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MLS preview: Inter Miami look to continue strong form while Nani struggles for goals in Orlando

It has been a busy week for the MLS with mid-week games plus two clubs playing in the CONCACAF competitions against squads from Liga MX.

With three games in eight days, Sporting KC now top the Western Conference, although Seattle have two games in hand.
In the Leagues Cup, the Seattle Sounders scored a dramatic 93rd-minute winner as Raul Ruidiaz beat Santos Laguna. The Sounders will face either Leon or UNAM in the September 22 Leagues Cup Final in Las Vegas.
Philadelphia Union were not as fortunate, crashing out of the CONCACAF Champions League semi-finals against Club America 2-0.

Inter Miami look to continue strong play

Back to the MLS and Phil Neville's Inter Miami grabbed a dramatic win on Tuesday at Toronto FC.

Christian Makoun drew and then scored a penalty kick in the fifth minute of added time for a 1-0 win.
Inter Miami were briefly as high as fifth place in the East before other teams grabbed wins on Wednesday. They enter the weekend in eighth place, one point out of a play-off spot.

Miami return home this weekend for a Friday night game against the struggling New York Red Bulls. The New York side have won just one game outside of the Red Bull Arena all season, and that came on July 3. They blew a 1-0 lead at Columbus on Tuesday and lost 2-1, the 10th time in the last 11 games they have gone without a win.

Gonzalo Higuain and Rodolfo Pizarro have become quite the combination for the Herons in attack. The former Juventus star leads Miami with nine goals and five assists, while Pizarro has scored four goals in the last month. Miami took off when Neville made Gregore the consistent team captain and the midfielder leads the Herons in tackles.

Nani struggling to recapture Orlando City form

Orlando City SC had the chance to solidify their standing in second place in the Eastern Conference this week. However, Nani and the Lions have fallen flat thus far with a 3-0 loss at Atlanta United followed by a 4-2 home loss to sixth-place CF Montreal.

As a result, the Lions are now in third place, three points behind Nashville SC as they head north-east for a showdown with Philadelphia Union. Last year's Supporters Shield winners are outside the play-off picture right now in ninth place with 32 points.

Nani has gone seven games without a goal, last scoring off the bench on August 7. In his seven goalless games, the Lions have won just two, and Nani only has one assist in that span.

Making matters worse, his team-mates haven't picked up the slack. The Lions have scored more than one goal in a game just twice since July, and one of those was in Wednesday's 4-2 loss. Daryl Dike, back after a loan at Burnley, has scored as many goals (1) for his team as he has scored against his team since June 22.
With Dike and Nani struggling up top, the Lions are in danger of sliding down the play-off seedings. Third place and ninth place in the East are separated by just six points. They will be hoping to turn things around against Philadelphia this weekend.

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