Vasco da Gama 3-0 Inter Miami
Inter Miami suffered a lopsided friendly loss in a 2023 preseason opener that saw fans leave the stadium at halftime in protest
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — Inter Miami’s 2023 preseason opener came with fireworks. Both on and off the field.
Inter Miami got off to a losing start in this year’s winter friendlies after being beaten to the tune of 3-0 by Brazilian club Vasco da Gama in an eventful international friendly at Drv Pnk Stadium in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, on Saturday night.
The game-winner came in the 27th minute via 41-year-old Nene, who slotted home a low cross from the left from Eguinaldo. Alex Teixeira and Figueiredo added insurance tallies in the second half.
The South Florida side used completely different lineups in each half, but finished the match with 10 men after forward Robbie Robinson was forced out of the game with some discomfort midway through the second stanza.
Inter Miami also presented recent signing Josef Martinez to its fan base at halftime, but that was largely overshadowed by a protest from the local supporters’ groups. Aficionados in the fervent north stand that is known as La Familia walked out of the stadium after security came over to remove a handful of fans that had let off a parade of fireworks during the first half.
La Rosanegra next plays collegiate team Florida International University (FIU) in a closed-doors friendly on Wednesday.
Vasco da Gama: Nene (Eguinaldo) 27’
Vasco da Gama: Alex Teixeira 71’
Vasco da Gama: Figueiredo (Vinícius Paiva) 89’