WAS I DREAMING? 🤩 A first-half hat-trick by Luis Muriel? 😮 Incredible! Orlando City SC head into Sunday’s Sunshine Clásico against Inter Miami riding high, having qualified for the 2025 Leagues Cup knockout stage with a 5-1 win over Necaxa. By finishing fourth in the MLS table, we’ve now set up a quarter-final with Toluca at Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, California.
Now back in MLS action, we’re out to protect our unbeaten home record against Miami (3-4-0). A win here would not only give us huge momentum, but secure a famous season sweep. Our legs may be tired from a packed schedule. But hopefully, adrenaline can carry us past the South Florida team we all love to beat! Lionel Messi’s absence gives us a psychological boost – but let’s not pretend this will be easy.
Last time out
On Wednesday, Orlando City SC delivered one of their most enjoyable halves ever, racing into a 4-0 first-half lead before sealing a 5-1 win over Necaxa to close out phase one of the 2025 Leagues Cup. After a tense wait on Thursday’s results, City have officially finished fourth out of 18 MLS teams, qualifying for the quarter-finals with 7 points and a +6 goal difference – edging out fifth-placed Portland Timbers (+5) by the narrowest of margins. 🥀😏 It was a record-breaking night at Inter&Co Stadium, with Luis Muriel bagging the fastest hat-trick in both club and Leagues Cup history, netting three times in just 11 first-half minutes! Muriel hadn’t scored since May, so these goals were long overdue. Martín Ojeda also added two goals and an assist, extending his jaw-dropping goal contribution streak to 13 straight matches (8 goals, 12 assists). Reaching a club-record 29 goal contributions against Atlas, Tincho is now on 32 this season (16 goals, 16 assists) – simply outstanding! Ojeda’s first goal was a brilliantly struck volley – a must-watch strike that is probably our goal of the season so far! Iván Angulo also impressed, chipping in with two assists to bring his season tally to nine. Elsewhere, Robin Jansson reached 20,000 career minutes in purple and Alex Freeman picked up his fifth assist of 2025. Knowing we needed a big win, Oscar Pareja’s men were ruthless with a fierce determination to advance.
Last head-to-head
On May 18, Orlando City SC finally beat a Lionel Messi-led Inter Miami side at the third attempt! In a commanding 0-3 performance, we silenced Fort Lauderdale and claimed our first derby day victory there since May 2023. Goals from Luis Muriel, Marco Pašalić, and Dagur Dan Thórhallsson sealed the deal, while Pedro Gallese delivered an outstanding performance when called upon. Extending our unbeaten run to 11 games in MLS (5-6-0), and 12 in all competitions, the Lions were tactically disciplined and ruthless in transition. Muriel opened the scoring with a clinical finish after a brilliant long ball from Gallese. Then Pašalić doubled our advantage early in the second-half with a deflected strike. With Miami throwing numbers forward, City held their shape, blocked everything, and punished an embarrassing defensive display on the break. Thórhallsson’s late third put the exclamation mark on a truly dominant showing where we never looked like conceding. Messi huffed and puffed (literally!) but was largely kept quiet, with Robin Jansson and Rodrigo Schlegel marshalling the backline superbly.
What’s at stake this time?
The big news? Lionel Messi will miss Sunday’s clash after picking up a minor muscle injury against Necaxa. It’s the third straight MLS trip to Orlando he’s skipped – after missing visits in September 2023 and May 2024. Maybe he’s scared? 🤣 Before the Leagues Cup, Orlando earned a huge 1-3 win at Columbus Crew, moving us to 41 points — just three behind the Crew (44). But with Inter Miami on 42 points and holding three games in hand over both sides, this one’s a must-win if we want to close the gap on the top four. With a Leagues Cup quarter-final still to come, fixture congestion looms large. And we’ve burned out before. Remember Nashville SC, who knocked us out of the U.S. Open Cup during a jam-packed May? As my good friend John Rawlins tweeted: “Tired legs give up easy goals”. That’s why it’s vital Muriel and Angulo build on their rejuvenated form. A win here would also mark our first-ever season sweep of Inter Miami, following our famous 0-3 victory in Fort Lauderdale. Our first win against a Messi-led Miami, it’s one of just four league losses they’ve suffered all year. Both sides went 2-1-0 in phase one of the Leagues Cup, though Miami edged Necaxa on penalties, while we came up short against Pumas UNAM. Soccer fans around the world will be fixing their eyes on Inter&Co Stadium, so let’s make another statement! Last but not least, Sunday’s game could also see Tyrese Spicer and Adrián Marín make their City debuts after joining this past week.
Opposition danger men
🇺🇾 Luis Suárez (5 goals, 10 assists – 2025 MLS)
🇻🇪 Telasco Segovia (7 goals, 5 assists – 2025 MLS)
🇦🇷 Tadeo Allende (7 goals, 1 assist – 2025 MLS)
🇪🇸 Jordi Alba (1 goal, 8 assists – 2025 MLS)
New opposition faces
🇺🇸 William Yarbrough (free agent)
🇦🇷 Rodrigo De Paul (on loan from Atlético Madrid)
Injuries
🇵🇪 Wilder Cartagena (right leg) – SEI
🇫🇷 Joran Gerbet (thigh) – out
🇺🇸 Duncan McGuire (shoulder) – out
🇯🇵 Yutaro Tsukada (knee) – SEI
🇺🇸 Drake Callender (sports hernia) – out
🇦🇷 Lionel Messi (hamstring) – out
🇪🇨 Allen Obando (hamstring) – questionable
🇦🇷 Oscar Ustari (hamstring) – questionable
*SEI – Season-Ending Injury List (Unavailable)
Suspensions
None
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Orlando City SC vs Inter Miami
Last 3 head-to-heads
- March 2, 2024: Inter Miami 5 Orlando City SC 0 (MLS)
- May 15, 2024: Orlando City SC 0 Inter Miami 0 (MLS)
- May 18, 2025: Inter Miami 0 Orlando City SC 3 (MLS)
2020/25 head-to-head stats
- It was 0-3 to Orlando the last time the sides met (May 2025)
- Played Inter Miami 14 times in MLS – Orlando 6, Draws 4, Miami 4
- Orlando have scored in their last 18 straight games across all competitions
- Orlando have scored 3 or more goals in 11 of our 30 matches across all competitions this year
- Inter Miami have never won at Inter&Co Stadium in 7 attempts across all competitions (0-4-3)
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Watching the game
Orlando City SC vs Inter Miami will be shown live on Apple TV at 01:00 (GMT) on Monday, August 11.
Remember, UK supporters can watch all of Orlando City SC’s 2025 MLS regular season fixtures by subscribing to Apple TV’s “MLS Season Pass”.
Subscribe now by clicking here.
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