This is a season of eras for Inter Miami, before Lionel Messi and after Messi, but in facing Sporting Kansas City Saturday night, they’ll need to muster magic without their talisman due to his international commitments with Argentina. It will be a little easier than the before Messi era due to having Jordi Alba, Sergio Busquets and talented young players not to mention the tactical mind of Tata Martino, but every game is also a must win for the Herons as they chase a playoff berth.
Here’s our storylines, how you can watch the match and more:
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How to watch and odds
- Date: Saturday, Sept. 9 | Time: 7:30 p.m. ET
- Location: DRV PNK Stadium — Fort Lauderdale, Florida
- TV: None | Live stream: MLS Season Pass
- Odds: Miami +110; Draw +240; Sporting Kansas City +240
Storylines
Inter Miami: Without Messi it will be a chance for Facundo Farias and Leonardo Campana to lead the line. Considering Sporting’s road form, the duo can offer enough offense to see Miami to victory but pressure will be on the defense. Luckily, Drake Callender won’t join the United States camp until after the match because he may be the second most irreplaceable player on the roster behind Messi at this stage of the season. Time and time again Callender has come up with game saving saves for the Herons and they’ll need more of those to keep Alan Pulido from finding the back of the net.
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Sporting Kansas City: Riding a two match winning streak, Peter Vermes will search for a way to take that success on the road to face Miami. Sporting are a team that can keep up in attack, but when they’ve done that, the defense has suffered to keep clean sheets. As soon as Miami gets their first goal of a game, belief grows that it’s only a matter of time until they get their second which is why scoring first will be critical for the visitors.
Prediction
While both teams will hit the back of the net, Campana will bag a brace as his impressive production continues for the Herons. It’s only a matter of time until he breaks into the starting XI alongside Messi and this game will be a platform for that. Pick: Inter Miami 3, Sporting Kansas City 1
