Inter Miami CF vs. D.C. United: Preview, time, and how to watch
D.C. United take on Inter Miami FC, and hopefully Leo Messi, tonight at Chase Stadium in Fort Lauderdale.
The Black-and-Red will look to bounce back from a disappointing midweek loss to the New York Red Bulls at home. D.C. succumbed 1-4 against their Rivals, dropping three crucial points. Miami snagged a point midweek against Orlando City SC and is currently unbeaten in its past eight regular-season matches.
After midweek matchups, Inter Miami tops the MLS Eastern Conference standings with 28 points. D.C. United has dropped from 7th to 8th place and recorded 17 points.
Troy Lesesne’s men will need to dig deep in the upcoming summer stretch to remain in playoff contention. As the regular season approaches its midpoint, banking points for insurance becomes increasingly important.
Lesesne remains positive saying they are working to “identify where some of the game [against Red Bulls] got away from us. And I think a lot of those things are controllable, you know. That’s something we’re going to take as a positive… we can see those mistakes we made collectively and individually and improve on those moments.”
Hear everything head coach Troy Lesesne had to say in the pre-game press conference here.
We’re keeping the positive energy here. In the comments below, let us know what you’re looking forward to as D.C. faces Miami!
Key Player: Christian Benteke
Benteke secured the win for the Black-and-Red against Atlanta with a hat trick last weekend. The striker has been instrumental in many of D.C.’s victories this season and continues to chase the MLS Golden Boot. Lesesne will undoubtedly rely on Benteke’s leadership tonight against the Herons.
Watch Out For: Leo Messi
Does it really need to be said? If Messi takes the pitch tonight against D.C. United, the visitors will need to stay on their toes. Steve Birnbaum and D.C.’s backline will certainly have their work cut out for them.
Challenges: The Black and Red will certainly have tired legs heading into their third match in just over a week. United will need to stay sharp against Miami and push through to gain critical points tonight.
Previously: Luck hasn’t been on D.C.’s side in 2024. The Black-and-Red faltered in the first part of the series with Miami, losing 1-3 as Luis Suárez and Leo Campana made quick work of United’s backline.
Inter Miami CF Availability:
Out: Facundo Farías (knee), Diego Gómez (ankle), Federico Redondo (knee), Robbie Robinson (knee)
Questionable: Ian Fray (knee)
D.C. United Availability:
Out: Conner Antley (knee), Russell Canouse (not due to injury)
Location: Chase Stadium, Fort Lauderdale, FL
Kickoff time: 7:30 pm ET
Referee: Guido Gonzales Jr
Available streaming: MLS Season Pass on Apple TV
Maybe the ref/VAR flow from the first Miami game will turn the other way today?
You mean the “Miami must succeed, destroy them!” Darth Garber mandate?
4 yellows is in full compliance with Darth Garber
“Inter Miami and hopefully Leo Messi.” Do we really hope we face him? I know I was rooting for the opposite when I saw he was out against Orlando
Perhaps he’s avoiding us? 😂 But also would love for travelling supporters to have the opportunity to see him play.
The Big 4 are all starting this one against us.
Here’s the lineup.
Sigh Messi is starting today as is Suarez…so who on the team is getting bit and how badly are we losing tonight?
Giving Birnbaum his first start and putting Santos out to deal with Gressel are some risks. Lucas Bartlett had said that the staff had identified some opportunities in breaking down film, so hopefully they can exploit those chances.
I think Birnbaum starting is worth it against Suarez. Need someone with a good box presence who can keep their calm if the play gets a little dirty.
Talk of a lightning delay until 7:55.
I think they’re necessary, but lightning delays suck. Especially if they’re really intermittent during the game time
Against the older legs of Miami I think a lightning delay might help us some. Depending on how far they were into warmups ofc.
Projected first kick of 8:05 PM EDT now: https://www.mlssoccer.com/news/inter-miami-vs-dc-united-enters-weather-delay
I wonder if Messi will cut inside from the right, and leave space for Gressel out wide to connect with Suarez?
Let me rephrase: How many dozen times will the above happen?
Garber’s directive: If you see a United player being fouled, no you didn’t
Conversely…
Miami have 88% passing accuracy.
We have 69% so far. That’s not professional level, need to be better
Miami’s right back is hobbled, has been for like five minutes. Have we had the wherewithal to get down that side once? Nope.
Good sportsmanship?
Naw, we just haven’t had the ball.
That’s… a lot of rain.
The audio pickup sounds like a cavalry charge
Think the monsoon weather might be more impactful than even Messi.
Ku-DiPietro just stripped Messi. That’s a nice moment.
Suarez is a lying, diving piece of shit.
This ref has the intuition of a vegetable
Oh, look, Alba is also a diva.
Also how did Alba not have to leave the field for at least 2 mins when he was down for longer than 15 seconds?
VAR should really be instituted for dives. Even if Miami had scored there it wouldn’t have been sent to the monitor.
There was a slight chance Hopkins made contact, but it doesn’t seem likely.
It was a clean tackle by someone back there, I think Bartlett, maybe Birnbaum. Suarez in slow mo realizes he lost the ball cleanly and starts performing before he hits the ground.
Thai has to be the most rain I’ve seen at a soccer game
I remember playing soccer in high school in the 90s and thinking those huge gladiator-style shinguards were so cool. Seeing what players wear nowadays makes me wonder if it’s not worth just getting rid of a shinguard requirement altogether.
My distaste for this team and these fans is rising like crqzy
I loathe Miama and their cheap diva behavior, and I loathe this ref for enabling them.
Every time a raindrop hits a Miami player they consider whether to flop. They’re going down that lightly half the time.
I was watching highlights of DC’s last visit to Miami. The one where Pines kind of crabwalked in a goal? Benteke got a late one to ice the game, and the defender he kept off was Christopher McVey. Always kind of fun to be like, “Oh, I know that guy now!”
A “hydration break” after that MASSIVE amount of rain is funny. I get that it’s still hot and all that, but still funny.
Miami hasn’t scored yet. Garber demanded a reset.
They just flashed the xG of 0.14 to 0.13. Slightly in Miami’s favor, but worth a tip of the cap to DC for this half hour.
Felipe must be a little depressed watching Suarez and Busquets take over the Master of the Dark Arts mantle.
Miami is deemed to be precious until proven I’m just kidding, they’re always precious
Maybe I should just copy and paste this one every time the ref blows his Miami.
Color commentator is talking about everything we do well like it’s a threat.
The color commenter was so in the tank for Miami. Only at games end, prodded by a delighted Darth Garber, did he give our effort lip service.
Failed Santos header takes him and McVey out, Bono saves a one on one very well
Santos was shoved in the back by a Miami player.
Don’t think we’re discussing the same play
Cremaschi’s been doing some shoving after whistles a couple of times now.
Ref: stop fouling, I need to give you a free kick!
Also, he’s been getting National team looks as a dual international, but if he’s this entitled in pressure moments, fuck him.
Miami are a bunch of diving bitches. Messi is a good player and the rest of them are whining cheap shot artists. It always feels good to frustrate Coach Martino pressing teams.
They should be down to 10 men for that two footed challenge on Benteke. Of course that guy flopped when Herrera tracked back and won the ball back in the box. Of course their only chance came from fouling Santos going up for a header.
F this team worse than the Red Bulls.
MLS let them break the salary cap rules for this?!?
Darth Garber has noted your “resistance”….
In a vacuum, 0-0 at halftime is a good result. So I can’t really complain that much.
DC is doing a good job of sitting compact and then trying to counter, but Santos/Benteke don’t really have the speed to break with the others. Although Santos did finally beat someone (Suarez) in a foot race so there’s that.
I also love Bono’s shot stopping, but every week I keep being disappointed by his distribution. Lesesne’s syste needs just a bit better to really start clicking.
Suarez dives to start the 2nd half. Why is that not a yellow?
Ref has a bite phobia
I don’t understand how that technical foul was an immediate yellow that far from the goal while a couple of their fouls in the past few minutes weren’t even called. The standard makes no sense.
I’m fine with a yellow for that technical foul if he was calling things even remotely fairly.
The standard favors Miami as dictated by Darth Garber.
That was the moment. Stroud needed to score there.
He looks like he’s toast already, stamina wise
Yeah, he’s a cut below his normal standard right now.
Oh, Stroud…. Dangit
If Benteke was treated as Suarez, the opposition yellows would be as the stars in the sky…
Miami fans have been very conditioned to treat all contact on their players as a foul.
Shot looked decent in terms of hitting it low, Peltola almost reminds us he’s a DP
Birnbaum is probably done for the night
Triple sub for DC. Tubbs for Birnbaum, Murrell for Stroud, Rodriguez for Santos
Rodriguez with ridiculously good hold up play first thing
Messi is starting to target Dajome. Hoo boy.
McVey shuts down Messi. What a pickup.
Pirani probably going to come in for Rodriguez after his bell gets wrung from point blank range by a clearance
Pirani with the good assist attempt, Dajome with an ok shot, Callender is still a good goalie
What the fucj
Tubbs is inexperienced on a strong onside run from Campana. Brilliant goal.
Busquets with time on the ball is too deadly.
I still think Birnbaum does better with focus on that play. Ah well
How was that not offsides?
Tubbs. It’s just even. The backline wasn’t
Murrell truly fluffs one. Not the easiest chance, but damn.
Good effort. Tough result. Moving on.
Frankly I thought we were gonna give up another 3 or 4 goals. Still sucks to lose all 6 pts this week.
Tough loss but we hung in really well and could have snatched all three points with a little luck. Having to sub off Birnbaum and then the Rodriguez injury (which was the only reason Campana was able to be subbed on) were tough breaks.
I thought everyone had a good game but Santos in particular was above average. A lot of that praise is probably due to Lesesne changing tactics to match the personnel, namely Birnbaum/Santos. Can’t fault the effort of Stroud, but I do hope Lesesne can coach some of that effort into Pirani because we need that second AM behind Benteke to match KDP in terms of goal threat.
How did Campana not get a yellow for taking his jersey off in celebration? I thought that was an auto yellow.
Forget it, Will. It’s Messitown.
Espn has him getting one.
Darth Garber noticed ESPN’s action, and they will be punished.
This was a fine effort, chances were clearly there, and the final goal was really nice in it’s timing, yet perilously close to clanging back onto the field. A game of millimeters, so it would seem.