In the MLS NEXT Pro Game of the Week, Inter Miami CF II will battle Orlando City B for the first time this season on Sunday, April 10 at 5:30 p.m. ET at DRV PNK Stadium. The match will air live on mlsnextpro.com and tickets are available for only $5 plus fees HERE.
“Orlando is a well put together, well coached team. They have some good ideas which present problems for their opponent, but we’ll obviously put some things in place where we feel we can capitalize on some spaces available. We’ll share that with our team, that’s what we are looking forward to. It will be a great game with two teams trying to play the right way,” stated head coach Darren Powell.
As previously announced per the league’s 2022 competition guidelines, should there be a draw between two teams in a MLS NEXT Pro match, a shootout from the penalty spot will take place with the winner claiming an additional point. In the team’s previous game, Inter Miami CF II took on Philadelphia Union II at DRV PNK Stadium, coming from behind twice to end in a 3-3 draw. It was Philadelphia, however, who was able to claim the additional point against the hosts.
The match saw a number of milestone moments for Inter Miami CF II players. Notably, Inter Miami CF Academy product Kobi Thomas came on in the second half to make his professional debut and fellow Academy product Benjamin Cremaschi notched his first professional goal. Romeo Beckham, meanwhile, tallied a hat trick of assists - his first assists at the professional level - and Shanyder Borgelin scored a brace against his former team.
Orlando City B enters this weekend’s match coming off of a draw of its own, with a 2-2 regulation scoreline against NYCFC II before earning an additional point in the subsequent shootout. Orlando currently sits in third place in the Easten Conference with one win and one draw with a shootout win for a total of five points.
Inter Miami CF Loans
Inter Miami CF II today announced the acquisition of seven First Team players on loan, pending league and federation approval. Under the terms of the loan agreement, the Inter Miami First Team retains the right to recall all players at any point during the remainder of the MLS regular season, subject to MLS roster compliance guidelines. The team has loaned Noah Allen, Edison Azcona, CJ dos Santos, Bryce Duke, Joevin Jones, Jairo Quinteros and Emerson Rodríguez for Sunday's MLS NEXT Pro match.
Allen, 17, won USL League One Young Player of the year honors with Inter Miami CF II in 2021. Azcona, 18, was the first Inter Miami CF Academy player to appear for the First Team in an MLS match. Dos Santos, 21, signed for Inter Miami in Feb. 2022 after spending time with SL Benfica in Portugal. Duke, 21, was acquired by Inter Miami in Jan. 2022 after breaking through at the MLS level with LAFC. Jones, 30, will be available to return from an injury suffered in the 2021 MLS season. Quinteros, 21, is a Bolivian national team center back who spent the last two seasons on loan with Club Bolívar. Rodríguez, 21, signed for Inter Miami in Jan. 2022 as part of the MLS U22 Initiative and netted a brace in Inter Miami CF II's first MLS NEXT Pro match.
