Can Dayne St. Clair earn back Inter Miami's starting keeper job? | OneFootball

With 14 matches left in the regular season, Inter Miami remains without a bona fide starting goalkeeper.

It was Dayne St. Clair’s turn to make his case Wednesday against the Philadelphia Union, and he made a couple of spectacular saves to help the Herons cling to a 2-2 draw and prevent them from losing their fourth straight match. That might not guarantee he’ll start Saturday against Toronto FC.

St. Clair, the 2025 MLS Goalkeeper of the Year for Minnesota, started 2026 as the Herons’ presumptive GK1, but he struggled to adapt to Miami’s more high-risk, high reward playing style. The lack of confidence showed; once considered the favorite to start in goal for Canada at this summer’s World Cup, he lost the job to Maxine Crépeau and never saw the pitch for Les Rouges.

Rocco Ríos Novo replaced Oscar Ustari between the pipes down the stretch last year and helped Las Garzas win their first MLS Cup title but was relegated to the bench with St. Clair’s arrival.

When the Canadian faltered, Ríos Novo started Miami’s first seven matches after the World Cup break. “Rocco Blocco” hasn’t been the disaster some claim, but he’s been inconsistent and committed egregious errors against Chicago and Nashville.

Interim coach Guillermo Hoyos hasn't committed to either keeper, suggesting instead that he makes the starting decision based on each keeper's strengths. The taller St. Clair is considered to be a better shot blocker and better in the air, while Ríos Novo is supposed to be a better "sweeper keeper," comfortable roaming out of the goal box, better with his feet and a better distributor of the ball.

“A lot of time, because of how we play, we leave lots of space in behind. Rocco has characteristics that can help us resolve that," Hoyos said July 31 when asked why Ríos Novo would start against Chicago. The fan favorite made his most embarrassing blunder in the match, whiffing on an Ian Fray back-pass that rolled into the Herons' net for an own goal. Saturday against Nashville, Ríos Novo had his second stunner; he was caught positioned too high and slipped as Hany Mukhtar dribbled around him and walked the ball into the goal.