Orlando City hosted their fierce in-state rivals, Inter Miami CF, at Inter&Co Stadium in a high-stakes MLS encounter on Sunday night, marking the second and final regular season meeting between the two Florida clubs in 2025. With both teams neck and neck in the Eastern Conference standings—Miami holding 42 points (12-4-6) and Orlando just behind with 41 points (11-6-8)—the fixture carried playoff implications and the added drama of the “Tropic Thunder” rivalry.
The Lions set out to complete a season sweep of Inter Miami, having earned a 3-0 victory earlier in the campaign at Chase Stadium, where goals from Luis Muriel, Marco Pašalić, and Dagur Dan Thórhallsson helped Orlando secure their first win over a Lionel Messi-led Herons squad. However, both teams entered this clash without key players: Orlando missed Duncan McGuire, Wilder Cartagena, and Joran Gerbet due to injury, while Miami was without Lionel Messi (hamstring) and Drake Callender.
The official starting lineup for Orlando City, as confirmed by Digital Content Manager Austin David, featured Pedro Gallese in goal, with a defensive line of Alex Freeman, Rodrigo Schlegel, Robin Jansson (captain), and David Brekalo. The midfield included Marco Pašalić, César Araújo, Eduard Atuesta (returning to the XI), and Iván Angulo. Up front, Martín Ojeda—who recently scored twice against Necaxa in the Leagues Cup—and Luis Muriel, fresh off a hat trick in that same match, led the attack. New signing Tyrese Spicer, acquired from Toronto FC, was named to the bench for the first time since joining the Lions.
Historically, this rivalry has been evenly matched. Orlando City holds a slight edge in all competitions (6-5-5) and remains unbeaten at home against Inter Miami in all competitions (3-0-4). The two teams have delivered memorable moments, including Orlando’s penalty shootout win in the 2022 U.S. Open Cup and a dramatic 2-1 victory in the MLS is Back Tournament opener. However, recent meetings have swung both ways: Inter Miami routed Orlando 5-0 in March 2024 with braces from Luis Suárez and Messi, while Orlando rebounded with that landmark win in Fort Lauderdale.
Both squads entered this match on the back of strong Leagues Cup group stage performances. Orlando City had thrashed Necaxa 5-1, with Muriel ending a 14-game goalless drought and Ojeda netting a spectacular volley, as recapped by ESPN’s Orlando City SC page. Miami also advanced with victories over Pumas and Atlas and a shootout win over Necaxa, underlining their attacking depth even without Messi. Notably, Luis Suárez has been a creative force for the Herons, tallying double-digit assists alongside five goals, while Telasco Segovia and Tadeo Allende each have seven goals this season.
Orlando’s tactical approach, as outlined by head coach Óscar Pareja, focused on rapid transitions to exploit the Herons’ attacking commitment and to limit the influence of Suárez in the penalty area. Pareja emphasized the need to “create a new page” in front of the home fans, building on the confidence from their recent win in Miami.
With the playoff race intensifying and both teams aiming for top-four seeding in the East, the match carried added significance. Fans could watch the game live on MLS Season Pass via Apple TV, or follow updates on Orlando City’s official Twitter feed. As always in this heated rivalry, the form book risked being thrown out the window, and with both sides loaded with attacking talent—even in the absence of Messi—an exciting, high-scoring affair was anticipated.