Inter Miami host struggling Union in final match before hiatus

LIONEL Messi and Inter Miami seek a second consecutive home win on Sunday when they host a struggling Philadelphia Union side, potentially looking at a summer of changes.

Miami (8-2-4, 28 points) finally secured its first victory at Nu Stadium, the club’s permanent facility that opened in early April, in Sunday’s 2-0 win over the Portland Timbers.

Messi scored his 12th goal and added his sixth assist; he has contributed directly to 11 Miami goals in his last four games. German Berterame added his fifth MLS goal – all of those coming since April 11 – to help the Herons end a four-match winless start at their new home.

“It was a very good feeling because we really wanted to get past that situation,” said Miami interim manager Guillermo Hoyos. “We had played some outstanding matches there before, but unfortunately couldn’t get the results we wanted. Thankfully, we finally broke that streak and left that behind us.”

Despite those hiccups, a win Sunday would put Miami no worse than second in the Eastern Conference before a hiatus from late May to late July as MLS markets help host the 2026 World Cup.

Meanwhile, even if the Union (1-9-4, 7 points) win Sunday, they won’t be able to escape their last-place East standing until after that break because of the hole they’ve dug during a miserable spring.

The sensational reversal from last season, in which Philadelphia won the 2025 Supporters’ Shield, has come while team sporting director Ernst Tanner serves an MLS-imposed suspension for the use of discriminatory language.

Investigation into that behavior became public before Philadelphia’s loss to New York City in the 2025 Eastern Conference semifinal. The ban lifts at the end of the month.

“On the first of June, there might be some announcements, with regard to the whole process and the whole saga,” Philadelphia manager Bradley Carnell said. “So maybe there will be some clarity there too.”

The Union salvaged a 1-1 draw on May 16 at home against Columbus after Milan Iloski scored his team-leading fourth goal of the season in the 70th minute.

Philadelphia has lost three straight on the road, but also earned its only win of the season during an April trip to Montreal. — REUTERS

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المصدر: New Straits Times