Orlando City (11-6-8, 41 points) vs Inter Miami CF (12-4-6, 42 points)
When: Sunday, 8:00 p.m.
Where: Inter&Co Stadium, Orlando, Fla.
Attend: Tickets
TV: MLS Season Pass on Apple TV (subscription required)
Radio: AM 810 Fox Sports Radio, (English), Mega 97.1 (Spanish)
Here are five storylines to watch for Sunday's match as the Lions host their South Florida rivals:
Designated Dominance
Orlando City’s Designated Players are enjoying a remarkable run of form, contributing more to the scoresheet than any other DP trio in Major League Soccer, save for one. Leading the way is Martín Ojeda, who has been the most productive of the trio, tallying 13 goals and 12 assists for a total of 25 goal contributions in regular season play. Luis Muriel has been a consistent presence in the attack, recording 12 goal contributions with an even split of six goals and six assists, while Marco Pašalić has added to the firepower with 10 goals and four assists, bringing his total to 14. Altogether, the three have combined for an impressive 51 goal contributions – tied for the most of any other group of Designated Players in the league, with Sunday’s opposition Inter Miami CF. The next closest challengers are Eastern Conference rivals Nashville SC, whose DPs have totaled 43 goal contributions to date.
Hat Trick Hero
Designated Player Luis Muriel delivered a historic performance in Orlando City’s 5-1 Leagues Cup victory over Club Necaxa on Wednesday. The Colombian striker ended his goal drought in spectacular fashion, scoring a first-half hat trick, the first in Orlando City history and the fastest ever recorded by a player in the club’s history, clocking in at just 11 minutes and 30 seconds. This feat also set a new Leagues Cup record for the fastest hat trick in tournament history and marked the first hat trick of the 2025 edition. Muriel’s performance was Orlando’s second hat trick of the season, following Martín Ojeda’s against the New England Revolution in May. With Wednesday’s three goals, Muriel now has nine goals and six assists across all competitions this season.
Treinta de Tincho (30 from Tincho)
Martín Ojeda continued his stellar 2025 campaign with a brace and an assist in Orlando City’s 5-1 Leagues Cup win over Liga MX side Club Necaxa on Wednesday night. The performance brought his total goal contributions this season to 32 across all competitions, 16 goals and 16 assists, extending the club record he previously broke, which was set by former Designated Player Facundo Torres in 2024. Earlier this season, Ojeda also surpassed former captain Nani for the club’s MLS single-season goal contributions record. He has now recorded a goal contribution in 13 consecutive matches across all competitions, a club-record streak during which he’s tallied eight goals and 12 assists. Over his last 39 MLS regular season starts, Ojeda has amassed 16 goals and 23 assists, firmly establishing himself as one of the league’s most dynamic and productive playmakers.
New Faces
Orlando City has bolstered its 2025 squad with two new additions announced within the past week. On August 1, the club acquired winger Tyrese Spicer in a trade with Toronto FC. Spicer, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 MLS SuperDraft, made 42 appearances and 21 starts for Toronto across all competitions, tallying six goals and one assist since the start of 2024. Just six days later, on August 7, Orlando City completed the transfer of Adrián Marín from Portuguese side SC Braga. The experienced left back arrives with 212 career appearances, six goals, and six assists in European competition, including matches in the UEFA Champions League and UEFA Europa League.
Florida is Purple
Sunday night marks the final regular season clash between intrastate rivals Orlando City SC and Inter Miami CF. The two sides previously met on May 18 at Chase Stadium in Fort Lauderdale, where Orlando City delivered one of its most dominant performances in the rivalry’s history. The Lions cruised to a 3-0 victory, claiming all three points and taking the lead in the 2025 season series. Forward Luis Muriel opened the scoring with a long-range assist from goalkeeper Pedro Gallese, while forward Marco Pašalić and defender Dagur Dan Thórhallsson added second-half goals to seal the emphatic win. The result left no doubt at the final whistle and set the stage for a high-stakes rematch this weekend.
Milestone Tracker:
-Oscar Pareja is two wins away from 100 across all competitions as Orlando City’s Head Coach
-Ojeda now has a goal contribution in 13 consecutive matches, extending the previous club record he set
