Kenley Ward
Dailysports's expert
On Thursday, May 15, in the 13th round of the MLS regular season, San Jose will host Inter Miami. I'm offering a prediction on the winner of this clash.
Key facts and head-to-head history
- Inter Miami have won only 1 of their last 5 matches.
- San Jose are on a three-game winning streak across all competitions.
- Each of Inter Miami's last four games has seen over three goals scored.
- Inter Miami have conceded 9 goals in their last three matches.
- This is only the second-ever meeting between these teams. In 2022, Inter Miami won 1-0.
Match preview
Last season, San Jose finished bottom of the Western Conference, but this campaign has been much more successful so far. With 16 points from 12 matches, San Jose sit seventh, ahead of Austin, Colorado, and Dallas only thanks to a superior goal difference.
San Jose had a shaky start but then found consistency and began picking up points. In their last outing, the Earthquakes defeated Colorado away 2-0, previously thrashed Portland 4-1, and suffered a loss to Columbus Crew (1-2).
Inter Miami were the best team in the MLS regular season last year, but they haven't lived up to that status so far, and Javier Mascherano is reportedly on the brink of being sacked. Inter Miami are fourth in the Eastern Conference with 21 points, although the Herons have played one game fewer.
Across their last five matches in all competitions, Inter Miami have lost four times. In their previous game, Mascherano's side suffered a humiliating 1-4 defeat to Minnesota, despite a goal from Lionel Messi. Before that, Inter Miami hammered the New York Red Bulls (4-1) but lost to Dallas (3-4).
Earlier, Inter Miami were knocked out of the CONCACAF Champions Cup in the semifinals, losing both legs to Vancouver (0-2 and 1-3).
Probable lineups
- San Jose: Daniel; Munie, Romney, Rodriguez; Jones, LeRoux, Harks, Costa; Espinoza, Buda; Arango
- Inter Miami: Ustari; Allen, Luján, Weigandt, Alba; Bright, Busquets, Redondo; Segovia, Messi, Cremaschi
San Jose vs Inter Miami prediction
Inter Miami are in poor form, but their squad's individual quality far exceeds that of their opponents. I'm backing the visitors to secure the win in this match.
