MLS

MATCH PREVIEW: Inter Miami CF to Host LAFC on Saturday 

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Inter Miami CF (0W-1L-1D, 1 point) will be looking to bounce back on home soil when the team faces LAFC (1W-0L-1D, 4 points) at DRV PNK Stadium on Saturday, March 12. The matchup, which will be the Los Angeles-based side’s first visit to South Florida, is set to kick off at 1:30 p.m ET.

Tickets

Don't miss Inter Miami's second home game of the 2022 regular season. Get your tickets HERE and witness the action live!

Where to Watch

The match will be broadcast nationally on Univision, TUDN and TUDN’s Twitter account. Fans worldwide can follow live updates including video highlights and stats on the Club’s App. Download and Register your Profile here: https://www.intermiamicf.com/en/club/app.

Parking

View DRV PNK Stadium matchday parking information here. Fans are encouraged to buy parking passes in advance of arrival to DRV PNK Stadium. Buy your gameday parking pass here.

DRV PNK Stadium to Host LAFC for the First Time

This weekend's matchup at DRV PNK Stadium will be LAFC’s first visit to South Florida, but the second time both sides meet, as Inter Miami made its historic MLS debut in its inaugural campaign in March 2020 in an away match at Banc of California Stadium that finished with a narrow 1-0 win for the hosts.

Familiar Faces

The fixture may also feature a series of reunions between former teammates or known rivals for players on both rosters. Inter Miami’s Kieran Gibbs, Gonzalo Higuaín and DeAndre Yedlin could meet LAFC’s star player Carlos Vela once again after being his teammate or facing him in the past. Gibbs and Vela were teammates during their spells with English Premier League club Arsenal F.C. and played a total of 20 matches together. On the other hand, Higuaín faced Vela four times in Spanish  LaLiga fixtures during his days as a Real Madrid player, while the Mexican was amongst the ranks of CA Osasuna and Real Sociedad at the time, and Yedlin has previously clashed against him in USMNT versus Mexico World Cup qualifying matches before the 2018 FIFA World Cup. 

Additionally, Inter Miami’s Campana and Emerson Rodríguez may play against former teammates. Campana and LAFC’s Ecuadorian counterpart José Cifuentes played a total of 17 fixtures together for Ecuador’s U-20 national side and two for the senior national team, while Rodríguez and LAFC’s Cristian Arango were teammates in Colombian team Millonarios F.C. before making the move to MLS, sharing the pitch a total 32 times. Lastly, Yedlin may face another familiar foe, as he and Doneil Henry played against each in a FIFA World Cup qualifying matchup between the USMNT and Canada in September of last year.

Milestone Coming Up

Furthermore, goalkeeper Clément Diop could register his 50th MLS regular season appearance (49 appearances to date, all of them starts). Diop has registered 10 clean sheets in his MLS career, including helping Inter Miami earn a point by keeping a clean sheet with a brilliant performance against the Chicago Fire in the team's 2022 home opener on Feb. 26, game in which he was voted Heineken Man of the Match.

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Academy Halftime Recognition

At halftime of Saturday’s match, the Inter Miami CF Academy U-13 team will be honored at DRV PNK Stadium. Over 20 U-13 players, along with coaches Gibran Tevar and Chris Muñoz, will be welcomed on the pitch for a moment of appreciation.

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Campana's First Goal in Inter Miami Colors

The team is coming off of a tough loss in its first road fixture of the campaign, falling 5-1 against Austin FC at Q2 Stadium, a match in which Ecuadorian attacker Leonardo Campana netted his first goal for the club and the team’s first goal of the 2022 campaign.

Scouting LAFC

LAFC will enter its third matchup of the 2022 regular season after collecting four points in its first two games of the campaign, drawing 1-1 at home against the Portland Timbers in the team's latest fixture. Vela has been the team’s leader so far in 2022, recording three goals in the first two games of the season.