Inter Miami CF battled to a hard-fought 0-0 draw against Charlotte FC in MLS regular season action Saturday night at Bank of America Stadium, with goalkeeper Rocco Ríos Novo delivering a standout performance to secure a valuable road point.
Ríos Novo made his first start of the season and was instrumental in preserving the clean sheet, recording five saves throughout the match to keep Charlotte off the scoreboard.
The night also highlighted the club’s youth development, as seven Inter Miami Academy products saw action. Five of those players — Noah Allen, Ian Fray, Santiago Morales, David Ruiz, and Daniel Pinter — were part of the starting XI, underscoring the growing impact of the club’s academy pipeline.
Morales and Pinter reached important milestones, making their first starts for the First Team. The match also marked the official Inter Miami debuts for offseason signings Sergio Reguilón and David Ayala.
Inter Miami took the field with Ríos Novo in goal behind a defensive line of Fray, Gonzalo Luján, Allen and Reguilón. The midfield featured Silvetti, Ruiz, Ayala and Morales, while captain Luis Suárez partnered Pinter up front.
Miami nearly opened the scoring in the 20th minute when Ruiz fired an attempt from inside the penalty area that sailed just wide of the left post. The visitors continued to press, and in the 34th minute Fray rose to meet a cross with a header from close range, forcing a save from Charlotte’s goalkeeper.
Reguilón created Miami’s best chance of the second half in the 52nd minute, unleashing a long-range effort off a corner routine that narrowly missed the right post.
Head coach adjustments came in the 68th minute when Cesar Abadía‑Reda and Alexander Shaw entered the match for Ruiz and Reguilón. Both substitutes marked the occasion with their official MLS debuts.
Despite continued pressure from both sides in the closing stages, neither team could find the breakthrough, and the match ended in a scoreless stalemate.
Inter Miami will now turn its attention to international competition. The club returns home to host Nashville SC in the second leg of its CONCACAF Champions Cup Round of 16 series on Wednesday, March 18 at Inter Miami CF Stadium.
