Match Preview: Inter Miami CF vs Nashville SC
Eastern Conference heavyweights do battle at Chase Stadium
As things stand in the Eastern Conference, as we begin to see the true table take shape, Inter Miami holds three games in hand on the teams ahead of them as the Herons sit in fifth.
One of those teams ahead of Miami, looking to keep them at arms length is second-place Nashville SC. On Saturday, these clubs will meet for the first time in 2025.
The Herons enter Saturday’s clash on a four-game win streak in league play, while Nashville enters this one on a 15-game unbeaten run in all competitions. Both clubs played in midweek, with Miami grabbing a 2-1 road victory at New England, and Nashville picking up a 5-2 Open Cup quarterfinal win at home against DC United.
Each of the league’s top two goalscorers will take the field in Fort Lauderdale on Saturday, as Nashville’s Sam Surridge tops the chart with 16 goals, just ahead of Lionel Messi’s 14. Not all that far behind the pair of them is Nashville’s Hany Mukhtar with nine.
With the pomp and circumstance behind us, we can now get to the meat and bones of this incredibly important Eastern Conference duel.
Match Details
Date: Saturday, July 12th, 2025
Time: 7:45PM EST (Miami), 6:45PM CST (Nashville)
Location: Chase Stadium, Fort Lauderdale, Florida
Watch: MLS Season Pass on Apple TV+, Apple TV+, FOX Sports 1, FOX Deportes
Commentators: Tony Husband & Ross Smith (Apple, English), Bruno Vain & Andres Aguilla (Apple, Spanish), Mike Watts & Jamie Watson (FS1, English)
Listen: WUUB ESPN 106.3FM (Miami, English), WEFL 760AM Deportes Radio (Miami, Spanish), WGFX 104.5FM The Zone (Nashville, English)
Referees: Filip Dujić (REF), Jason White (AR1), Mike Nickerson (AR2), Pierre-Luc Lauziere (4TH), Younes Marrakchi (VAR), Meghan Mullen (AVAR)
Head Coaches: Javier Mascherano (MIA), B.J. Callaghan (NSH)
Injury Report
Inter Miami CF
OUT- Noah Allen, Drake Callender, Ian Fray
QUESTIONABLE- Yannick Bright, Gonzalo Lujan, Allen Obando, David Ruíz
Nashville SC
OUT- Taylor Washington, Maximus Ekk, Tyler Boyd, Tate Schmitt, Jonathan Pérez (suspension)
QUESTIONABLE- None
Miami Lineup Prediction
Expect to midfielders Telasco Segovia and Benjamin Cremaschi return to Miami’s starting lineup tonight, recreating the first 11 that beat Montreal 4-1 last Saturday. Segovia complements the short passing game favored by Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez — he’s good on the ball, intelligent and can score. Cremaschi isn’t as polished offensively but has OK pace and an unsurpassed work rate, making him a perfect partner for the older and slower Sergio Busquets in the defensive midfield.
Goalkeeper Oscar Ustari finished Wednesday’s match in pain and favoring his right shoulder but suffered no serious damage and is expected to start tonight. If Ustari can’t play, Rocco Rios Novo or William Yarbrough will step between the posts.
Center back Tomas Aviles has been more disciplined this year, with just three yellow cards, but veteran David Martinez is available.
Former Nashville forward Fafa Picault, 34, still has the pace and technical ability to be dangerous. He could start in place of either wing.
Nashville Lineup Prediction
Nashville is forced into one change after Jonathan Pérez’s red card last weekend, but other than that I’m not expecting much alteration from the sides that defeated Philadelphia and DC United.
Joe Willis steps back in between the posts, behind Dan Lovitz, a returning Walker Zimmerman, Jeisson Palacios and Andy Najar. The midfield duo of Patrick Yazbek and Eddi Tagseth has proven to be one of the best in MLS, and shouldn’t receive change.
The front four is slightly altered by Perez’s absence, but Ahmed Qasem should be more than capable stepping in to fill that spot. He joins Alex Muyl in supporting one of the best attacking duos in the league in Hany Mukhtar and Sam Surridge.
Analysis & Prediction
Ken Garner: I hope this match lives up to the hype. Inter Miami is playing well — losing just once in nine outings — but looked vulnerable against New England. The Herons again struggled to score against a condensed defense — Messi scored both goals, one on a turnover in the box, the other in transition — and the Revolution had multiple missed chances created by playing long and direct.
Nashville is on a 12-game unbeaten streak. In the past, when the Coyotes have been at their best, they’ve been known as a defensive powerhouse and opportunistic on the attack. B.J. Callaghan has turned Nashville into a scoring juggernaut; through 21 matches, the visitors have scored 37 goals, just one fewer than they scored in 34 matches last year.
Striker Sam Surridge, who leads the Golden Boot race with 16 goals, is providing the attacking support that Hany Mukhtar, the 2022 MLS Most Valuable Player and Golden Boot winner, has lacked. The duo has combined for 25 goals and 11 assists in league play so far.
Messi leads MLS with 21 goal contributions (14 goals, 7 assists), but he’s played 90 or more minutes in 14 straight matches; the Herons’ “Big Four” of Messi, Jordi Alba, Sergio Busquets and Luis Suarez all have played big minutes across 30 total competitive matches: 18 in MLS, eight in the Concacaf Champions Cup, and four in the FIFA Club World Cup. Inter Miami is playing the third of five matches in 15 days, and Mascherano knows his key players need a rest, but today’s not the day. The truth is, without Messi & Friends, Inter Miami is a middling MLS side.
If Qasem and Muyl run with Mukhtar and Sturridge and the Coyotes complete their opportunities, it will be a long day for the Herons.
Inter Miami is playing at Chase Stadium, with a fanbase that relishes this matchup, and Los Garzas have shown the ability to play to their opponents’ level — with the notable recent exception of Paris Saint-Germain.
But Nashville is a more complete team right now than Miami; I think the Coyotes’ defense will stymy Messi and their attack will take advantage of the Herons’ back line. I’ll take Nashville, 3-2. Suarez will score on an assist from Messi and Allende will get one on the counterattack.
Ronan Briscoe: This is a massive, massive game. In truth, it’s not the only one, as eyeballs will be watching both this one and the Hell is Real Derby in Cincinnati as we begin to understand who the real contenders for the Supporters Shield are. Both of these clubs will have a say in the race for MLS Cup, but right now they have to focus on one another.
Miami head coach Javier Mascherano noted after Wednesday’s game against New England that they wished to take Lionel Messi off the field, but the game state didn’t allow it. Does that have an impact on this one? Does Messi start? Does he get subbed off at the hour mark to preserve his legs for what will be an incredibly busy stretch run?
Miami has lost just two games at home, but their last league defeat coincidentally did happen at home as well. Nashville has picked up several road wins recently, including each of their last three against Chicago, DC United and New England.
Nashville has never beaten Inter Miami since the arrival of Messi and company. However, the Herons are the one team in the Eastern Conference to have not faced the Coyotes since the arrival of head coach BJ Callaghan. Does that change things?
These are two very, very good teams. Normally, in a close situation like this, I would lean with the home side, in this case Miami. However, there’s enough question marks about the Herons at the back, allowing 2.1 expected goals to CF Montréal and 2.3 expected goals to New England respectively, that I’m hesitant to do so.
The absences of Allen and Fray loom large for Miami’s defense, and I think that’ll be enough to keep Nashville in the game, even if Messi does what Messi tends to do of late.
Give me a 2-2 draw, with Nashville goals from Hany Mukhtar and Walker Zimmerman.