Inter Miami will look to shake off their worst defensive performance of the season while the New England Revolution attempt to play spoiler when the sides meet on Saturday night in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
Although they have qualified for the postseason, the window for Inter Miami to climb as high as possible in the Eastern Conference standings is closing with three matches left.
Inter Miami (16-7-8, 56 points) are in fourth place, tied with third-place New York City FC and just three points behind FC Cincinnati, with one more match to play than those teams.
New England (9-15-8, 35 points) isn’t going to the playoffs this season but aims to finish strong after a solid 2-0 shutout of Atlanta United last week. The Revolution lost their first match against Miami, 2-1 at home on July 9, in a game where Lionel Messi scored two first-half goals.
Messi had a rare scoresheet absence in Miami’s 5-3 loss to the Chicago Fire on Tuesday, as the Herons allowed a season-high number of goals, including two in the final 10-plus minutes after Luis Suarez tied the game at 3.
“We made tactical decisions that didn’t work. That’s on me,” said Inter Miami coach Javier Mascherano, whose team has faced criticism for its defensive deficiencies throughout this season. “Now it’s about focusing on what’s ahead, correcting mistakes and regaining our intensity.”
A familiar face to Inter Miami returns for New England and aims to make an impact on Saturday.
Forward Leo Campana, who played the past three seasons for Miami before joining New England this year, recently returned from injury and scored his seventh goal of the season last Saturday in the Revolution’s win over Atlanta.
Campana will play his first game in South Florida against his former club, and his teammates are embracing the chance to face one of the league’s top contenders.
“It’s why you do it. We want to play against the best and we want to beat the best,” New England interim coach Pablo Moreira said. “That’s ultimately why you do it. We don’t shy away from it. We’re going to rise to the occasion, and we will come out aggressive.”
–Field Level Media
