As Inter Miami CF continues its late season stretch of consecutive away games, the team prepares to travel to Ohio to face its next opponent, the Columbus Crew on Wednesday, Aug. 31 at Lower.com Field. The match, which will kick off at 7:30 p.m. ET, was previewed today by head coach Phil Neville and nimble attacker Ariel Lassiter.
Neville expressed the team’s excitement about the upcoming matchup, noting that as the season comes down to the wire, having the right mindset and preparing properly will make the difference.
“We’re obviously looking forward to a really massive game against a really good team, with a really good manager. It’s so tight, I think it’s going to be a brilliant end to the season. It’s exciting. I think we’re enjoying the challenge, the competition,” Neville said. “We’ve got a team that’s ready to compete, we’ve got a team that’s looking forward to the challenge. It’s about looking forward to the next game, and it’s about preparing right and picking the right team and the right system.”
Neville conveyed the shared confidence that the players and technical staff are bringing to the match, and recalled the two 2022 preseason matchups against the Columbus Crew to cite familiarity with Wednesday’s opponents.
“We played them twice in preseason, once in a scrimmage and once up in Charleston [for the Breeze Airways Carolina Challenge Cup], so we know a lot about each other. I’d say at this point in the season it’s about the team that plays with the most confidence and belief. It’s about winning games. We’re going to go there and attack. I think it’s going to be one of those games that’s going to be end-to-end, that’s the only way that [Caleb Porter’s] teams play. That’s the excitement for us. We’ve got a lot of respect for him and his team. It’s a big game that feels like a cup final.”
Forward Ariel Lassiter also shared his thoughts on the importance of the team’s overall morale leading into this crucial matchup.
“I think the biggest thing for us is that we take away positives. I think to have that confidence, to have that belief, that even if we’re away we can still win games, is very important, especially now. We have a lot of confidence, and [our goal is] just to continue with that. Mentally, everyone is feeling really good. It’s the last stretch of the season, and we all know what we want to do. We all know that we need to be in a playoff spot, and we deserve to be there, so we’re going to continue to work for that.”
A core component of the team’s confidence is the shared bonds between the players and staff, as well as the belief and trust placed in each other. Lassiter commented on this system of trust and accountability, which will play an important role as the season draws to a close and the team battles to secure a playoff spot.
“We have our characteristics, we know what we want to do, we know how to play, we know each other now and we’re very, very confident on the field. Taking that into the last stretch is important…I have a lot of confidence in my teammates, the center backs we have and our defense, individually and as a unit. I have teammates around me that can create magic…The important thing is to go there and focus on our game. We look to keep moving forward.”
Inter Miami CF will take on the Columbus Crew on Wednesday night at Lower.com Field, at 7:30 p.m. ET. The match will broadcast live on My33, the UniMás App, the Inter Miami App.
