Match Preview - Inter Miami
Game Info
Kickoff: 6:40pm CT
Watch: Apple TV
Location: Nu Stadium - Miami, FL
All-Time H2H Record
Austin FC has a 1W-1D-0L record against Inter Miami.
Inter Miami is of the small handful of teams that the Verde and Black have an undefeated record against across multiple matches. The first time these two clubs met was in Austin back in early 2022, when a Gonzalo Higuain-led Herons side was ambushed by the high-flying ATX offense by a 5-1 scoreline, capped off by an Ethan Finlay brace.
Just two weeks before Lionel Messi’s MLS arrival in July of 2023, the two clubs met again in Miami. That match ended in a 1-1 draw behind Nick Lima’s only Austin FC goal just minutes after Josef Martinez opened the scoring early in the second half.
Inter Miami Recent Form
Third place in the Eastern Conference, a comeback win over a rival, the best player in the league, and a brand new stadium opening up. Sounds pretty good, yeah? Well, if you’re an Inter Miami fan, perhaps not. The expectations are lofty in South Florida.
Inter Miami was bounced early from CONCACAF Champions Cup by Nashville SC, a disappointment that came just weeks after the team was throttled 3-0 by LAFC to open the season. However, the early departure means that the Messi Mafia can turn their undivided attention to chasing another Supporter’s Shield title (at least until Leagues Cup begins in August).
Before we talk about the current state of this club any further, let’s jump back to 2020.
Approved as an expansion team in 2018, The Herons began MLS play in the 2020 season. But for a team that has been synonymous with success for the tenure of most Austin FC fans, things were not nearly as rosy before Messi showed up.
Despite finding ways, both legal and illegal (as we covered on Episode 295), to load their roster with star-studded talent from the start, the club’s lofty ambitions didn’t lead to immediate success. Across their first four campaigns came finishes of 19th, 20th, 12th, and 27th place in the Shield standings with the team’s only playoff appearance of those four seasons coming in 2022, where they were dispatched swiftly in the opening round by NYCFC.
But, adding arguably the greatest soccer player of all time to your team can change your fortunes, and it certainly has. Since Lionel Messi’s arrival in June of 2023, Inter Miami has won a Leagues Cup (2023), a Supporter’s Shield (2024) and an MLS Cup (2025). This team has racked up an incredible 160 goals over the last two regular seasons and it’s easy to see why this team is the envy of the league.
The sour taste of CCC letdown in Miami fans’ mouths should dissipate with the opening of their new stadium, which is aptly named “Nu Stadium”. As the first home match of the season for The Herons, there should be some sort of ring ceremony or celebration of the 2025 MLS Cup Championship as well, which will add to what should be an already electric atmosphere on match day. Nu Stadium also holds about 7,000 more people than Chase Stadium (which was unfortunately not renamed Old Stadium after the move), the previous home for Inter Miami through their first six seasons.
Unless you’ve been living under a rock that’s also under the sea, you’re well aware that this team is paced by Lionel Messi. What some fans might not be as familiar with the players surrounding him, rest assured that there is a laundry list of big names.
Even with legends like Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba retiring after winning the title last season, Inter Miami still boasts elite talent like Rodrigo De Paul, Luis Suarez and Tadeo Allende. They were able to add names like German Berterame, Sergio Reguilion, Micael and reigning MLS Goalkeeper of the Year Dayne St. Clair this off season. The Inter Miami roster is built more like an all-star team than an MLS side.
On top of that list of stars, Miami boasts some great U22 Initiative talent as well. They’ve got players like David Ayala (acquired in a trade from Portland Timbers this off season), Telasco Segovia, and Mateo Silvetti. On paper, Austin will be outclassed at nearly every position when they line up on Saturday night.
The opening of Nu Stadium, paired with a potential pre-game ring ceremony (and a reported Marc Anthony rendition of the national anthem), should make for one of the most electric atmospheres a regular season MLS game could conjure up as the first whistle blows. It’s fair to expect that The Herons will accept nothing less than blessing their new digs with three points in the inaugural match.
Austin FC Recent Form
Deprived of watching our favorite club last week due to the international break, ZG and I will be will be walking into the lion’s den along with the team and hundreds of other Austin FC fans come Saturday. As we already discussed, the opening of Miami’s new stadium is going to infuse an already rabid crowd with plenty of energy to cheer on their incredibly talented team.
Last we saw the Verde and Black, the boys were closing out a hard-fought 0-0 draw against LAFC at Q2 Stadium. I’ve seen some fans argue that it was Austin’s best performance of the season (and that was reflected in our “North End Game Score” activity the day after the result), and given the quality of the opponent, I am inclined to agree. On top of the encouraging result, it was a fantastic performance from beleaguered DP striker, Myrto Uzuni.
Not only was his energy and engagement the highest we’ve seen all season, Myrto also scored a goal. Unfortunately, that goal was disallowed. Myrto did his job, and it wasn’t his fault that Ilie Sanchez just happened to be a half step offside, directly in the path of the screaming shot that beat Hugo Lloris. That performance by Austin’s #10 has some feeling confident in Uzuni’s ability to string together some positive outings and potentially secure a surprising result in South Florida.
For me, a man who has been hurt plenty in the past by getting his hopes up too high for this team, I will do my best to remain level headed until I see some consistency from Uzuni that brings him back into my personal good graces.
Outside of Uzuni’s struggles, the story line of the season thus far has been the health, or lack thereof, of the Austin roster. Coming into camp, we knew Brandon Vazquez would miss significant time to start the season as he finishes his recovery from a torn ACL. But Austin has racked up injury after injury to key contributors across the board since the squad reconvened back in January.
Owen Wolff’s continued absence is likely the most impactful of the injuries sustained of late. With an initial timeline of mid-to-late February for a full recovery from sports hernia surgery, and an updated prognosis that he could be ready for this match, head coach Nico Estévez provided a new outlook on Wolff and it’s not a positive one, at least for those hoping #33 would be available off the bench Saturday. Wolff has been in and out of training this week, training in full when on the field but receiving rest days every other session. Estévez said he’s hopeful that Wolff will train all week following this trip to South Florida, but given how many timelines have come and gone for the kid, I’ll believe he’s playing when I see him touch the field.
This match against Miami was also an initial timeline for a Vazquez return, but Estévez also poured cold water on that during Thursday’s media availability, saying the striker is “three or four” weeks away from his 2026 debut as long as his final check-up with team doctors clears him.
It wasn’t all doom and gloom in the midweek. Dani Pereira is back doing individual drills and some non-contact work with teammates, he appears to be on pace to return towards the end of the month. Mikkel Desler got his first minutes of the season against LAFC and could be in line for a start against Inter Miami.
Jayden Nelson has apparently been training in full since last week and was joined by Robert Taylor in the ranks of “full participants” leading up to Saturday.
As far as the match is concerned, Austin was already outgunned by this All-Star team, and will be even farther behind in talent without the services of Wolff, Vazquez and Pereira in this one.
Which brings us to the approach for this game, and I do not have a great answer. Plenty of teams have tried to bunker and muck games up versus Miami but the pressure their offense generates, paired with the other-wordly talent available, usually makes a defensive unit crack eventually. And once those flood gates open, the game can get out of hand before there’s time to adjust.
Estévez did make a point to mention he wants the team to have an attacking mentality in this game, but playing an open game with Miami also has its disadvantages considering their one-man counter attack waiting to pounce at all times. It’s kind of a pick your poison situation. Austin will need to play an excellent game and likely need some help from the soccer gods to pull out a win here, but you still have to roll the ball out and go play. And in MLS, anything can happen.
Injury Report
ATX:
Owen Wolff (Out - Sports Hernia)
Brandon Vazquez (Out - Knee)
Dani Pereira (Out - Hamstring)
MIA:
Facundo Mura (Questionable - Ankle)
Sergio Reguilon (Questionable - Hamstring)
Inter Miami Players to Watch
Lionel Messi - The most obvious player to ever grace this section of a North End match preview article. Widely considered the greatest soccer player of all time, Messi has amassed eight Ballon d’Ors, six European “Golden Boots” and has been named the “world’s best player” by FIFA eight times. Some argue in favor of other names in the “GOAT” debate, but one thing that is indisputable is the fact that Messi is the most decorated footballer ever. He’s won 46 team trophies across his stints with Barcelona, Paris Saint-Germain and Inter Miami. He holds the record for most goals in a calendar year (91), most goals for a single club (672 for Barcelona), most La Liga goals (474), most assists at the international level (61), along with the most goal contributions in both the FIFA World Cup (21) and the Copa America (32) tournaments. Messi has recorded more than 1,300 goal contributions across all competitions in his career, the most in the history of the sport. He hasn’t slowed down in his time at Inter Miami and it would be a huge accomplishment if Austin FC was able to keep him out of the box score on Saturday.
German Berterame - Born in Argentina, the 27-year-old striker joined Inter Miami as a DP this offseason in a transfer from Liga MX side CF Monterrey after racking up 43 goals in 104 appearances for the club. Despite being born in Argentina, Berterame completed the naturalization process in 2024 and now competes for Mexico at the international level. He’s yet to make his mark in the MLS stats yet on the young season but if you’ve watched any Inter Miami this year you know he’s making an impact in other ways (check out his defense and passing that led to the opening goal against DC United a few weeks back). Berterame plays much bigger than his stature, standing at just 5’8 he’s able to physically get the better of larger defenders on a regular basis. He’ll look to get rolling against ATX in his first home game for his new club.
Austin FC Keys to the Game
Embrace the Moment - Before ZG and I jumped on the pod Wednesday, we discussed with each other about how this game could potentially be one of the most special games for many Austin FC players in their careers. You’re sharing the field with a living legend, who has inspired millions around the world to pay attention to the game of soccer. Whenever a team lines up across from Lionel Messi in MLS, it’s an opportunity that almost every player on that pitch has dreamt of. The chance to go up against one of the game’s greatest and get the best of them is not one that player’s take lightly. The stadium is going to be packed, the atmosphere is going to be electric and I hope the guys take it all in. Then once that whistle blows give ‘em hell for the full 90 minutes. I’ll be satisfied with a spirited effort versus this goliath Miami roster and likely won’t know what to do with myself if Austin is able to bring points back home.
Predictions
ZG- 1-3 Inter Miami
E- 1-4 Inter Miami
