Inter Miami News and Notes: Prepping for Philly, an Injury Update and Franco Negri
Phil Neville and Franco Negri preview Miami's upcoming match vs. the Philadelphia Union.
photo courtesy of Inter Miami CF
Fort Lauderdale, FL - Inter Miami is back at DRV PNK Stadium this weekend as they take on Eastern Conference leaders, the Philadelphia Union.
It will, arguably, be one of the more difficult matches Miami will play this season.
Philadelphia arrives in South Florida after a 4-1 thrashing of the Columbus Crew and will want to continue their goal-scoring form.
That said, speaking with Phil Neville on Thursday, IMCF is up to the challenge. After beating CF Montreal 2-0 in their season opener, the Herons feel good about their form and believe they could give the Union a good game.
Here’s everything you need to know before the match kicks off on Saturday.
An Injury Update and Robert Taylor Returns!
Earlier in the week, the club put out a statement regarding the calf injury to Leo Campana. Luckily for IMCF fans, Neville added some context and stated that the Ecuador international could return sooner rather than later:
“Leo is still is out for this weekened, but we’re hopeful it’s not [too severe of an injury.] We’re hopeful, that [he’ll be back] the week after.”
He also gave updates on Robbie Robinson and Edison Azcona, saying they’re both close to returning.
On Robinson and Azcona:
“Robbie Robinson is progressing really well. He’s touch and go for the weekend, [as is Azcona,] so we could have [Robinson] back which will be a big boost for us in the center forward department.”
Robert Taylor also returned from Finland after getting his green card:
“We’ve got a choice to make in the next couple of days. He hasn’t trained for two weeks. It’s a big ask to ask him to start on Saturday [but, he’ll be involved.]”
Negri Speaks On Tactics
The Heron Outlet’s very own Ian Hest asked Franco Negri about Miami's buildup shape in possession.
Against CF Montreal, Miami deployed a 4-5-1 that saw Jean Mota or Gregore drop into the left back half-space. This positional switch allowed Negri to hug the touchline like a winger:
With Mota’s deep-lying passing ability and Gregore’s excellent defensive positioning, this setup allows Miami to have the width in what would otherwise be a very narrow 4-4-2.
Respect the Union
One thing is sure, Inter Miami has plenty of respect for the Union’s attacking prowess.
Neville talked about their style of play and his respect for head coach Jim Curtin:
“….one of the best team’s in both Conferences. You know what you’re going to get. It’s going to be a game where it’s [a diamond against diamond midfield,] which is going to be an intresting tactical battle. [And] against a coach who I think is an outstanding coach and a really outstanding guy as well.”
With a big early season test on Saturday, Inter Miami will look to continue their good form with another win at home.