MLS debut against LA draws near

FORT LAUDERDALE — With preseason training camp behind them, Inter Miami CF is set to make its Major League Soccer debut against Los Angeles FC at 5:30 p.m. on Sunday in Banc of California Stadium.

The match will be televised on ESPN, giving a national audience the opportunity to watch the product David Beckham, Inter Miami owner and president of soccer operations, has been working on for nearly seven years.

Here are some key numbers to keep in mind ahead of Inter Miami’s inaugural MLS match:

4: This is the number of expansion teams that have won their firstever MLS game.

The Chicago Fire became the first expansion team to win its inaugural MLS match, when they defeated fellow expansion club

and the now-defunct Miami Fusion 2-0 on March 21, 1998, at Lockhart Stadium.

The Seattle Sounders FC (2009), Vancouver Whitecaps FC (2011) and LAFC (2018) are the only other clubs to win their first MLS game.

That number could change to five before Inter Miami steps on the field Sunday, when Nashville SC plays the 2019 U.S. Open Cup-winning Atlanta United FC on Saturday at Nissan Stadium in Nashville, Tennessee.

15: Over half of Inter Miami’s 28-man roster has previous MLS experience. While clubs are only allowed to have an active roster with up to 30 players, only 18 are allowed to be on the gameday squad during the regular season and playoffs.

Even though the team has a healthy mix of reliable veterans and young players, it’s expected that Inter Miami will lean on their more experienced players against LAFC.

85: During the 2019 season, LAFC tied the record for most goals scored by a team in a regular season with 85.

It also broke the record for most points in an MLS season (72) and finished the 2019 season with an MLSbest plus-48 goal differential.

“It’s a very talented team, we know that” midfielder Wil Trapp said. “Their success last year was truly something to marvel.”

Both Inter Miami and LAFC deploy an attacking style of play, so keep in mind that the most combined goals scored in a game are 11, just in case either team finds the back of the net with a high frequency early in the match.

149: There’s no shortage of hype surrounding Sunday’s matchup against LAFC, and that’s being reflected in ticket resale prices.

The average resale price per ticket for Inter Miami’s first-ever game is $149, which is the most in-demand MLS season opener since SeatGeek started tracking the secondary market in 2010.