Neville: Robbie Robinson’s call-up to Chilean national team came ‘at just the right time’
Robbie Robinson’s call-up to Chile’s national team for three upcoming World Cup qualifiers is already having a discernible effect on Inter Miami.
Not only will the team have to play without the talented young forward while he is gone from Saturday through Sept. 10, but coach Phil Neville’s weekly news conference Wednesday took on interest from reporters in Chile who are eager to learn more about the Chilean-American player.
Neville used the occasion to address the media in Spanish for the first time. He learned the language while working as an assistant coach at Valencia in Spain and has been brushing up on it since taking the Miami job in January.
After offering an assessment of Robinson in Spanish to a Chilean reporter and receiving praise from other media members for his bilingual skills, Neville joked that it was “Manchester Spanish” and that he was “sudando mucho’’ (sweating a lot).
Neville said, in English, that he is “super proud” of Robinson, who scored two goals in the past two games, and that the experience he gains with the Chilean team in games against Brazil, Ecuador and Colombia will be invaluable.
“From the very first time I saw him I knew this boy could go right to the very top — It’s just whether he would mature, take on board the things we were trying to do with him, the work ethic, the attitude, the commitment,” Neville said. “I think he’s proven over the last eight months that he has all those qualities.
“This is just another step on the ladder for him for where he wants to go. He’s got the opportunity to play three World Cup qualifiers against some of the best teams in the world. For a club like Inter Miami, this is what we want our players to be doing, playing in the best competitions against the best players and teams in the world. This will benefit us.”
Robinson will play for Miami on the road at Orlando City on Friday night and fly to Santiago on Saturday. Chile plays against Brazil in Santiago on Sept. 2, then plays Ecuador Sept. 5 in Quito and Colombia Sept. 9 in Barranquilla. Robinson, whose father is American and mother is Chilean, had a rocky rookie season, but has thrived under Neville and his staff.
“This is a culmination of a lot of hard work — the work we’ve put into him, but more importantly the work he’s put in in terms of his growth and maturity,” Neville said. “He’s become more durable. He’s toughened up. And his quality without a doubt gives us a massive threat.”
Inter Miami defender Leandro Gonzalez Pirez is equally delighted for his teammate.
“Robbie is phenomenal,” Gonzalez Pirez said. “Honestly, I think he is a super complete player. Physically, he is top level. He is fast, strong, technical. He is a good shooter and passer. But he’s a young player who is maturing in many ways. He is starting to adapt to a new lifestyle of being a professional athlete, having to play hard every game. But as a player, hat’s off to him because he is high-quality, and soon I feel we’ll have to say goodbye to him because he’ll go to a bigger club.”
Neville played for the English national team, so he knows firsthand what Robinson, 22, is about to encounter. It is a big jump to go from college soccer at Clemson to MLS to World Cup qualifiers in South America in less than two years.
“Even just training with Chile for 10 days, with world-class players, training with players who have been there, done it is going to be a valuable experience,” the coach said. “Playing against Brazil, just take that in isolation. That is a dream for most male and female footballers in the world. When you play against the gold of Brazil, it’s one of those moments you dream about all your life.
“To go out there against Brazil that has historically some of the best players in the world. Think about the quality that will be on that field that Robbie has to rise his level to. That will undoubtedly make him a better player and a better player for Inter Miami.”
Neville has urged Robinson to be a sponge.
“He’ll be able to spend 10 days and really learn what playing top football is all about, playing in front of the biggest stadiums in the most pressurized environments, how people behave, act, eat, drink, sleep, prepare. He will know after these 10 days the work he’s got to do to have an impact on the international level. I think this Chile call has come at just the right time for him.”
This story was originally published August 25, 2021 at 4:34 PM.