Lionel Messi and Inter Miami will try again to win their first match in their new stadium when they welcome the Portland Timbers, coached by former Herons manager Phil Neville.
Miami (7-2-4, 25 points) has failed to win its previous four matches at Nu Stadium, the permanent venue that opened in April. Incredibly, that included a 4-3 defeat to Orlando City on May 2 after the Herons raced to a three-goal lead.
But interim manager Guillermo Hoyos’ side has been exceptional away, winning five straight on the road. He particularly admired the passion shown by Messi, Rodrigo De Paul and other stars in Wednesday night’s 5-3 win at Cincinnati, in which Miami rallied with three late goals.
“Just think about it, they have the World Cup coming up very soon,” Hoyos said. “There are players who have the World Cup on their minds and nothing else, yet the way they run, play and commit themselves is incredible.”
Messi scored his 10th and 11th goals of the season, and his 60th and 61st for the club since his arrival in July of 2023.
That tally began just months after Neville was dismissed as Miami’s second permanent manager after two-plus seasons. He helped Miami to a then-club-best 12th-place finish in the 2022 Supporters’ Shield standings but suffered a first-round playoff defeat that year and a bad start the following spring.
He’s now in his third season with Portland (4-6-2, 14 points), a team that may be coming together following a slow start.
Kevin Kelsy has scored three times in Portland’s last two matches, a 6-0 home win over Sporting Kansas City on May 9 and a 2-2 draw at CF Montreal on Wednesday. And in April, the Timbers pulled off impressive wins against LAFC and San Diego.
Now, they face Miami for the first time since Messi’s arrival. Neville likens it to his time as a Premier League player for Everton visiting his former club, Manchester United, for the first time.
“The first time back at Old Trafford, I literally just went to the stadium with blinkers on my eyes and tried to perform to the best of my ability for my club and fight for my club,” he said. “And then after the game I hugged and kissed and celebrated some incredible friendships.”
–Field Level Media
