Inter Miami picked up their first win at Nu Stadium on Sunday, defeating the visiting Portland Timbers 2–0, but the home crowd was eerily quiet until the final minutes.
With supporters’ groups frustrated by recent results and a lack of recognition from the club since the stadium move from Fort Lauderdale to Miami, many stayed silent for the majority of the match, not standing or waving flags except to celebrate when a goal was scored, with Portland’s Timbers Army evidently louder and more audible through the international broadcast.
On the pitch, the Herons gave their fans many reasons to cheer. Chief among them was another outstanding performance from Lionel Messi, who scored the opening goal after a chance-creating move from Telasco Segovia. Messi later completed a skillful dribble to assist Germán Berterame’s 2–0 goal to end halftime up a pair of goals.
The win marked Miami’s first at home since opening the new stadium early last month, having previously played to two losses and two draws in the first four games at the downtown Miami venue. At the same time, it brought them six points of a possible six from this week, after beating FC Cincinnati 5–3 in midweek action.
Here, Sports Illustrated breaks down the match, grading every Inter Miami player who saw the pitch in the victory.
Inter Miami Report Card vs. Portland Timbers (4-3-3)
GK: Dayne St. Clair—A: The Canadian kept his second clean sheet of the season and first at home with Miami, making four saves while also acting as the initial piece in offensive transition.
RB: Ian Fray—C: Ian Fray has dealt with plenty of injuries through his career and had to leave the match at halftime with discomfort.
CB: Gonzalo Luján—B-: Maintaining his starting role over Maxi Falcón, Luján played a key role in shutting down Kevin Kelsy and ensuring many of Portland’s attacks came from outside the penalty area.
CB: Micael—B-: The Brazilian center back is still developing a partnership with his left back, Sergio Regulión, but impressed in neutralizing many of of the Timbers attackers.
LB: Sergio Reguilón—D: Signed as a replacement for Jordi Alba, the former Premier League and La Liga fullback has not stood out as of yet. While he scored his first goal in last week’s win over Toronto FC, he was unable to muster impressive transition moments against Portland.
RM: Rodrigo De Paul—B: Rodrigo De Paul has made every effort to make the Argentina World Cup squad, and Sunday saw him impress once again, creating a game-high five chances while helping to shut down both Antony and Kristoffer Velde.
CM: Yannick Bright—A: By far Miami’s most consistent player not named Lionel Messi, Bright dominated the midfield battle against Portland DP, David da Costa, through his 82 minutes.
LM: Telasco Segovia—B+: Dynamic and elusive down the left flank, the Venezuela international set up Lionel Messi for the opening goal and finished the night credited with three shots.
RW: Lionel Messi—A+: What else is there to say? The 38-year-old scored a perfect finish and then stunned with a skillful dribble for an assist. The 2022 World Cup winner is up to 12 goals and five assists in 13 games this season and is already a runaway favorite to win his third straight MLS MVP award.
ST: Germán Berterame—B+: Germán Berterame still struggled to finish throughout the night, but found the back of the net off of Messi’s brilliance, bringing him to five goals and two assists on the season.
LW: Luis Suárez—D-: The Uruguay legend has had some standout moments in 2026, but looked off the pace for the second game in a row, lasting only an uneventful 66 minutes.
SUB: Facundo Mura (46’ for Fray)—C+: Mura stepped in and was active down the right flank, while also ensuring the Herons saw out the clean sheet.
SUB: Dániel Pintér (66’ for Suárez)—C: The 18-year-old has slowly been tasked with more minutes under first Javier Mascherano and now Guillermo Hoyos. He had two shots and put in a committed effort defensively.
SUB: David Ayala (82’ for Bright)—C: Taking on his former team, Ayala was uneventful in his minutes, making up for his mistake against Toronto last week.
SUB: Preston Plambeck (83’ for Berterame)—C: The 20-year-old academy product helped Miami see out the clean sheet in the final minutes.
Subs not used: Rocco Ríos Novo (GK), Maxi Falcón, Noah Allen, Alex Shaw, David Ruíz
One Thing We Can’t Ignore: The Fan Protest
The silence was clear in the first 85 minutes of Sunday’s match, with Inter Miami’s supporters groups, which make up “La Familia,” staying silent for the majority of the game.
Fans explained to local press that they had been frustrated by the lack of home results since opening the stadium, and by the players for not clearly showing their thanks to the supporters’ groups after the matches.
Noah Allen, a Miami homegrown and often the player facing the post-game press, was the only one to wave to supporters after the last home match against Orlando City, when Miami surrendered a 3–1 lead and lost 4–3.
🚨The fans were singing: “Players respect your fans and acknowledge your people. And now both Messi and De Paul with gestures towards the fans. 🤩 pic.twitter.com/a2MCu8LePP
— Inter Miami News Hub (@Intermiamicfhub) May 18, 2026
On Sunday, Messi made it clear that he understood the issue, saluting supporters in the 88th minute, prompting a roar from the crowd. Later on, De Paul went up to fans as Messi waited for a corner kick, embracing several and making clear gestures of appreciation.
After the game, several players, including Bright, stayed to sign autographs before leaving the pitch, but that group did not involve Messi, De Paul or Suárez, prompting boos from the supporters.
While the previous results left a sour taste for many of the players and fans, Sunday’s win was critically important. It marked the penultimate home game before the World Cup and helped re-establish trust with supporters. For some, the Inter Miami experience centers on Messi’s status. Still, for many, the club’s history from 2020 is its primary importance, and ensuring a connection to those fans is vital for the team’s future outlook in a post-Messi existence.
What’s Next For Inter Miami?
Inter Miami will have one more match before players go their separate ways for the 2026 World Cup, taking on the Philadelphia Union next Sunday, looking to continue their rise up the Eastern Conference and Supporters’ Shield standings. Miami’s first game after the World Cup will be July 22 at home against the Chicago Fire.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Grading Inter Miami’s First Home Victory Amid Eerie Fan Protests.
