Inter Miami’s Neville on Open Cup game vs. Miami FC: ‘Their Cup final, our banana skin’
Inter Miami coach Phil Neville spent most of his life in England, where Premier League clubs sometimes lose to far more humble teams in the 150-year-old FA Cup, so he is acutely aware of what is at stake for his team in Tuesday night’s U.S. Open Cup match against Miami FC.
“It’s their Cup final and our banana skin,” is how Neville summed it up. “It’s going to be a real interesting occasion.
“Coming from the UK where the FA Cup is the biggest competition, I’ve sampled these occasions and been on the receiving end of upsets, going to places like Miami FC, the lower division, where they’re extremely motivated. It’s a chance for them to pit their wits against players who have played at the highest level, MLS players. That’s the challenge for us.”
Inter Miami returned from its 1-0 road win over the Seattle Sounders on Sunday night, so it’s a quick turnaround, but Neville said: “If there’s ever a game you could get motivated for it’s a game against your local team, Miami FC, first time we’ve played each other in a competitive game. We’re not going to take it lightly.”
The U.S. Open Cup is a 103-year-old single-elimination knockout tournament (third oldest in the world) that includes teams ranging from amateur clubs to MLS. It is the American version of the FA Cup. Tuesday’s third-round match between MLS team Inter Miami and second-tier USL team Miami FC is being billed as the “Miami Clasico.”
Miami FC has a history of knocking out MLS clubs. In 2017, under the direction of then-coach Alessandro Nesta, Miami FC reached the Cup quarterfinals after eliminating MLS teams Orlando City and Atlanta United.
More than 8,200 tickets had been sold for Tuesday’s 7 p.m. match as of Monday morning and thousands more fans are expected at FIU’s Riccardo Silva Stadium – named after the Miami FC owner.
Diehard supporters of both teams have already begun good-natured ribbing on social media. When Inter Miami posted “Bringing a W back to the 305” on its Twitter feed after beating the Seattle Sounders 1-0 on the road late Saturday night, Miami FC responded with “954*” correction, poking fun at the fact that Inter Miami plays in Fort Lauderdale, not Miami.
This is Inter Miami’s first appearance in the Open Cup due to the cancellation of the 2020 and 2021 editions due to COVID.
Neville said he plans to line up Inter Miami’s “best team” for the match, but it is unclear how many players who started the Seattle game will start on Tuesday. Gonzalo Higuain, who missed the past two games with a slight knee injury, will not be available for Tuesday’s game, Neville said, and he is “touch and go” for Sunday’s home game against Atlanta United.
The cross-town rivalry is especially interesting because Miami FC first-year coach Anthony Pulis was Neville’s assistant at Inter Miami last season.
“It’s fantastic for professional soccer in South Florida,” Pulis said. “We know we’re in for a difficult game against a team that’s in a good run of form coming off back-to-back wins. But it’s a one-off cup, so anything can happen. Inter Miami will have to have an off day and we have to play our best to win. All the pressure’s on them.”
Pulis said it has been “a little strange” preparing to play his former employer, as he remains good friends with several Inter Miami staff members and knows some of the players. But Inter Miami made 17 roster changes during the off-season, so Pulis is not as familiar with the personnel as he was last year.
“I’ve got an idea about what they’re trying to do, but there was such huge turnover that of the starting 11 from their past two games, I only worked with three – Gregore, Robbie Robinson and Aime Mabika,” Pulis said. “It will be a challenge because they have new players and a new system. I hope we can give them a good game.”
Neville said he is happy to see Pulis doing well at his new job but hopes Inter Miami can extend its win streak to three games.
“I loved working with Anthony, it was a big loss, but I realized he wanted to go as a head coach,” Neville said. “He took the plunge. The only way to learn and get better is by doing it. He’s doing really well. He’s an outstanding coach and even better person. It’s going to be a difficult game. He’s going to have them organized. He’s going to know everything about what we’re going to do.”
Win or lose, Pulis said, the event is great exposure for his team.
“It’s massive in terms of raising awareness,” he said. “When people think of pro soccer in Miami, they think of Inter Miami, but there are two clubs here and we play in Miami. In England fans support a Premier League team and a secondary team and I’d love to see that here. This derby should provide a fantastic atmosphere. I hope it’s the first of many to come.”
Tickets are $10 in advance at themiamifc.com and $15 at the stadium box office starting at 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday. Parking is free.