Two of Major League Soccer’s best teams meet in Ohio as Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami face a win-or-go-home affair with FC Cincinnati at TQL Stadium on Sunday.
It’s the Eastern Conference semifinal round as both clubs chase an elusive MLS Cup despite loads of success in recent seasons.
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MORE — MLS Cup Playoffs schedule, scores, format
Both Inter Miami and FC Cincinnati finished on 65 points this season, with Cincinnati earning the two seed by winning 20 games to Miami’s 19.
And both teams needed all three games of their first-round series to advance to the conference semis, as Cincinnati won twice at home to Columbus with a 4-0 away loss sandwiched between the victories. Inter had the same pattern with Nashville, albeit their away loss was by a slim 2-1 margin.
The winner will go to the Eastern Conference Final to face the winner of Philadelphia Union and NYCFC for a spot in the MLS Cup, set for
How to watch Inter Miami at FC Cincinnati in MLS Cup Playoffs
Kickoff time: 5pm ET Sunday (November 23)
Stadium: TQL Stadium — Cincinnati, Ohio
TV Channel/Stream: Apple TV
FC Cincinnati vs Inter Miami history
FC Cincinnati have had Inter’s number the past few seasons, and Inter Miami have not won at TQL Stadium since 2021.
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This season, the Orange and Blue took four of six points from the series. It was rare that Messi was kept off a scoresheet this MLS season, and he played 90 minutes in the 3-0 loss to Cincinnati at TQL (He was suspended for the 0-0 draw at home 10 days later).
In 2024, Miami’s Supporters’ Shield romp, Cincinnati was one of the few teams to beat the champs. Cincinnati won 6-1 at home in a game missing Messi, Luis Suarez, and Jordi Alaba. Suarez scored twice in six minutes to give Inter a home win the next month.
2023 saw Cincinnati sweep the Herons in the regular season, though Inter Miami knocked FC Cincinnati out of the U.S. Open Cup in a semifinal thriller.
FC Cincinnati vs Inter Miami preview, players to watch
We can safely skip Lionel Messi as a player to watch — the best player in the world and perhaps history gets that distinction even before scoring five of Inter Miami’s eight goals versus Nashville.
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We can also skip Suarez, Alba, and Sergio Busquets because you’ll want to take notice of Celta Vigo loanee Tadeo Allende. The 26-year-old Argentine has 14 goals and two assists in 34 appearances this season, bagging three goals and a helper in the first round.
Cincinnati got 34 of their 52 season goals from Evander Ferreira and Kevin Denkey. Throw in Evander’s 14 assists and you’ll have a good feel for what makes the Ohio side thrive on the pitch.
Czech midfielder Pavel Bucha and Middlesbrough loanee Lukas Engel give them strength in the midfield and defense, while goalkeeper Roman Celentano has been in several USMNT camps.
