Welcome to your match thread for a Sunday night Tropic Thunder matchup between Orlando City (0-1-0, 0 points) and the team\u2019s Publix Enemies, Inter Miami CF (0-1-0, 0 points) at Inter&Co Stadium (7 p.m., Apple TV). It\u2019s the first of two scheduled meetings between the sides this season and the only scheduled tilt in Orlando. The Lions are scheduled to make the return trip to South Florida on May 2.<\/p>\n
Here\u2019s what you need to know ahead of the match.<\/p>\n
History<\/p>\n
Orlando City is 7-6-5 in the series in all competitions, 7-4-4 in MLS play, 3-0-4 in league games at home and 3-0-5 in all competitions against the Herons at Inter&Co Stadium.<\/p>\n
The most recent meeting came in Leagues Cup at Chase Stadium on Aug. 27, 2025, with Miami winning a predictably controversial game 3-1<\/a>. Leading 1-0 on a Marco Pasalic goal, Ivan Angulo was quite obviously fouled in the penalty area by Sergio Busquets was ignored by match referee Walter Lopez. Miami went up a man and tied the game from the penalty spot in when Tadeo Allende baited Lopez into a call at the other end, sending David Brekalo off with a second yellow card. Lionel Messi scored from the spot and gave Miami the lead in the 89th minute, with Telasco Segovia adding a late insurance goal.<\/p>\n The most recent regular-season meeting took place only a couple of weeks earlier, on Aug. 10, when the Lions blew out the Herons 4-1 in Orlando<\/a> to sweep the regular-season series. Luis Muriel scored early, only to see Yannick Bright equalize moments later. Muriel and Martin Ojeda scored eight minutes apart early in the second half to blow open a close game, and Pasalic added an insurance goal.<\/p>\n On May 18, 2025, in Fort Lauderdale, Orlando City got its first win over a Lionel Messi-led Herons side. The Lions got goals from Muriel, Pasalic, and Dagur Dan Thorhallsson to win 3-0 at Chase Stadium<\/a>.<\/p>\n Just about one year to the day before that meeting, the teams played to a scoreless draw<\/a> at Inter&Co Stadium on May 15, 2024. The Lions\u2019 trip to South Florida in 2024 resulted in a forgettable 5-0 loss for the Lions<\/a> at Chase Stadium on March 2. Luis Suarez and Messi scored braces and Robert Taylor added a goal in a match Orlando City was never in, as it was already 2-0 just 11 minutes after kickoff.<\/p>\n The Florida rivals played to a 1-1 draw<\/a> on Sept. 24, 2023. Duncan McGuire brought Orlando back from a 1-0 deficit after David Ruiz had given the Herons a 1-0 lead early in the second half. On Aug. 2 of that year, the teams met in Leagues Cup action. The Herons were fortunate to not see Messi sent off with a second yellow late in the first half, and even more fortunate to get a soft penalty call on Antonio Carlos, as they won, 3-1<\/a>. Messi opened the scoring after being ignored in the box early. Cesar Araujo made up for his uncharacteristic defensive lapse on the first goal by scoring 10 minutes later. Josef Martinez put Miami back on top with the Downy-soft penalty just after halftime, and Messi sunk in the dagger in the final 20 minutes.<\/p>\n The teams also met in Fort Lauderdale in MLS play on May 20, 2023, with Orlando City winning, 3-1<\/a>. Ercan Kara\u2019s early goal was canceled out by Leonardo Campana shortly before the hour mark, but Ojeda and Rafael Santos found the net in the second half to power the Lions to victory.<\/p>\n Inter Miami won at home, 4-1<\/a>, on Oct. 5, 2022. Campana scored in the game\u2019s first minute and Orlando City never settled in. Gonzalo Higuain added two goals \u2014 one from the spot \u2014 and Ariel Lassiter also scored before Kara pulled one back to spoil the shutout.<\/p>\n The first regular-season meeting of 2022 finished with a 1-0 Orlando City win<\/a> at Exploria Stadium on July 9, as a stoppage-time own goal by Damion Lowe was the difference between the Lions earning just one point or all three. The ball was sent into the box by Jake Mulraney.<\/p>\n The teams also met at Exploria Stadium on May 25, 2022 in U.S. Open Cup action, with the two sides needing extra time after a scoreless 90 minutes. In extra time, Miami got a goal from Jean Mota against the run of play, but Facundo Torres quickly equalized for Orlando. The match ended 1-1 and Orlando won the ensuing penalty shootout<\/a>, 4-2. Bryce Duke was denied by Mason Stajduhar and DeAndre Yedlin missed the net during the spot kicks, while all four Orlando shooters scored.<\/p>\n The intrastate rivals played to a scoreless draw in Orlando<\/a> on Aug. 27, 2021. Tesho Akindele missed a penalty in the match, but the Lions had several other good opportunities to score (but didn\u2019t) in a wasteful performance. Orlando and Miami battled to a 1-1 draw at Exploria Stadium<\/a> on Aug. 4, 2021. Carlos scored in first-half stoppage time but was knocked into concussion protocol on the play by Kelvin Leerdam. Kieran Gibbs equalized in the 66th minute on a header in front of a less-than-attentive Ruan. Akindele had a goal called back after video review for being offside and the teams split the points. Earlier in the season, the Lions came from behind in Fort Lauderdale to win 2-1<\/a> on a pair of brilliant goals by Chris Mueller and Nani on June 25, 2021.<\/p>\n In the final meeting of 2020, the Lions saw their 12-match unbeaten streak end on Oct. 24 in a 2-1 road loss in Fort Lauderdale<\/a>. Miami defender Leandro Gonzalez Pirez\u2019s header in the 89th minute was the difference after a Daryl Dike goal and an own goal off Robin Jansson\u00a0saw the game tied up at halftime. The teams met in Orlando on Sept. 12, 2020 with Orlando battling to a 2-1 win<\/a> on Mauricio Pereyra\u2019s goal. The Lions had taken the lead on an own goal by Andres Reyes. Former Lion Brek Shea tied things up in the second half, before Pereyra answered.<\/p>\n The first meeting in Fort Lauderdale opened Phase 1 of Major League Soccer\u2019s return to regular-season play after the MLS is Back Tournament. That one was an uncharacteristically sloppy match for the Lions, who fell 3-2<\/a> in Inter Miami\u2019s first-ever home match. It was Miami\u2019s first franchise win after an 0-5-0 start. Orlando trailed by more than one goal for the first time all season in that game. Dike and Nani provided the offense for Orlando, but Julian Carranza\u2019s brace and Rodolfo Pizarro\u2019s insurance goal were enough to lift the Herons.<\/p>\n The first Tropic Thunder match went Orlando City\u2019s way, with Nani scoring late to lift the Lions to a 2-1 win<\/a> over the upstarts from South Florida in the opening match of the MLS is Back Tournament. Despite it being a tournament match, it was also a league game. Juan Agudelo opened the scoring for the Herons, but Mueller equalized, setting the stage for Nani\u2019s 97th-minute winner. <\/p>\n Overview<\/p>\n The Lions are coming off a mixed 2-1 home loss<\/a> to the New York Red Bulls on Feb. 21. A terrible first half could have seen Orlando City buried by opposition goals, but good stops by Maxime Crepeau and poor finishing by New York had the visitors up only 2-0 on a pair of Julian Hall goals. Orlando City made good substitutions and tactical adjustments at halftime and controlled most of the second half, but Tiago\u2019s goal at the death was all the Lions could muster. Credit to Ethan Horvath, who was every bit as good as Crepeau on the night. <\/p>\n Orlando City is 0-1-0 at home and looking to avoid starting 0-2-0. The Lions may look to rookie Nolan Miller to start at center back after MLS U22 Initiative signing Iago struggled in his first MLS match. <\/p>\n Inter Miami enters the match 0-1-0 on the road and is coming off a poor result as well, falling 3-0 at LAFC a week ago. The Herons stopped the bleeding with a win in a friendly during the midweek. Still, Miami will be considered one of the heavy favorites to compete for MLS Cup, and the offense is loaded. Messi has yet to play away at Orlando City, but one would have to think it\u2019s got to happen sometime, and as far as we know, he is not injured. <\/p>\n The Lions must do what they can to limit chances, especially by denying Messi the ball as much as possible and forcing Messi to give it up quickly when he gets it. Orlando must also pay close attention to Messi\u2019s attacking teammates and avoid getting too caught up in trying to help cover Miami\u2019s No. 10. Segovia and Tallende are dangerous as well, and the Lions will face a tough goalkeeper in Dayne St. Clair at the other end.<\/p>\n It\u2019s a rivalry game, so anything can happen. <\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re\u00a0good, pushing in training and trying to get the best out of ourselves as we prepare the boys and our team,\u201d Orlando City Head Coach Oscar Pareja said ahead of the match. \u201cIt\u2019s\u00a0an important game, a derby in front of our fans, and\u00a0we\u2019re\u00a0trying to make this transition as quickly as we can, get through it, glue ourselves\u00a0together\u00a0and push.\u00a0That\u2019s\u00a0what\u00a0we\u2019re\u00a0doing now.\u201d<\/p>\n The Lions will be without Wilder Cartagena (thigh), Robin Jansson (foot), and Joran Gerbet (knee), while Eduard Atuesta (thigh), Adrian Marin (thigh), and Luis Otavio (thigh) are all questionable. Miami will be without Suarez (lower leg), and Sergio Reguilon (knee).<\/p>\n Match Content<\/p>\n Official Lineups:<\/p>\n Orlando City (4-4-2)<\/p>\n Goalkeeper:\u00a0Maxime Crepeau.<\/p>\n Defenders: Tahir Reid-Brown, Nolan Miller, David Brekalo, Griffin Dorsey.<\/p>\n Midfielders:\u00a0Ivan Angulo, Colin Guske, Braian Ojeda, Marco Pasalic.<\/p>\n Forwards: Martin Ojeda, Duncan McGuire.<\/p>\n Bench: Javier Otero, Zakaria Taifi, Iago, Luis Otavio, Eduard Atuesta, Yutaro Tsukada, Tyrese Spicer, Justin Ellis, Tiago.<\/p>\n Inter Miami (4-2-3-1)<\/p>\n Goalkeeper:\u00a0Dayne St. Clair.<\/p>\n Defenders: Noah Allen, Micael, Maximiliano Falcon, Facundo Mura.<\/p>\n Defensive Midfielders: Yannick Bright, Rodrigo De Paul.<\/p>\n Attacking Midfielders: Telasco Segovia, Lionel Messi, Tadeo Allende.<\/p>\n Forwards: German Berterame.<\/p>\n Bench: Rocco Rios Novo, Ian Fray, Gonzalo Lujan, Santiago Morales, Daniel Pinter, Alexander Shaw, Mateo Silvetti, David Ruiz.<\/p>\n Referees:<\/p>\n REF: Ismail Elfath. How to Watch<\/p>\n Match Time:\u00a07 p.m.<\/p>\n Venue: Inter&Co Stadium \u2014 Orlando.<\/p>\n TV\/Live Stream: Apple TV.<\/p>\n Radio:\u00a0AM 810 FOX Sports Radio Orlando (English), Mega 97.1 FM (Spanish), Nossa R\u00e1dio 1160 AM-WRLZ (Portuguese).<\/p>\n Social Media:\u00a0For rapid reaction and live updates, follow us on Bluesky Social at\u00a0@themaneland.bsky.social<\/a>\u00a0or follow Orlando City\u2019s\u00a0official Twitter (@OrlandoCitySC) or Bluesky (@OrlandoCitySC<\/a>) feed.<\/p>\n Enjoy the game. Go City!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Welcome to your match thread for a Sunday night Tropic Thunder matchup between Orlando City (0-1-0, 0 points)…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":174611,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[11],"tags":[139,141,140],"class_list":["post-174610","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-orlando","tag-orlando","tag-orlando-headlines","tag-orlando-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/174610","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=174610"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/174610\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/174611"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=174610"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=174610"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=174610"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
AR1: Corey Parker.
AR2: Jeremy Kieso.
4TH: Rosendo Mendoza.
VAR: Edvin Jurisevic.
AVAR: Kyle Atkins.<\/p>\n