Inter Miami CF (3W-3D-8L, 12 points) returns to MLS regular season action on the road by facing Orlando City SC (8W-4D-4L, 28 points) on Wednesday, Aug. 4. The matchup at Exploria Stadium is set to start at 8 p.m. ET.
Where to Watch
The match will broadcast live regionally on My33, CW34, UniMás App, and the Inter Miami App. Fans worldwide can follow live updates including video highlights and stats on the Club’s App or through MLS LIVE on ESPN+. Download and Register your Profile here: https://www.intermiamicf.com/en/club/app.
Round Two vs. Orlando
Wednesday's fixture will be the second time the Club encounters Orlando City SC this campaign. The last time the teams opposed each other was when Inter Miami hosted Orlando in a 1-2 loss on June 25. Miami will be in search of extending its current run of positive results at Exploria Stadium after claiming four points in its last two matches.
Inter Miami will be without Leandro González Pirez in the match, with the defender serving a one-game yellow card accumulation suspension.
Gathering Momentum
Inter Miami enters the game undefeated in its last two games, claiming four points after tying 1-1 against 2020 MLS Supporters’ Shield winners the Philadelphia Union on July 25 and defeating CF Montréal 2-1 on July 31.
Gonzalo Higuaín's Form
Inter Miami CF travels to Central Florida this week after its 2-1 win at home against Montréal on Saturday. Gonzalo Higuaín was the star of the night, bagging a brace and earning Heineken Man of the Match and MLS Team of the Week honors; the Argentine is the team’s top scorer with seven goals this campaign.
Pizarro Returns
Rodolfo Pizarro returns to Inter Miami following the completion of international duty with the Mexican National Team and will be eligible to play on Wednesday.
The midfielder joined Mexico ahead of the quarterfinals of the Concacaf Gold Cup and went on to appear in the following three matches. He came off the bench in the quarterfinals against Honduras, semifinals against Canada, and final against the United States. Pizarro registered an assist on the winning goal in the semifinals in the 99th minute of the match, but fell to the United States in the final in extra time, registering 44 minutes played in the match.
Familiar Faces
The match may also feature reunions between former teammates or rivals for Inter Miami and Orlando City SC players. Gonzalo Higuaín battled on the field against Orlando’s Alexandre Pato in the UEFA Champions League on several occasions between 2009 and 2011 during his time playing for some of the top teams in European soccer. The last time they faced each other in the prestigious club competition Higuaín’s Real Madrid drew 2-2 against Pato’s AC Milan. Higuaín’s latest encounter with Pato was in an International Friendly where Argentina clashed against Brazil; the match ended 4-3 in favor of Higuaín and Argentina.
Midfielders Gregore and Federico Higuaín have had several encounters at the club level with Orlando City players down in South America. Gregore faced Orlando City’s Antônio Carlos and Pato in Brazil in the Campeonato Brasileiro Série A while playing for EC Bahia. Antônio Carlos played with Palmeiras in 2018, facing Gregore’s Bahia in two matches. Pato’s Sao Paulo played Bahia twice in the competition during Gregore’s tenure. Federico Higuaín played with Club Atlético Colón against Orlando 's Emmanuel Más and Mauricio Pereyra in Argentina 's Torneo Inicial in the 2011-12 season.
Goalkeeper Nick Marsman played against Orlando winger Silvester van der Water in round 16 of the KNVB Beker in the Netherlands during the 2020-21 season. The match ended in a 3-2 in favor of Marsman’s Feyenoord.
Lastly, Gonzalo Higuaín also participated in international matches against Orlando’s Más and Pedro Gallese. Higuaín shared the pitch three times with Más for Argentina in World Cup qualifiers in 2015 and 2016.The last game played together was against Chile where Argentina won 1-0. Meanwhile, Orlando goalkeeper Gallese rivaled Higuaín’s Argentina with Peru in a World Cup qualifying match in 2016; Higuaín scored a goal in the fixture that ended in a 2-2 draw.
Orlando City's Record
Orlando will enter this week’s fixture after their 3-2 win against Atlanta United at home in the team’s last game. In 2021, Orlando has eight wins, four draws and four losses, with Nani leading the team with eight goals so far this season.
Phil Neville Said
"There’s been a real buzz around the place and we’re going into the game against Orlando in really good shape in terms of the attitude and the commitment of the players. I think what we’ve spoken long and hard about now, in terms of the attitude, [and] in terms of the performance levels, now the benchmarks have been set and we know the levels that we are now capable of and have to maintain."
