Miami, FL
FC Cincinnati make a statement in dominant 6-1 win over Inter Miami CF | FC Cincinnati
With the top spot on the line, FC Cincinnati welcomed then leaders Inter Miami CF into TQL Stadium for a rare top of the table clash and made a statement to the league in record-breaking fashion. For just the second time in MLS history the top two teams in MLS met in a match after the 21 matchday in a season and it was the second place team who came out on top as FCC took the fight to Miami and emerged with a 6-1 win.
While both sides were without significant players as injury, suspension and international duty kept many out of the match, FC Cincinnati’s quality was evident from the opening kick through the final whistle, sending wave after wave of relentless attack at Miami while holding steadfast on defense.
It was the visitors who had the first scoring chance of the night, as a headed corner kick forced a diving save from Roman Celentano, but from there it was all Orange and Blue in the opening quarter of an hour.
With a new formation fueling a dynamic attacking force with Luciano Acosta, Luca Orellano and Yuya Kubo up top, FC Cincinnati attacked the Miami defense with waves of relentless creativity. It took world-class saves from Inter Miami goalkeeper Drake Callender to keep FCC off the scoreboard.
But eventually it was too much, and the creativity of Orellano, who started the match as an attacking midfielder rather than a wingback, broke through on a brilliant run and pass to Yuya Kubo, who scored the game’s first goal in the 10 minute giving FCC the early lead.
The goal was possible thanks to a brilliant run from Kubo, who timed his moment to avoid being offside when the final pass from Orellano (who showed great restraint in waiting to pass) came to pot his career high eighth goal of the MLS season on Orellano’s sixth assist of the year.
But Miami wouldn’t go quietly and pressured FCC on the other end, with Roman Celentano making three key saves in important moments. But on a corner kick the keeper was left helpless, as Sergii Kryvtsov broke free and headed in the equalizer in the 20 minute.
But the MLS MVP would not be denied in the half. With a clear fire in his play and the quality to match, FC Cincinnati’s Luciano Acosta pushed his club forward and dribbled through three Inter Miami CF defenders before losing a shot to the back post past Callender to restore the FC Cincinnati lead.
But Acosta was not yet finished. Moments later, with the smoke from The Bailey still in the air from his goal, he played the maestro; orchestrating a perfect corner kick service to Pavel Bucha, who one touch swung and volleyed home his fourth goal of the season to double the FC Cincinnati lead in the 38 minute.
The initial goal was Acosta’s 10th of the season in MLS play (11 all comps), it was also his 50th goal across all-time in all comps with the club, the first FCC player to reach that mark. Obinna Nwobodo also earned his second assist of the year for his effort on the play. The Bucha goal, his third in two games, earned Acosta his 17 assist on the year.
The Orange and Blue were not finished though. With the two goal lead and smelling blood in the water, Acosta continued to push for more. With time running out in the first half, the 2023 MLS MVP picked the pocket of a Miami defender and launched an attack. With a field width long crossing pass that confused The Herrons defense, Lucho found Yamil Asad on the far post and the fellow Argentine patient took a touch, waiting and waiting for the perfect moment before sending a shot through five-o’clock-traffic like defense to score the fourth goal of the first half.
The goal would ultimately be the final play of the half, capping off one of the best 45 minutes in club history. The four goal effort was just the second time FCC had scored four goals in the first half (2022 decision day) and the second time this season they’ve scored four in any half (4-2, at San Jose).
The second half kicking off with no changes for either side, FC Cincinnati weathered an early storm from Inter Miami CF as they attempted to get back into the game quickly. After five minutes without a dangerous look from the visitors, FCC launched back into their attack and picked right up where they left off.
Orellano and Kubo linked up again to start the scoring in the second half, as the Argentine attacker danced through the defense along the back line before chipping it to a wide open Kubo for the duo’s second goal of the evening and the fifth goal of the night. DeAndre Yedlin, a former member and captain of Inter Miami CF, also earned an assist.
With the game already well in Cincinnati’s favor, Inter Miami cracked under the pressure and made their lives much harder. Acting captain Sergio Busquests took exception to a foul called against his side and earned a yellow card for dissent. Not liking that reaction from the ref, Busquests continued to argue and the official deemed he had stepped over a line and gave the Spanish star a second yellow card and a red card, ejecting him from the match and forcing Miami to play with 10 men for the final half hour of the match.
In response to the new advantage, Pat Noonan decided to go to his bench and bring on youngsters Bret Halsey and Gerardo “Dado” Valenzuela” for the goal scoring pair of Orellano and Kubo, who were both one yellow card away from suspension.
Valenzuela, a Boca Raton native and a former Miami academy player before joining the FC Cincinnati academy, made history in his appearance by scoring the sixth goal of the night, equalling a club high. But more importantly, the goal, scored in the 72 minute and assisted by Acosta and Asad, was the 19-year-olds first career goal in MLS in play.
With the strike from the keeper’s left and slotted under the defender, Valenzuela made it 6-1, the ultimate winning score for FCC.
With the victory, not only was a statement made but a lead taken, as FC Cincinnati earned all three points and took the lead atop the Eastern Conference and Supporters’ Shield tables with 48 points and a 15-4-3 record while still having a game in hand over the now second place Inter Miami CF.
FC Cincinnati will look to take this momentum into next week’s home match, the second of three at home, when they take on Charlotte FC. They will then host Chicago Fire FC on Wednesday, July 17 before jetting off to New York Red Bulls for the final match of MLS play before kicking off Leagues Cup 2024.
Streaming the Miami GP in the UK
Sky Sports and Now TV
Mercedes star Kimi Antonelli will be looking to make it a hat-trick of wins as the Formula One season resumes on Sunday with the Miami Grand Prix.
Antonelli is nine points ahead of his second-placed teammate George Russell, following back-to-back wins at the Chinese and Japanese GPs.
Sunday’s race marks the fifth Miami GP after being added to the F1 calendar back in 2022, and comes at a crucial time for the sport. Last month’s scheduled Bahrain and Saudi Arabian Grands Prix were canceled due to the war in Iran.
The Miami Grand Prix takes place at the Hard Rock Stadium complex in Miami Gardens, Florida, on Sunday, May 3, at 4 p.m. ET. That makes it a 1 p.m. PT start, while for viewers in the UK it’s 9 p.m. BST. Meanwhile, Australian F1 fans are looking at a 6 a.m. AEST start on Monday morning.
Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli is the youngest ever driver to lead the F1 Drivers’ Championship at the age of 19.
Livestream the Miami Grand Prix in the US
F1 racing has a new home on Apple TV, with the 2026 season launching its five-year broadcast run for US viewers. There are ways to stream the events with a paid subscription or for free.
It’s worth noting that if you’ve recently bought a new Apple device and haven’t previously subscribed to the streaming platform, you can take advantage of a three-month free trial within 90 days of purchase.
If you’re not lucky enough to have bought a new Apple gadget during that time frame, there are two other free options for those new to Apple TV. The platform also offers a seven-day free trial to new subscribers through its dedicated app and the Apple TV channel on Prime Video. Finally, Apple’s subscription bundle, Apple One, will also get you a 30-day free trial of its TV streaming service.
Apple TV Plus currently costs $13 per month in the US for the standalone, ad-free streaming service. It’s also available as part of the Apple One bundle, which starts at $20 per month and includes Apple Music, Apple Arcade and iCloud Plus.
How to livestream the Miami Grand Prix in the UK
The Miami GP is available in the UK on Sky Sports. Sky Sports will include the practice rounds and qualifying. If you already have Sky Sports as part of your TV package, you can stream the race via its app. Cord-cutters can watch Sky TV with unlimited Sky Sports on a Now TV membership.
Sky subsidiary Now offers streaming access to Sky Sports channels with a Now Sports membership.
You can get a day of access for £15, or sign up to a monthly plan from £35 a month right now.
Livestream the Miami Grand Prix in Canada
F1 fans can watch the Miami GP on TSN and its streaming service, TSN Plus. Existing TSN cable subscribers can also watch at no extra charge using their TV provider’s account login details.
TSN Plus is a streaming service that costs CA$8 a month and also offers coverage of PGA Tour Live golf, NFL games, F1, NASCAR and the four Grand Slam tennis tournaments.
Livestream the Miami Grand Prix in Australia
The Miami Grand Prix can be watched Down Under on Fox Sports via Foxtel. If you’re not a Fox subscriber, your best option is to sign up for the streaming service Kayo Sports.
A Kayo Sports subscription starts at AU$25 a month and lets you stream on one screen, while its Premium tier costs AU$35 a month for simultaneous viewing on up to three devices.
The service gives you access to a wide range of sports, including F1, NRL, NFL, NHL and MLB, and there are no lock-in contracts.
Better still, if you’re a new customer, you can take advantage of a one-week Kayo Sports free trial.
Formula One 2026 full schedule
You can visit the Formula One website for additional details on the schedule, but here’s a current snapshot of when each main race takes place this season. Practice rounds are excluded.
F1 race day schedule
Date
Grand Prix
Start time (ET)
May 3
Miami Grand Prix
4 p.m.
May 24
Canadian Grand Prix
4 p.m.
June 7
Monaco Grand Prix
9 a.m.
June 14
Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix
9 a.m.
June 28
Austrian Grand Prix
9 a.m.
July 5
British Grand Prix
10 a.m.
July 19
Belgian Grand Prix
9 a.m.
July 26
Hungarian Grand Prix
9 a.m.
Aug. 23
Dutch Grand Prix
9 a.m.
Sept. 6
Italian Grand Prix
9 a.m.
Sept. 13
Spanish Grand Prix
9 a.m.
Sept. 26
Azerbaijan Grand Prix
7 a.m.
Oct. 11
Singapore Grand Prix
8 a.m.
Oct. 25
United States Grand Prix
4 p.m.
Nov. 1
Mexican Grand Prix
3 p.m.
Nov. 8
Brazilian Grand Prix
12 p.m.
Nov. 21
Las Vegas Grand Prix
11 p.m.
Nov. 29
Qatar Grand Prix
11 a.m.
Dec. 6
Abu Dhabi Grand Prix
8 a.m.
Formula 1 is back after an unexpected one-month hiatus because of the war in the Middle East, and somehow the series has reconvened in Miami, right where we were and not where we were, if that makes sense.
It may not, but I’ll explain.
Through the first three races, there were two clear-cut top teams: Mercedes and Ferrari. Mercedes’ driver Kimi Antonelli had also won two straight Grand Prix coming into Miami, and is the current championship leader.
ZERO BS. JUST DAKICH. TAKE THE DON’T @ ME PODCAST ON THE ROAD. DOWNLOAD NOW!
Mercedes’ Kimi Antonelli comes into the Miami Grand Prix as the championship leader. (Sam Navarro-Imagn Images)
However, teams brought a considerable number of upgrades — plus the FIA and F1 have tuned the regulations a little after some team feedback — and suddenly, we’ve got more teams battling toward the front.
CADILLAC UNVEILS ONE-OFF STARS-AND-STRIPES LIVERY AHEAD OF THE TEAM’S FIRST-EVER RACE ON U.S. SOIL
This was noticeable in Saturday morning’s Sprint, which featured a McLaren 1-2, led by reigning world champion Lando Norris.
But the bigger shakeup came in qualifying.
While the Silver Arrows’ 19-year-old superstar took pole by around a tenth and a half, what was surprising was that he was battling Red Bull’s Max Verstappen.
Red Bull had massive struggles through the first three rounds of the season and, even to Verstappen’s surprise during his post-session interview, was battling for pole.
Even wilder, there are four different teams represented on the first two rows of the grid: Mercedes with Antonelli on pole, Red Bull with Verstappen in P2, Ferrari with Charles Leclerc in P3 and McLaren with Norris in P4.
Mercedes’ Kimi Antonelli (centre) with Red Bull’s Max Verstappen (left) and Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc after Miami Grand Prix qualifying. (Sam Navarro-Imagn Images)
Now, all eyes are going to be on the start of what is expected to be a wet race.
Starts have been the Achilles’ heel for Mercedes, and especially Antonelli this season, something that was seen on Saturday morning during the Sprint.
OUTKICK IS NOW ON THE FOX APP: CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD
Fortunately for him, Verstappen’s starts haven’t been much better, but unfortunately, starting right behind Antonelli is Charles Leclerc’s Ferrari, and the Scuderia’s cars have been absolute missiles off the line all season long (really since preseason testing).
So even with the short run into Turn 1 at the Miami International Autodrome, which is just under 200 meters, I think we’re going to see Leclerc jump at least one, maybe both, of the cars on the front row.
Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli celebrates taking pole for the Formula 1 Miami Grand Prix. (Sam Navarro-Imagn Images)
Maybe the wet weather can reduce that Ferrari advantage when the lights go out, but even if it does, Antonelli has Verstappen — a wet-weather fiend — alongside him.
Antonelli’s best chance of his third-straight Grand Prix will be best if he can get off the line cleanly and keep the lead out of Turn 1, but no matter what, this is shaping up to be the biggest challenge of his championship campaign so far.
Lando Norris will start the 2026 F1 Miami Grand Prix Sprint from pole position.
A dominant effort in SQ3 landed the reigning world champion his first pole of the season, beating Kimi Antonelli to P1, with the world championship leader starting on the front-row.
Oscar Piastri and Charles Leclerc slot in behind, with the third row being Max Verstappen and George Russell, with Lewis Hamilton seventh.
Elsewhere, Aston Martin was required to request permission to race in the Sprint after both cars failed to set a time in SQ1.
Alex Albon ended the session in 14th, but was demoted five spots in strange circumstances after the session.
The FIA found he had breached track limits during SQ1 – but the infringement was missed in real time, meaning he advanced into SQ2. By the time the stewards were notified, he had already taken to the track for the second segment.
Check out the full grid for the 2026 F1 Miami Grand Prix Sprint below!
NOTE: Grid remains provisional until officially confirmed by the FIA.
-
Colorado11 minutes agoMugshot Monday: Most wanted in the Colorado Springs area for May 4
-
Connecticut17 minutes agoScammers use AI images of injured pets to target owners, Blumenthal warns Connecticut residents
-
Delaware23 minutes agoBrazen Daytime Robbery Reported At Newark Store
-
Georgia35 minutes agoKalitta Goes Quick As Big Georgia Crowd Looks On – SPEED SPORT
-
Hawaii41 minutes agoHawaiian Airlines Is Gone. Travelers Just Lost The Airline That Knew Hawaii Best.
-
Idaho47 minutes agoIdaho Belles & Chimes club teams with Starbelly School of Dance for Girls’ Day Out
-
Illinois53 minutes agoMan found dead near Chicago Executive Airport may have been killed in crash: police
-
Indiana59 minutes agoIndiana football to visit White House, Fernando Mendoza may skip