2020 MLS Regular Season – Week 24
Inter Miami CF vs. FC Cincinnati
Inter Miami CF Stadium – Fort Lauderdale
November 8 – 3:30 PM ET
STREAMING: MLS LIVE on ESPN+ in US; on DAZN in Canada
LOCAL TV: Star64, CBS4 (Miami)
Inter Miami CF head into a Decision Day presented by AT&T clash with a chance to join fellow expansion side Nashville SC in the Audi 2020 MLS Cup Playoffs. But to do so they'll have to end their late-season slide and solve a stingy defense of an FC Cincinnati side more than happy to play spoilers at Inter Miami CF Stadium Sunday afternoon.
At 0.95 points per game, Inter Miami CF (6W-13L-3D) are one of five teams still alive for the last two playoff sports in the East, joining Atlanta United and D.C. United as alive sides hoping to move above the playoff line on Decision Day. But Diego Alonso's squad have won just once in their last five games and head into this must-win showdown off consecutive defeats.
- Playoff scenarios:How Decision Day could impact the playoff field
- What's at stake: Key races to watch for during Decision Day's 13 games
- Playoff schedule:Match schedule, dates, times and TV details
FC Cincinnati (4W-14L-4D) are the only team of 14 in the East to enter the final day of the regular season already eliminated from postseason contention. They've scored just once in four straight losses, but would love to give manager Jaap Stam a good final impression heading into the club's third season.
Inter Miami CF
Blaise Matuidi scored his first MLS goal to give Inter Miami a lead just before halftime, but an Inter Miami defense thinned by injury and suspension conceded twice after halftime in a crushing 2-1 defeat to Toronto FC last Sunday in East Hartford. Matuidi has one goal in 1,183 minutes since signing on August 13 after a stint with Juventus. Gonzalo Higuain, who also arrived from Juve, has one goal in 713 MLS minutes.
Inter Miami will certainly be buoyed by the return of defenders Leandro Gonzalez Pirez and Andres Reyes from a yellow-card suspension and the fact they are 4W-2L-2D at their sparking new home stadium.
“We have to focus on winning our game. And we’re convinced that if we win, we’ll qualify," Diego Alonso said. "That’s how we have to think. We have to be positive and believe that we’re capable of doing it, being able to win and then wait for the other results. Because there’s no margin for a draw or goal difference. It’s all about winning and if we get two or three other results to go our way, we’re in the playoffs.”
“Stay positive, good energy, believe in ourselves, believe that we can win although the game won’t be easy. But we need to insist through any difficulties that present themselves [in the game] and bring the best out of ourselves to be able to win. And we have to stay positive because we think that if we win, we’ll be in the playoffs If we win and we’re not in the playoffs, then we’ll reflect on what we didn’t do previously that didn’t allow us to get in. But I think if we win, we’ll be in.”
- Updated team roster
- Injury Report:
- OUT: George Acosta (M) - left knee injury
- OUT: David Norman Jr (M) - left ankle injury
- OUT: Denso Ulysse (D) - left lower leg injury
- OUT: Luis Robles (GK) - fractured left arm
- OUT: Nicolas Figal (D) - right leg muscular injury
- Suspended: None
- Suspended after next caution: Rodolfo Pizarro (M), Ben Sweat (D)
- International duty: None
FC Cincinnati
A fourth consecutive defeat, and third without scoring a goal, proved to be the final nail for FC Cincinnati, whose second season in MLS finishes the same as the first, at the bottom of the Eastern Conference. But there is optimism on the horizon with the club's new home stadium set to open for the start of the 2021 season. Stam's side can play a role in the MLS Cup playoff picture on the final day of the season and, of course, end this goal drought.
"It's very difficult. Nobody's doing this on purpose," FC Cincinnati midfielder Haris Medunjanin said. "Everybody wants to win. Everybody wants to score, but I never experienced this in my career. I don't know what to tell you. Every guy wants to score goals.
- Updated team roster
- Injury Report:
- OUT: Allan Cruz (M) - undisclosed injury
- OUT: Alvaro Barreal (M) - undisclosed injury
- Suspended: None
- Suspended after next caution: Kendall Waston (D)
- International duty: None
Series Matchup
- This is the first ever all-time meeting between Inter Miami CF and FC Cincinnati
Officials
- Referee: Guido Gonzales Jr
- Assistant Referees: Jose da Silva, Jeffrey Swartzel
- 4th Official: Marcos de Oliveira
- VAR: Chris Penso
