Inter Miami CF (2W-0L-D0, 6 pts) enjoyed a historic Saturday night at DRV PNK Stadium, claiming a 2-0 win over reigning Eastern Conference champion Philadelphia Union (1W-1L-D0, 3 pts) to win the team’s first two matches in the 2023 MLS regular season. Strikes by Heineken Star of the Match Corentin Jean and attacker Robert Taylor, lead the team to the result.
Lineup Notes
Inter Miami took the field with the same starting XI as in the team’s win over CF Montréal in the Club’s 2023 home opener. Drake Callender started in goal; DeAndre Yedlin, Sergii Kryvtsov, Chris McVey and Franco Negri lined up in defense; the Brazilian midfield duo of captain Gregore and Jean Mota formed the team’s double pivot in midfield with Corentin Jean, Nicolás Stefanelli and Rodolfo Pizarro in front of them; Venezuelan international Josef Martínez led the team in attack.
Match Action
Inter Miami started the match on the front foot, with forward Martínez creating danger in the opposition’s box early on with a blocked shot in the first minute of action. The breakthrough for Inter Miami came in the 32nd minute; Jean received a ball from Pizarro on the right side of the pitch before unleashing a powerful long-distance right-footed shot to the far post to give the hosts a 1-0 lead before the halftime intermission. Jean’s goal was his first with an Inter Miami jersey, while the assist was Pizarro’s first of the season.
The second half saw another back and forth 45 minutes of action with both sides probing the opposition's defense. It was Inter Miami, however, that scored next. Second half substitute got the 15,628 fans in attendance at DRV PNK Stadium on their feet with a wonder strike in the 77th minute, bringing down the ball with his chest after a great give and go with Mota before smashing the ball into the right upper corner with a volley from the left end of the box to put Inter Miami ahead 2-0. The goal was Taylor’s first of the season, while the assist was the second one of the 2023 campaign for Mota.
Goalkeeper Drake Callender also provided several key saves throughout the second half to secure consecutive clean sheets to kick off the season. In the end, the scoreline remained unmoved until the final whistle for Inter Miami to claim a 2-0 home win to continue with the Club’s winning start to the season.
Heineken Star of the Match
Jean opened the scoring for Inter Miami with a powerful, long-range finish in the 32nd minute of play. The goal combined with his stellar performance earned him the Heineken Star of the Match.
Post-Match Reaction
“I am proud of the team, proud of the squad, and we’re making a big step forward,” said Inter Miami head coach Phil Neville. “We have to keep moving forward, we're playing to a certain level, we're attaining a certain standard and we've got to make sure we keep pushing the quality and there's a long way to go.”
Fan of the Match presented by Coca-Cola Zero Sugar
Next Match
Next Inter Miami will hit the road for the first time in the 2023 MLS regular season to face New York City FC away on Saturday, March 11 at 7:30 p.m. ET.
Stats:
Possession:
MIA - 48%
PHI - 52%
Shots:
MIA - 10
PHI - 11
Saves:
MIA - 4
PHI - 0
Corners:
MIA - 6
PHI - 5
Fouls:
MIA - 14
PHI - 17
