Another Nashville SC match and another win as the Boys in Gold picked up a 2-0 win on the road in Charlotte. Tonight, Open Cup action resumes as Nashville plays an Inter Miami team that finds itself in turmoil. Can Nashville get the win to advance, or will Phill Neville find a way to stay his seemingly impending firing?
Inter Miami CF
12th (East) | 15 points | 5-0-8 | -3 GD |
Power Rankings: 22
It’s quite remarkable how quickly fortunes can change for teams. It was only a week ago that Inter Miami came to GEODIS Park on a five-match winning streak but the feel-good factor around the team has quickly dissipated.
Miami followed up their 2-1 loss to Nashville with a 1-3 loss at home to rivals Orlando City. In both of those matches, especially against Nashville, the result flatters Miami. Now they go into tonight’s match with their back against the wall and a very unhappy fanbase.
😬 One of Inter Miami’s most notable supporters groups, Vice City1896, posted this on their Instagram moments ago.
— Alex Windley (@aaw_1998) May 22, 2023
It appears they've had their say on Inter Miami’s recent struggles….#InterMiamiCF pic.twitter.com/nnNV9Lrlrl
The question for tonight’s match is how bought in are the players? If Neville hasn’t lost the dressing room, there is a good chance that we see a response by the players and a bounce back against Nashville, if he has lost the dressing room it could get ugly.
Inter Miami have played their last two Open Cup matches against lower league teams which has resulted in a heavily rotated squad. It is unclear how much Miami even values this game and tournament so predicting a lineup is quite difficult.
Regardless of who takes the field for Miami tonight, they have to be better than the two previous.
Nashville SC
2nd (East) | 25 points | 7-4-3 | +10 GD |
Power Rankings: 2
Regardless of the opponent, going on the road and picking up a late winner is a huge boost in confidence and provides a ton of momentum for your next match.
Unlike Inter Miami, Nashville fans know what to expect from this team in the US Open Cup. Gary Smith and team have shown that through earlier rounds there will be a good bit of rotation but as they progress, the team selected gets stronger.
For the first time on the road, we saw the 4-4-2 diamond the entire match and expect to see that again against Miami. The Coyotes will use this to retain a little bit more possession but also nullify the Miami midfield.
Selection wise, expect to see a similar lineup to that of the Open Cup match against FC Dallas. If there was one additional day rest, Smith would go stronger but will need to keep fitness in mind. This would mean that Randall Leal earns himself another start after a tuneup game with Hunstville over the weekend.
Pod Picks
Chris Ivey
Score: Nashville 2-1 Miami
Scorers: Randall Leal, Ethan Zubak
MOTM: Randall Leal
Bold Prediction: Finishes the 90 ties 1-1 but Nashville wins in extra time
Ben Wright
Score: Nashville 2-0 Miami
Scorers: Jacob Shaffelburg, Lukas MacNaughton
MOTM: Ján Greguš
Bold Prediction: Greguš gets two assists in the second half.
Jonathan Slape
Score: Nashville 1-0 Miami
Scorers: Randall Leal
MOTM: Randall Leal
Bold Prediction: Nashville scores late in the first half.
Valair Shabilla
Score: Nashville 1-0 Miami
Scorers: Alex Muyl
MOTM: Alex Muyl
Bold Prediction: Total shots on target will be 6 or under.
Fan Forecast
There is no rest for #EveryoneN as they are back in action tonight with a trip to the Quarter finals of the @opencup on the line against #InterMiamiCF.
— Speedway Soccer 🐺 (@SpeedwaySoc) May 23, 2023
Vote in our #FanForecast and reply with a #BoldPrediction.
Match info
Teams: Inter Miami v. Nashville SC
Odds: MIA (+210), Draw (+210), NSH (+135) via DraftKings
Date: Tuesday, May 23
Time: 6:30 pm CDT, DRV PNK Stadium, Fort Lauderdale, Florida
TV: CBS Sports Golazo Network
Forecast: 84°/74°. Mostly Cloudy. 49% chance of rain. 76% humidity
