September 8, 2021 – Major League Soccer (MLS) – Inter Miami CF News Release
Inter Miami CF (7W-5D-9L, 26 points) returns home to take on the Columbus Crew (7W-6D-10L, 27 points) on Saturday, Sept. 11. The matchup at DRV PNK Stadium is set to kick off at 8 p.m. ET.
Tickets
Tickets for the Saturday’s match at DRV PNK Stadium are available.
Pre-game Show and Where to Watch
Stream our AutoNation Pre-Match Show live on the Inter Miami app from 6:45 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. ET! Fans will then be able to watch the Pre-Match Show on My33 and the Inter Miami App from 7:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. ET!
Following the pre-game show, the match will be broadcast live regionally on My33, CW34, Unimás and the Inter Miami App. Fans worldwide can follow live updates including video highlights and stats on the Club’s App. Download and Register your Profile here: https://www.intermiamicf.com/en/club/app.
Positive Run of Results
Inter Miami CF will clash against the 2021 MLS Cup champion Columbus Crew this weekend after a thrilling 0-1 win on the road over FC Cincinnati on Saturday, Sept. 4. Defender / midfielder Brek Shea, who earned Heineken Man of the Match honors due to his heroics, scored a late winner for Inter Miami in the match at TQL Stadium; it was Shea’s second goal of 2021.
Inter Miami will seek to continue its recent run of positive results against Columbus – with the team currently on a four-match unbeaten run and unbeaten in eight of the team’s past nine matches.
Team of the Week Honors for Nicolás Figal
Defender Nicolás Figal registered his second assist of the 2021 season against Cincinnati and was named as a starter on the MLS Team of the Week for Week 23 of the regular season due to his stellar performance.
First Clash Against Columbus Crew
This weekend’s match against the Columbus Crew at DRV PNK Stadium will be the first meeting between the sides in Club history.
Familiar Faces
Saturday’s fixture may feature reunions between former teammates or rivals for Miami and Columbus Crew players. On the international stage, Club striker Gonzalo Higuaín faced Darlington Nagbe and Derrick Etienne Jr. with Argentina. Higuaín played against Nagbe in the 2016 Copa America Centenario semifinals, bagging a brace to help Argentina overcome Nagbe and the USMNT 0-4 to advance to the final of the tournament. The attacker then faced Etienne Jr. and Haiti in an international friendly in 2018 in which Argentina won 4-0. Additionally, attacking midfielder Rodolfo Pizarro played with Mexico against Ghana internationals Jonathan Mensah and Harrison Afful in a friendly in 2017, with Mexico winning 1-0. Pizarro’s latest encounter with a Columbus Crew player on the international stage was against Ettienne Jr. in the 2019 Gold Cup semifinals, in which Mexico topped Haiti 0-1 to move onto the final.
A handful of reunions of players who faced each other while plying their trade in Europe may also be on the cards. Inter Miami goalkeeper Nick Marsman opposed Columbus Crew shot-stopper Eloy Room and centre-back Vito Wormgoor in the Eredivisie, the Dutch top flight, between 2013 and 2017. Marsman was a Twente FC player at that time, playing against Room five times during his spells with the Go Ahead Eagles and Vitesse. On the other hand, Wormgoor played for ADO Den Haag and faced Marsman on three occasions. Blaise Matuidi, meanwhile, played against Jonathan Mensah and Steven Moreira in France’s Ligue 1. Matuidi played with PSG against Mensah’s Thonon Évian FC in three Ligue 1 fixtures between 2013 and 2015. Matuidi also encountered Moreira three times during his stint at Stade Rennais FC.
In addition, Inter Miami defenders Figal and Leandro González Pirez faced Lucas Zelaryán once in Argentina’s top flight; with Figal taking on Zelaryán and Club Atlético Belgrano during his spell with Club Atlético Independiente and LGP playing against him during his time at Arsenal Fútbol Club.
Lastly, numerous players that have clashed in the Concacaf Champions League may face each other once again. Brek Shea, then with the Vancouver Whitecaps, played against Zelarayán’s Tigres in the semifinals of the 2017 edition of the competition. Pizarro faced Zelarayán seven times from 2016 to 2019 across three competitions, including the Campeón de Campeones tournament, Liga MX Apertura and Clausura matchups and the Concacaf Champions League final in 2019. Pizarro also encountered Evan Bush, Waylon Francis, Nagbe, and Ettiene Jr in the tournament. Pizarro played against goalkeeper Bush in the Concacaf Champions quarterfinals in 2015; Pizarro represented Pachuca and Bush played for the then Montreal Impact. Pizarro then saw Nagbe in the 2019 Concacaf Champions League quarterfinals, with Nagbe’s Atlanta United falling against Pizarro’s Monterrey. Pizarro also played against Francis in the Concacaf Champions League in the quarterfinals of the 2018 edition; Pizarro played for Chivas in while Francis played for the Seattle Sounders, with Chivas winning the tie 3-1 on aggregate. Finally, Pizarro defeated Etienne Jr. and Bradley Wright-Phillips with an aggregate of 1-0 in the Concacaf Champions League semifinals in 2018, when Pizarro played for Chivas and Etienne Jr. and Wright-Phillips played for New York Red Bulls.
Columbus Crew’s Record
Columbus Crew enters this weekend’s fixture after falling 3-2 on the road against Orlando City SC in its last match. In 2021, Columbus has recorded seven wins, six draws and 10 losses to date, with midfielder Zelarayán, who has registered seven goals and three assists, and forward Gyasi Zardes, who has tallied four goals, leading the team this campaign.
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