Inter Miami CF II is poised to build on the momentum from the season opening 2-0 victory against Columbus Crew 2. The squad is prepared for a week two home matchup against Philadelphia Union II on Tuesday, April 5 at 6 p.m. ET at DRV PNK Stadium. The match - postponed from its originally scheduled date of Sunday, April 3 - will be live streamed on mlsnextpro.com. Tickets are available for only $5 plus fees HERE.
“Philadelphia Union II is a club that has a good DNA that runs throughout the whole academy through to their first team,” said head coach Darren Powell. “They are very good in what they do and can execute in certain areas of the field very, very well. Our job will be to counteract that, balance off, and impose ourselves onto Philadelphia.”
In the opening game of the MLS NEXT Pro season, Inter Miami CF II was led by Emerson Rodríguez, as the Colombian winger on loan from the First Team scored both of the team’s goals in the victory. Goalkeeper Nick Marsman, also on loan from the First Team, kept a clean sheet in his first match since suffering an injury late in the 2021 MLS season.
Inter Miami CF Academy product Tyler Hall, meanwhile, made his debut for Inter Miami CF II, slotting into the starting XI at centerback. The 2006-born defender was the youngest player in all of MLS NEXT Pro to start a match in week one. The young American played 85 strong minutes against Columbus to help keep the clean sheet.
Philadelphia Union II enters this week two match following a 2-0 victory of its own in the opening week against FC Cincinnati 2. Philadelphia midfielder Carlos Paternina started the scoring with a goal just four minutes into the match, while midfielder Jesus Bueno doubled their lead in the second half.
Inter Miami Loans
Inter Miami CF II today announced the acquisition of five 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 George Acosta, Edison Azcona, CJ dos Santos, Bryce Duke and Aimé Mabika for Tuesday's MLS NEXT Pro match.
Acosta, 22, starred on loan with Inter Miami CF II in 2021, leading the team with seven assists. 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. Mabika, 23, was a first-round pick by Inter Miami in the 2020 MLS SuperDraft and shined for Inter Miami CF II in 2021, captaining the team on several occasions before signing for the First Team.
