It’s the beginning of a new era for Inter Miami as they play the first game ever at Nu Stadium with the Herons officially leaving their inaugural home of Fort Lauderdale for the glitz of Miami. While this was always the goal, it wasn’t one that felt attainable prior to the arrival of Lionel Messi in pink and black, and now they’ve been able to win the MLS Cup and the Leagues Cup as they build for the future.
How to watch Inter Miami vs. Austin FC, odds
- Date: Saturday, April 4 | Time: 7:30 p.m. ET
- Location: Nu Stadium — Miami, Florida
- Live stream: Apple TV
- Odds: Inter Miami -236; Draw +375; Austin FC +700
Expectations are high for the Herons to keep pushing for more, and anything other than a win while opening their new home stadium against Austin FC would be a disappointment, but this is also step one for preparing for life without Messi. While the Argentine shows no signs of slowing down, this could be his final World Cup representing Argentina, while also now being 38. It’s strange that we have to think about life after Messi at some point, but that day comes for every soccer player.
With a new soccer-specific stadium, though, Miami will have facilities to match their ambitions. Chase Stadium was supposed to be a temporary home, and now with that chapter being closed, this will be a grand opening for what comes next. Miami spent their first six seasons in Fort Lauderdale before moving to Miami, and it’s important to reflect on that time as the Nu Stadium opens. The team got their first look at it on Thursday, and head coach Javier Mascherano likes what he sees.
“The stadium is top-notch. The pitch is excellent for playing, and the locker rooms and all the team facilities are impressive. Now it’s time for us to start enjoying it, and above all, to inaugurate it in the best way possible with a victory,” Mascherano said.
If that is something that translates to the rest of the team, it’ll only add to the recruiting tools that Miami have when trying to get players such as Casemiro on board. With this new stadium now in existence, Saturday is a new dawn in Miami, but one that also comes with more pressure for a team that is already expected to win a second consecutive MLS Cup title.
