, Perea; Jasson, Rodriguez, Magno; Bakrar
We say: Inter Miami 2-1 New York City FC
Tata Martino has proven to be a resourceful manager who seems to find an approach that works with the players available, and if Messi and Alba cannot play, there are still plenty of attacking options for a Miami side who have excelled under the Argentine boss.
NYCFC have a lot of momentum on their side, but they are playing a team that will have a much greater sense of urgency than Orlando City and Toronto, and we expect the Pigeons to be hindered by a well-organised Miami defensive unit.
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Top tip
Joel Lefevre
