After suffering their heaviest defeat of the season, crashing out of the Conacacaf Champions Cup to the Vancouver Whitecaps by a 3-1 score, Javier Mascherano will need to refocus his Inter Miami side returning to MLS play. It can be tough after emotions run high in an elimination in arguably the biggest match of Miami’s history so far, but the season is far from over.
They’ll be participating in the Club World Cup this summer as well as the Leagues Cup, so regaining their MLS form and getting Luis Suarez going will be key. Already with two consecutive losses in all competitions, things can quickly spiral if the Herons aren’t able to make it past the Red Bulls at home.
Here are storylines, how you can watch the match, and more:
How to watch Inter Miami vs. New York Red Bulls, odds
- Date: Saturday, May 3 | Time: 7:30 p.m. ET
- Location: Chase Stadium — Fort Lauderdale, Florida
- Live stream: MLS Season Pass
- Odds: Inter Miami -170; Draw +320; New York Red Bulls +425
Last meeting
These teams last met almost a year ago today, and it was quite a match. The New York Red Bulls went into the half with a narrow one-goal lead via Dante Vanzier before Lionel Messi took over in the second half of play. With a goal and five assists, Messi was able to lead Miami to an eventual 6-2 victory that also included a second-half hat trick for Luis Suarez. That could bring a breath of fresh air into this match with Suarez needing to end a nine-game scoreless streak.
What the coaches are saying
For Miami, they need to figure out who is next to help out in the attack after Messi and Javier Mascherano recognizes that. In his pre-match press conference, he spoke about that dependence and if Miami is going to perform in the biggest moments, they need help. Last season, Leonardo Campana, Robert Taylor and Suarez were able to do that, but so far this season, no one has stepped up to fill that second or third attacker role.
“In other words, when you have a player like Messi, you’re clearly going to develop a dependency on him. It’s impossible not to depend on him,” Mascherano said. “It’s clear that there are days when the team perhaps helps him more and other days when it helps him less.”
The team will always look to Messi, and that’s natural, but given that Messi is also a willing passer, more members of the Herons need to be getting into good spaces in order to utilize that. Miami’s still in a good spot in the league standings, but they need to get back on track sooner rather than later due to how high expectations are surrounding the team.
Predicted lineups
Inter Miami: Oscar Ustari, Jordi Alba, Noah Allen, Gonzalo Lujan, Marcelo Weigandt, Yannick Bright, Sergio Busquets, Benjamin Cremaschi, Tadeo Allende, Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez
New York Red Bulls: Carlos Miguel, Omar Valencia, Noah Eile, Sean Nealis, Kyle Duncan, Peter Stroud, Filipe Carballo, Cameron Harper, Emil Forsberg, Wikelman Carmona, Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting
Player to watch
Luis Suarez, Inter Miami: Last season, Suarez was in the running for the Golden Boot with 21 goals and nine assists in league play. This season, he now has one goal and five assists in the league. While the creativity has been useful, it was more when Tadeo Allende was scoring for fun to open up the season, and like Miami, it has now cooled off. With Suarez now being 38 and having a history of chronic knee injuries, a nine-match scoreless run does begin to raise concerns. it’s something that’s easy to end with a few goals, but both he and Miami needs them sooner rather than later.
Storyline to watch
Is this a blip or a rut for the Herons?: After such a big loss to the Vancouver Whitecaps, it’s important for Miami to show that this isn’t a trend. Their loss to FC Dallas in their last MLS match is something that can be looked past due to being between their Concacaf Champions Cup fixtures, but when it comes to facing the Red Bulls, there’s nothing on the horizon ahead and full focus needs to go to the match. Miami has dropped down to fifth in the Eastern Conference during this run, and even winning their game in hand, they can only climb as high as second, which would be a disappointment for a team expected to win everything in their path.
Prediction
While the Red Bulls defense has been strong this season, their lack of goals is what’s going to bite them here. Miami may have struggled defensively, but those struggles have been against teams with serious attacking power that the Red Bulls don’t have. Even with just Messi scoring, one goal will be enough to win at home. Pick: Inter Miami 1, New York Red Bulls 0
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