Recent history suggests Orange & Blue may be Inter Miami's kryptonite | OneFootball

Streaks dominate Miami-Cincinnati series

Numbers don't tell the whole story. For example, Inter Miami has a 6-5-2 all-time record against FC Cincinnati, the Herons' opponent in Sunday's MLS Cup quarterfinal. The Pink & Black and Orange & Blue would seem to enjoy a tense, competitive rivalry.

Not really. Inter Miami won the first four meetings between the sides in 2020 and 2021 but has beaten the Queen City just twice in the past four seasons. The "Knifey Lions" -- see the logo -- are 5-2-2 against Los Garzas since the beginning of the 2022 season and 3-1-1 against the Herons since Inter Miami won the rivalry's most important match to date in the 2023 U.S. Open Cup semifinals.

Cincinnati had MLS' worst regular season record in its first three seasons (2019-2021) but was enjoying a dramatic turnabout in 2022, ultimately winning the Supporters' Shield for compiling the best regular-season record. The Orange & Black boasted an 11-0-1 home record and topped the MLS power rankings before hosting Miami on Aug. 23, 2023. Just four days earlier, the Herons won the inaugural Leagues Cup in a thrilling penalty-kick win at Nashville, earning the team's first major trophy and helping Miami jump from 11th to seventh in the MLS rankings. (Some pundits credit Los Garzas' midseason run of form to the arrival of a new attacking midfielder from Argentina, one Lionel Messi).

The Open Cup semifinal win against Cincinnati wasn't quite as dramatic as the Leagues Cup nailbiter, but it has to be considered among the most-satisfying wins of Miami's short history. The Lions scored twice but the Herons rallied to force two 15-minute extra time periods. Miami briefly took the lead before the Orange & Black rallied. The match went to penalty kicks and, after goalkeeper Drake Callender stopped a Cincinnati shot, young Inter Heron midfielder Benjamin Cremaschi calmly slotted home his PK to send Inter Miami to its second tournament final. The Herons, playing without Messi, lost the Open Cup championship 1-2 to the Houston Dynamo on Sept. 27, 2023.

Lions-Herons lately

The teams played two matches in the 2025 regular season, 10 days apart in July. The Knifey Lions (what a great moniker!) routed the Herons 3-0 at TQL Stadium on July 17 and played Miami to a scoreless draw July 26 at Chase Stadium.

Gerardo Valenzuela slotted home a pass from Luca Orellano in the 16th minute and Evander scored two second-half goals to secure the home win; the Big Four of Messi, Jordi Alba, Sergio Busquets and Luis Suarez played the entire match for Miami but couldn't recreate their familiar magic.

Messi and Alba missed the second match, each serving a one-game suspension for skipping the MLS All-Star match on July 23.

Starters July 17:

FC CINCINNATI (3-4-1-2) -- Roman Celentano; Miles Robinson, Matt Miazga, Lukas Engel; Luca Orellano, Pavel Bucha, Brian Anunga, Deandre Yedlin; Evander; Kei Kamara, Gerardo Valenzuela

INTER MIAMI (4-4-2) -- Oscar Ustari; Jordi Alba, Tomas Aviles, Maxi Falcon, Marcelo Weigandt; Telasco Segovia, Sergio Busquets, Benjamin Cremaschi, Tadeo Allende; Luis Suarez, Lionel Messi

Starters July 26:

INTER MIAMI (4-4-2) -- Rocco Rios Novo, Cremaschi, Aviles, Gonzalo Lujan, Weigandt; Fafa Picault, Federico Redondo, Sergio Busquets, Tadeo Allende; Suarez, Messi

FC CINCINNATI (3-4-1-2) -- Celentano; Robinson, Miazga, Engel; Orellano, Bucha, Anunga, Yedlin; Evander; Kamara, Valenzuela