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The Herons of Inter Miami came into Exploria Stadium for the first time and left with no points after Orlando City’s 2-1 victory on Saturday night. Mauricio Pereyra’s banger off the left post was the difference in a game that embodied the word “rivalry.”
Players on both sides were getting stuck in on challenges, leaving a little more in every bit of contact, chirping at each other, and confronting the referee about grievances both real and imagined. These two teams don’t like each other much and the fans don’t either and it’s organically growing into a rivalry series in ways that the Atlanta United series never quite did. Of course, it helps that each team has blooded the other already in the first couple of meetings, which also didn’t happen in the Atlanta series.
The Lions got the better of Miami in two of three Tropic Thunder meetings in 2020 and if there are no more match-ups forthcoming between the two sides this season, the Herons will have to live with that until next year. Florida is purple and that should make the series even more contentious in 2021.
While we look forward to the next clash between the two Floridian MLS sides, have a look at the photo gallery below. We hope you enjoy these images from the Lions’ 2-1 victory at Exploria Stadium and that they help to capture the feel of a physical, contentious match.
