One match remains in Inter Miami’s inaugural regular season and the team is still in contention for a spot in the Audi MLS Cup Playoffs. With everything to play for heading into Decision Day, manager Diego Alonso and midfielder Blaise Matuidi are focused on the work ahead.
“We still have one more match where everything is possible, and we are going to go for the win so that we can put ourselves in the best position possible,” said Matuidi.
Inter Miami will host FC Cincinnati in front of a limited number of Season Ticket Members on Sunday, Nov. 8, at 3:30 p.m. ET at Inter Miami CF Stadium. The matchup will present an opportunity for the Club to play its way into postseason contention in its first year in existence - a feat only achieved by six expansion teams in MLS history. For Alonso, this means channeling that hope into hard work.
“We have to keep pushing because we have hope, we have life. We have to do our work well next Sunday and try to qualify.”
As an experienced professional, Matuidi knows the pressures of playing in high-stakes matches. The World Cup winner emphasized his belief in the team as it searches for a crucial victory on the regular season’s final day.
“We know that this is still manageable. We have to just get on to the next match, we know that we can still qualify, and we have to win this next one for that. We will do what we have to to get that final win next weekend and hope that everything falls into place for us.”
Inter Miami currently sits 12th in the Eastern Conference, averaging 0.95 points per game. This places the team just behind the Montreal Impact (1.05 ppg), Chicago Fire FC (1.05 ppg) and Atlanta United FC (1 ppg) in the race for the final two playoff spots in the Eastern Conference.
While the team knows external factors will play a part in whether or not the team qualifies for the playoffs, their focus remains only on themselves and the work they must do.
“We know the other teams also have difficult matches coming so we have to focus on our preparation this week,” said Matuidi. “We have to turn the page and get on with our week. We are looking at next weekend as our final, we have to win. We want to win at home, we want to win for our fans.”
