5 hours Ago By Ben Wright
Inter Miami return to their Fort Lauderdale home of Chase Stadium on Saturday after a pair of road trips last week. They're in the lead for the Supporters' Shield, the trophy given to the MLS club with the most points at the end of the regular season. They're also in reach of setting the single-season points record , needing 10 points from their final four matches to break New England's 2022 record of 73 points.
Lionel Messi has played in their last three matches after returning from a lengthy injury absence, starting against the Philadelphia Union and New York City FC with a 30-minute cameo off the bench against Atlanta United sandwiched in between. Miami are set to get a boost on Saturday, with Sergio Busquets returning after missing last weekend for personal reasons (he proposed to his long-time girlfriend), while Diego Gómez and Matías Rojas are back in training after their own injuries. Charlotte FC are in sixth place in the Eastern Conference, looking to both climb the table in the East and secure home-field advantage in the first round of the playoffs with a Top 4 finish, as well as improving an attack that has struggled for most of the year.
Their 36 goals scored are tied for the fourth-fewest in the league, and they don't have a single player on their team with double-digit goals this season. With Miami chasing history and Charlotte chasing a higher seed in the postseason, expect both teams to go with their strongest-possible 11s on Saturday. There is still plenty to be decided down the stretch run of the 2024 regular season, with several individual awards still realistically up for grabs.
Inter Miami Lineup vs Charlotte FC Federico Redondo avoided a yellow card against NYCFC last weekend, and he'll be available, although he's one card away from a suspension. Sergio Busquets should be available, after he stayed in Miami to be with his fiancé, who is nine months pregnant and could go into labor with their third child at any point. Diego Gómez is back in training.
He missed out on last weekend's match after being labeled a "gametime decision", working his way back from a hamstring injury. While he should be involved, it may be too much and too soon for him to start. An appearance off the bench seems more likely.
Similarly, Matías Rojas has also returned to full training, but there's no reason to rush him back too quickly from an ankle injury. A few minutes as a substitute may be the best way to ease him back in. Inter Miami lineup projection (3-4-3, left to right): Drake Callender (GK) — Noah Allen, Sergio Busquets, Tómas Aviles — Jordi Alba, Yannick Bright, Federico Redondo, Julian Gressel — Robert Taylor, Luis Suárez, Lionel Messi Inter Miami subs projection (9): Oscar Ustari (GK), Franco Negri, Ian Fray, Marcelo Weigandt, Diego Gómez, David Ruiz, Benja Cremaschi, Matías Rojas, Leonardo Campana Injured (4): Out - Leo Afonso (groin), Facundo Farías (knee – season-ending), Nicolás Freire (knee – season-ending), Hector David Martinez (groin) Suspended: None Charlotte Lineup vs Inter Miami Karol Świderski hasn't exactly lit the league on fire.
After returning from a loan with Italian club Hellas Verona this spring, and Charlotte unable to find a permanent transfer for him, he was unceremoniously dropped back into the starting lineup. He's been mostly fine, scoring twice in six matches, but hasn't looked like a difference-maker. Patrick Agyemang , on the other hand, has been electric.
The 23-year-old, taken 12th-overall in the 2023 SuperDraft, leads the team with eight goals and five assists in 27 appearances (18 starts). He's still raw, but he's clearly a special talent. After scoring and assisting off the bench last weekend, he's earned the chance to play from the get-go in Miami.
Another interesting wrinkle for head coach Dean Smith was the use of 37-year-old U.S. International Tim Ream as a left back on Saturday.
The Fulham veteran has been primarily a left-sided center back throughout his professional career, but sliding him into a stay-at-home left-back role allowed Smith to bring back Andrew Privett into the starting XI. Prior to Ream's arrival, Privett and Adilson Malanda had formed arguably the league's best center-back duo, and getting all three on the pitch at the same time may be a way to bring even more defensive solidity. Charlotte FC lineup projection (4-3-3, left to right): Kristijan Kahlina (GK) — Tim Ream, Andrew Privett, Adilson Malanda, Nathan Byrne — Brandt Bronico, Ashley Westwood, Junior Urso — Liel Abada, Patrick Agyemang, Pep Biel Charlotte FC subs projection (9): David Bingham (GK), Jaylin Lindsey, Jere Uronen, Djibril Diani, Brandon Cambridge, Kerwin Vargas, Iuri Tavares, Idan Toklomati, Karol Świderski Injured (1): Nikola Petković (knee) Suspended: None GIVEMESPORT digs through the MLS expected goals stats to unearth the trends that shape the league standings.
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