MATCH PREVIEW: Inter Miami CF II to Visit FC Cincinnati 2 on Saturday

Inter Miami CF II is on the road again this week, facing FC Cincinnati 2 at NKU Soccer Stadium on Saturday, April 23 at 1 p.m. ET.

“What you see on the training ground is the players responding well. They really, really worked hard on the training ground this week, so we expect to see that transition well into Saturday’s match against Cincinnati,” said head coach Darren Powell.

Inter Miami CF II previously fell to New York City FC II in the team’s last match. Several players made milestone appearances during that outing: Tyler Bagley and David Ruiz made their debuts for Inter Miami II, and Drew Hardin came off the bench to make his first appearance of the season.

Inter Miami II currently sits at third in the MLS NEXT Pro Eastern Conference standings, with seven points from two wins, one draw, and one loss. Shanyder Borgelin and First Team loanee Emerson Rodríguez lead the team’s scoring with three goals apiece, while midfielder Romeo Beckham has provided a team-high four assists. 

FC Cincinnati 2 enters this match following a 3-2 defeat against New England Revolution II. FC Cincinnati 2 currently sits at eighth in the Eastern Conference of the MLS NEXT Pro standings, with three points from one win and two losses. 

Inter Miami CF II announced the acquisition of two First Team players on loan, pending league and federation approval. Under the terms of the loan agreement, the Inter Miami First Team retains the rights to recall all players at any point during the remainder of the MLS regular season, subject to MLS roster compliance and guidelines. The team has loaned defender Ryan Sailor and midfielder Edison Azcona for Saturday’s MLS NEXT Pro match.

Sailor, 24, was selected by Inter Miami with the 9th overall pick in the MLS SuperDraft 2022, coming from the University of Washington. Azcona, 18, is an Inter Miami CF academy product that has already earned caps for the Dominican Republic national team, and was the first academy player to play in an MLS match.  

Two members of the Inter Miami CF Academy U-17 team will be called up to join Inter Miami II’s roster for this match; Israel Boatright, a 16-year-old fullback, and Angel Fernandez, a 15-year-old goalkeeper. Both players are coming off a successful run with the U-17 squad at the 2022 Generation adidas Cup, where Boatright was named to the tournament’s Best XI.