Miami head coach Gerardo Martino is hoping Luis Suarez’s affect can encourage the workforce to victory as soon as once more after they welcome Philadelphia Union to Chase Stadium.
The Herons have already clinched an MLS playoff place and recorded a powerful 4-1 victory over Chicago Fireplace final day out.
Suarez scored twice in his final two matches, propelling Miami to 59 factors on high of the Jap Convention, and Martino has been impressed with how the Uruguayan has led the road.
“Luis was in all probability the very best participant on the sphere [against Chicago], however I don’t need to focus solely on the targets as a result of that’s regular for him,” he mentioned.
“I choose to give attention to his sport as a complete, the ball circulation and all of the passes to midfielders and, due to that, we will play in different components of the sphere. He did that very nicely.”
Miami have been with out talisman Lionel Messi since MLS motion returned attributable to an ankle damage he sustained within the Copa America last, however Julian Gressel believes he could possibly be again quickly.
“It’s good to see [Messi] again on the market,” Gressel informed the Participant/Supervisor podcast. “When you can add a man like that after what we’ve carried out over the previous two months, it’s definitely going to be an fascinating type of end to the tip right here.”
In the meantime, Philadelphia are eleventh within the standings however obtained again to profitable methods with a 2-0 victory over New York Pink Bulls final day out.
Head coach Jim Curtin was happy to grind out the win however believes there are nonetheless enhancements to be made.
“We had been all disenchanted with shedding to a really sturdy Columbus workforce, however I had a great response [against New York RB],” Curtin mentioned.
“I feel large image clever, when you take a look at the primary quarter-hour of [the New York] sport, that’s us at our greatest. We have now it in us, and now the problem is to maintain it for all 90.”
Prep mode: ON. pic.twitter.com/LyvKwOzRpn
— Inter Miami CF (@InterMiamiCF) September 11, 2024
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Inter Miami – Luis Suarez
Because the return of MLS motion following the Leagues Cup break, Suarez has been operating defences riot, scoring braces towards each Cincinnati and Chicago Fireplace.
Towards the Fireplace final weekend, he had essentially the most photographs (9), photographs on the right track (5), large probabilities (three) and touches within the opposition field (10), proving a relentless menace in slightly below 80 minutes.
Philadelphia Union – Mikael Uhre
Mikael Uhre returned to the scoresheet towards the New York Pink Bulls final day out, netting his seventh purpose of the season, the joint-second-highest tally within the workforce this season.
He’s additionally recognized for his artistic capability although, as his help for Tai Baribo was his fifth of the marketing campaign, with solely Kai Wagner enjoying on extra.
MATCH PREDICTION: INTER MIAMI WIN
Miami have recorded wins in every of their final two matches towards the Union in all competitions. The Herons had received simply two of their first eight all-time matches towards Philadelphia (D2 L4).
Miami are simply the second workforce within the post-shootout period (since 2000) to report 15 wins in a span of 19 matches in a single common season (after Seattle Sounders in 2018). No workforce within the post-shootout period has received 16 occasions in a span of 20 matches inside a single common season.
In the meantime, Philadelphia snapped a four-match regular-season highway shedding streak with a 2-0 win on the Pink Bulls on August 31. These 4 losses are the Union’s solely highway defeats of the common season in 2024 (W4 D5).
OPTA WIN PROBABILITY
Inter Miami – 51.8%
Draw – 24.6%
Philadelphia Union – 23.6%
