Neville, Henderson likely to have Inter Miami contracts extended at least one more year
Inter Miami coach Phil Neville and sporting director Chris Henderson have been in talks with team ownership in recent days, and it is likely they will be offered contract extensions for at least one more year, according to sources.
Their two-year contracts expired at the end of the season, as did those of most of the assistant coaches.
The team exceeded expectations in 2022 after climbing to the playoffs from the Eastern Conference basement. Miami finished in sixth place and lost 3-0 on the road to defending MLS champion New York City FC in the first round of the playoffs. NYCFC went on to beat No. 2 seed Montreal 3-1 on the road to earn a spot in this weekend’s conference final.
Miami finished in 11th place the previous season and did not make the playoffs. Goal production increased from 36 in 2021, which was tied for second to last in the league, to 47 this season. Goal differential improved from minus-17 to minus-9.
The postseason berth this year was considered a significant accomplishment because the roster was completely overhauled with 19 new players. Most pundits’ preseason predictions had Miami near the bottom of the standings.
The team culture also transformed drastically from a fractured group to a cohesive unit that socialized together on road trips and instituted rituals such as meditation sessions, post-practice barefoot walks, pickup basketball and a pregame fashion runway.
But Neville wants more. He has said he wants to stick around for years to come and build on the progress he and Henderson made. Neville, a native of England, and his family are enjoying life in America and acquired green cards during the summer.
The club’s salary structure has been financially strapped this season and will be next year, as well, as a result of harsh sanctions levied by the league as punishment for roster violations in 2020, before Henderson and Neville arrived.
“The players have been unbelievable, but we want better,” Neville said. “We want to win, challenge, go deep into the playoffs. We want to get to finals, semifinals. We want to finish in top four and get a home playoff. So, we can’t stand still.
“My feeling at the final whistle [of the NYCFC loss] was where can we take this team? How can we improve? Because finishing in sixth isn’t success in my eyes. This is probably just a baby step forward from where we were last season.”
One thing Neville is proud of is the improved perception of his team.
“I think we’ve changed the way people look at Inter Miami, and that was important,” he said. “There was a lot of negativity around the club. People look at us slightly different, but we still have a long, long way to go and a lot of improving to do. That’s the challenge ahead.”
DeAndre Yedlin called into U.S. camp
Right back DeAndre Yedlin is among nine out-of-season MLS players who were invited to a U.S. pre-World Cup national team training camp in Frisco, Texas, from Tuesday through Nov. 5. The invitation means he is in contention for a spot on the World Cup roster, which will be announced Nov. 9. Other players invited were Paul Arriola, Jesus Ferreira, Aaron Long, Shaq Moore, Jordan Morris, Cristian Roldan, Gaga Slonina, and Walker Zimmerman. More players will be added.