NYCFC vs Inter Miami CF preview: Can the Pigeons beat the Herons?

During the week, reports have said that New York City FC homegrown Christian McFarlane is close to a deal with sister club Manchester City FC.  There is also a chance Kevin O’Toole will not play this weekend due to concussion symptoms. Although, he is not on the injury report.

Therefore, some fans would love to see McFarlane in the Starting XI when the Pigeons play against Inter Miami CF.  At the very least, it would be good to see the 17-year-old make his debut.  The talent is obviously there if one of the top European clubs wants to lock him down.

Meanwhile, NYCFC is still searching for their first road points of the season.  The road woes over the last few seasons have led to the expectation of not winning away from home.  Whether the team from Queens can grab any points is unknown.  It is helpful though that Miami’s star player Lionel Messi is unavailable. Then, some of the missing players from last week are back for the Boys in Blue.

Let’s take a look at the preview of the game between NYCFC and Inter Miami.

Date 

NYCFC and Inter Miami will play each other on Saturday, March 30.

Time

The game is at 7:30 PM ET.

Location

The fixture will be at Chase Stadium in Fort Lauderdale, FL. 

How to watch

Fans can watch the game on Apple TV via the MLS Season Pass.

Weather

NYCFC is in Florida.  The weather will be partly cloudy and around 74 degrees when the match begins

Injury report

Maxi Moralez (right knee) and Talles Magno (left knee) are still recovering from their respective injuries. Birk Risa (right leg) will also be out after suffering his injury in Cincinnati. Jovan Mijatović will be unavailable due to international duty, where it is likely he had a late return.

It is shocking not to see O'Toole on the report. Perhaps Nick Cushing will play it safe and start him on the bench.

Players to watch

NYCFC supporters should be on McFarlane watch.  If he does play, then how will he do with his first minutes?  The left-back will have a tough match if he makes his debut against the Herons.  Showing any kind of resilience and a solid performance can put him on Cushing’s radar.

On the opposition, fans should watch Luis Suárez.  The striker might be aging, but he is still a major threat in front of goal.  The defense would have to be on their toes every single time he takes a shot.

Prediction

The road is a dark and scary place for NYCFC.  However, based on the performance from last year’s friendly, it is believed a point is possible.  Plus, there is no Messi this time around.  As such, the prediction is that the teams will share the points in a 0-0 draw.