New York City FC has dominated the all-time series against Inter Miami

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·27. November 2025

New York City FC has dominated the all-time series against Inter Miami

Current form, recent results give Los Garzas reasons for optimism

Inter Miami has beaten New York City FC just twice -- a 4-0 blowout in the clubs' last meeting and a 3-2 squeaker three years ago -- in 13 meetings; the Pigeons have seven victories and an 84.6 winning percentage against the Pink & Black, the best of any club in any competition that has played the Herons more than twice.

But the South Florida club is getting better against its New York nemesis; the Pigeons had won the first five meetings by an aggregate score of 11-3 and had won seven of eight before four straight draws and Miami's Sept. 24 drubbing of the Dirty Birds at Citi Field. And the Herons are a very different team from the one that had to scramble to salvage a 2-2 draw against the Pigeons in the teams' season-opener. Miami is playing its best soccer of the season in the MLS Cup playoffs, outscoring Nashville 8-1 in their three-match, first-round series and whipping Cincinnati 4-0 at TQL Stadium.

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So, let's look back at the Herons' first taste of success against the Birds. NYCFC was the defending MLS Cup champions when they visited DRV PNK Stadium for the teams' second regular-season match of the year on Aug. 13, 2022. Thanks to violations of league roster rules in its first two seasons, financial sanctions forced Inter Miami to make 30 roster changes -- 30! -- before the 2022 season, saying goodbye to 12 players and adding 18 new faces.

Against all odds, the patchwork roster worked. Phil Neville did some of his best coaching, guiding that rag-tag outfit into playoff contention. The team acquired former league MVP Alejandro Pozuelo, a then-31-year-old attacking midfielder from Spain, from Toronto FC on July 7 for $150,000 in guaranteed General Allocation Money. Los Garzas were in ninth place when Pozuelo signed, but earned 11 points (three wins, two draws and a loss) in the first six matches in which Pozuelo played, eventually finishing sixth and sneaking into the Eastern Conference playoffs -- where they lost, 3-0, to third-place New York City. Sigh.

Pozuelo leads Herons to first-ever win against NYCFC

Former Inter Miami CF midfielder Alejandro Pozuelo, shown in a match against the Columbus Crew, helped lead the Herons to their first-ever win against New York City FC in 2022. | Lauren Sopourn/GettyImages

Pozuelo made just 13 appearances for the Herons and enjoyed his best match in Pink & Black that humid August night against NYCFC. He scored a 39th-minute equalizer with an assist from Bryce Duke five minutes after the visitors scored the opener. New York scored in the second minute of first-half stoppage time to take a halftime lead.

Pozuelo received a secondary assist for a pass to Gonzalo Higuaín that led to Ariel Lassiter's 63rd-minute goal that evened the score 2-2 and, for his finale, pounced on an errant NYCFC pass and scored the match-winning goal in the 84th minute.

Pozuelo's clever passes and ability on the ball helped star striker Gonzalo Higuaín rediscover his scoring touch and win the 2022 MLS Comeback Player of the Year Award; without Pozuelo's creativity, the Herons likely would have failed to qualify for the playoffs.

The Spaniard became a fan favorite in his short stint at Inter Miami, but the Herons front office already was preparing a long-shot bid for another creative attacking midfielder whose Paris Saint-Germaine contract was expiring. Miami couldn't afford to pay Pozuelo and have a chance at Messi. The Herons didn't re-sign Pozuelo, who moved to Turkish side Konyaspor before the 2023 season and currently plays for FC Palm City in the United Arab Emirates.

In 486 career appearances, Pozuelo has scored 92 goals and provided 117 assists. His greatest success came with Toronto FC (30 goals and 27 assists in 100 appearances) and Belgian side Genk (25 goals, 60 assists, 177 appearances). He won the 2020 Major League Soccer MVP award with nine goals and 10 assists in a COVID-shortened season.