Head coach Phil Neville has marked Friday’s match against Orlando City SC as Inter Miami’s “biggest test so far” this season.
The South Florida rivalry is strengthened when the two teams meet again. Orlando City enters the game after its strongest result to date and wins 5-0 against the San Jose Earthquakes. Daryl Dike, who recently returned to the team following a successful loan spell at English side Barnsley, played a crucial role for Orlando over the weekend and could potentially cause problems on Friday.
Inter Miami has not been as strong and is struggling in all aspects of the pitch. They have lost four of their last five games, resulting in 11th place in the Eastern Conference table in MLS, and Neville is understandably cautious before the game after analyzing Orlando.
“We meet an outstanding team, one of the best in our conference with a highly experienced manager,” said Neville. “I’ve seen a lot of Orlando. They have really good players and play with high energy. So we have to be the best. This will probably be our biggest test. Philadelphia is an outstanding team, but I think Orlando will be the team to beat. ”
Off the field, Neville hopes that the home field advantage inspires the team and he praised Inter Miami’s supporters for their ongoing efforts from the side.
Match Hype | #InterMiamiCF x Orlando City Blackout on #DRVPNKStadium x @Publix! It’s almost playing time, watch our hype roll before our 8 PM kickoff. pic.twitter.com/JsSfyrLJtZ
– Inter Miami CF (@InterMiamiCF) June 25, 2021
“Our fans have been our 12th player this season,” he added. “They have probably been our best players so far this season, as far as they encourage them. We will need them on Friday night. It will be an electric atmosphere, we will make it as hostile as possible.
“We want to make sure we build this rivalry. That’s what makes football so attractive. It’s on national TV, prime time. These are the games I hope my players want to play in and perform in. We are guilty our supporters a fantastic achievement. at home. “
The three points are crucial for Inter Miami if they hope to get into the top ten. At the moment, the team has only eight points from nine games and is just behind Atlanta United and Montreal Impact.
