MIAMI (September 9, 2023) – Inter Miami CF (8W-14L-4D, 28 points) earned a 3-2 win at home over Sporting Kansas City on Saturday night to extend the team’s ongoing Club-record unbeaten streak to 12. Heineken Star of the Match Leonardo Campana scored a brace and attacker Facundo Farías bagged the team’s other goal on the night to guide Inter Miami to a win at DRV PNK in its first-ever matchup against Sporting Kansas City.
“We know that we have a good team, a good squad, and that we can get results in matches like the one tonight,” said head coach Gerardo ‘Tata’ Martino.
Inter Miami made several changes to its starting XI with a number of players on international duty. Drake Callender started in goal; captain DeAndre Yedlin, Tomás Avilés, Kamal Miller and Jordi Alba made up the back four; Farías, Dixon Arroyo, Sergio Busquets lined up in midfield; Robbie Robinson and Nicolás Stefanelli flanked striker Campana in attack.
Versatile attacker Stefanelli’s start marked his return to an Inter Miami starting lineup for the first time after recovering from an injury suffered in the visit to D.C. United on July 8. The match also saw midfielder Lawson Sunderland, who became the 11th player to earn a First Team promotion through the Club’s player development pathway, feature on the bench for the first time since being officially signed to an MLS contract. Additionally, Inter Miami CF II forwards Cameron Johnson and Lucas Meek featured on the bench on short-term loans from the Club’s MLS NEXT Pro affiliate.
It was the visitors that opened the scoring early on, with forward Dániel Sallói giving Sporting KC a 0-1 lead in the 9th minute.
It wasn’t long before Inter Miami got back into the matchup, with a penalty being called in favor of the hosts as Campana was brought down inside the box in the 24th minute. Campana then converted the kick from the spot to level the scoring in the 25th minute. It was the forward’s sixth MLS goal this 2023 regular season and his eighth across all competitions this campaign.
The hosts were then able to continue the comeback before the break, with Campana netting his second on the night to give Inter Miami a 2-1 lead in the 45th minute. Yedlin received the ball on the right side of the box, where the right-back dribbled past a defender with great footwork before sending a cross to the far post for Campana. The Ecuadorian striker sent the ball to the back of the net with a header; it was his seventh MLS goal this season and ninth overall in 2023, while the assist was Yedlin’s fourth assist this regular season and sixth across all competitions.
Inter Miami continued pressuring the visitors on the attacking end in the second half and was rewarded after the first 20 minutes. In the 66th minute, Busquets cleverly got the ball back into play quickly from a free kick opportunity near the halfway line, sending a through ball into space for Farías on the right wing. The young Argentine collected the ball and dribbled forward to enter the box before calmly finishing with a right footed shot to the back of the net to give the hosts a 3-1 lead. The goal was Farías’ second for Inter Miami, while the assists was Busquets second in MLS and third for the team.
In the 75th Inter Miami made its first substitution, with central midfielder Sunderland coming on for Stefanelli to make his second 2023 MLS regular season appearance, as he had previously featured once for the First Team on a short-term loan this season. It was also Sunderland’s first MLS match at DRV PNK Stadium and first appearance since officially signing to the First Team.
Sporting KC was then able to cut the deficit, with forward Alan Pulido scoring the visitor’s second goal of the match in the 78th minute.
The 3-2 scoreline then remained unmoved during the remaining minutes of the fixture for Inter Miami to claim the three points and extend the Club-record unbeaten streak to 12.
Inter Miami will now hit the road for its next matchup, with the team set to face Atlanta United on Saturday, Sept. 16 at 5 p.m. ET at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
Kick Childhood Cancer Night presented by the Inter Miami CF Foundation CC Night Section
Tonight, Inter Miami also hosted this year’s edition of the Club’s Kick Childhood Cancer Night (KCC) presented by the Inter Miami CF Foundation. The beneficiary for the special evening was the Live Like Bella Pediatric Cancer Foundation, which is an internationally recognized leader in childhood cancer research and advocacy providing financial and emotional support to children battling cancer. Live Like Bella is a nonprofit organization created in memory of Bella Rodriguez-Torres, who inspired people throughout the world during her six-year fight against cancer.
The match featured the following:
- Kick Childhood Cancer adidas Pre-Match Jerseys will be worn by players during pregame and warmups on game day as well as on the bench, side lines and during training and in community outreach efforts
- Gold corner flags
- Gold goal nets
- Gold captain’s armbands
- Gold ribbon jersey patches
Additionally, DRV PNK Stadium proudly welcomed back high school senior Alexandra Herrera and the Lourdes Singers from Our Lady of Lourdes Academy to the pitch to get KCC Night underway by singing the national anthem. Herrera performed the anthem last year in the Club’s 2022 Kick Childhood Cancer Night as a pediatric cancer patient undergoing treatment for a recurrence of rhabdomyosarcoma. This year, after over a year of intense treatment, Herrera walked onto the field as a pediatric cancer survivor!
Scoring Summary:
MIA – Leonardo Campana (PK) 25’, Leonardo Campana (DeAndre Yedlin) 45’, Facundo Farías (Sergio Busquets) 60’
SKC – Dániel Sallói 9’, Alan Pulido (Erik Thommy) 78’
Misconduct Summary:
MIA – Tomás Avilés (Yellow Card) 66’, Jordi Alba (Yellow Card) 90’ +3’
SKC – Felipe Gutierrez (Yellow Card) 33’, Tim Leibold (Yellow Card) 79’
Lineups / Substitutions:
Inter Miami CF – GK Drake Callender; D DeAndre Yedlin ©, Tomás Avilés, Kamal Miller, Jordi Alba; M Sergio Busquets, Dixon Arroyo, Facundo Farías (Victor Ulloa 88’); F Nicolas Stefanelli (Lawson Sunderland 75’), Robbie Robinson (Noah Allen 83’); Leonardo Campana
Unused Substitutes – GK CJ dos Santos; D Chris McVey, Ryan Sailor; F Cameron Johnson, Lucas Meek
Sporting Kansas City – GK Tim Melia; D Jake Davis (Tim Leibold 75’), Dany Rosero, Andreu Fontas, Logan Ndenbe (Khiry Shelton 90’); M Felipe Gutiérrez (Nemanja Radoja HT), Remi Walter (Roger Espinoza 90’), Erik Thommy; F Johnny Russell ©, Dániel Sallói (Willy Agada 71’); Alan Pulido
Unused Substitutes – GK Kendall McIntosh; D Robert Voloder; M Danny Flores, Felipe Hernandez
Details of the Game:
Date: September 9, 2023
Time: 7:30 p.m. ET
Stadium: DRV PNK Stadium
Attendance: 19,355
Stats:
Possession:
MIA – 46.1%
SKC – 53.9%
Shots:
MIA – 10
SKC – 15
Saves:
MIA – 3
SKC – 2
Corners:
MIA – 2
SKC – 7
Fouls:
MIA – 9
SKC – 9
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