Inter Miami comes from behind twice against Orlando to preserve an undefeated preseason | OneFootball

Newcomer Fafa Picault came off the bench Friday and scored an equalizer late in stoppage time to tie Orlando City 2-2 and preserve Inter Miami’s undefeated preseason.

More than 40,000 fans watched a rather tame Valentine’s Day edition of the Sunshine Classico at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa. Another new Inter Miami player, winger Tadeo Allende, teamed with wily veteran Luis Suarez for a give-and-go goal in the 22nd minute, just seven minutes after Martin Ojeda gave Orlando City the early lead.

Ojeda assisted on the Lions’ second score, possessing the ball after it was misplayed by Miami center back David Martinez in the 54th minute. Ojeda passed to Romario Enrique who easily beat Herons goalkeeper Omar Ustari for a 2-1 lead.

Fans were treated to more than an hour of Miami’s “Core Four,” former Barcelona teammates Jordi Alba (who played the entire match), Sergio Busquets, Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez. Despite speculation that Herons’ coach Javier Mascherano would rest his starters for the club’s CONCACAF Champions Cup match against Sporting Kansas City on Tuesday, Busquets played 64 minutes and Messi and Suarez each played 75 minutes.

Oscar Ustari started his fourth straight match in goal. Derek Callender, who earned the starting goalkeeper’s job before the 2023 season after incumbent Nick Marsman was injured, may face the same fate. Callender sustained an adductor injury while training with the U.S. Men’s National Team in January and hasn’t featured in the preseason. Rocco Rios Novo is the Herons’ third keeper.

Center backs Tomas Aviles and Maxi Falcon were unavailable for the match while they tended to administrative matters to do with their visas. One or both are expected to start in Mascherano’s preferred 11; Gonzalo Lujan and Martinez started in the back line Friday, with Lujan more likely to challenge for a starting role. Otherwise, the outfield players who took the field against Orlando likely will get the most minutes at their positions: Alba and Chelo Weigandt at left and right wing back, Yannick Bright, Sergio Busquets and Telasco Segovia in midfield, Messi and Allende on the wings and Suarez at striker.

Inter Miami’s “Americas Tour” preseason series ended with two outright wins (San Miguelito 3-1 in Panama and Olimpia 5-0 in Honduras), two draws after which the Herons won penalty shootouts (2-2 against Mexican champion Club America in Las Vegas and 0-0 against Peru heavyweight Universitario in Lima) and Friday’s 2-2 finish in Tampa.

The Herons begin pursuit of the CONCACAF Champions Cup at 8 p.m. Tuesday at Children’s Mercy Park in Kansas City. Weather forecasts predict a game-time temperature in the single-digits Fahrenheit with a possibility of snow. The club will welcome New York City FC to Fort Lauderdale’s Chase Stadium on Saturday in the Major League Soccer season opener for both teams.