Touchline Talk
Inter Miami earned a much-deserved 2-1 home victory over CF Montréal at DRV PNK Stadium on Saturday, July 31.
Despite going down 0-1 in the first half, head coach Phil Neville praised his team's mentality, before and during the game, as they came back in the second half to earn the three points.
“Tonight we knew we had to compete, we did, and we knew we had to take a few punches and we did, and we didn’t waiver once. We won the game yesterday in training,” said Neville.
The supporters once again continued their unwavering support for the team and Neville hopes that his players gave them something to finally celebrate, while also emphasizing how grateful he and the team are for what they contribute to the Club.
“I just hope that tonight we gave them [the supporters] something to go home and celebrate. It’s a small baby step to where we want to get to.”
“Every game feels like a playoff game at this Club, it's like no other. The games are only going to get bigger, so I said to the players at the end that they are the luckiest players to be playing at this Club. That feeling at the end, they should bottle, because that’s who they’re playing for, [the supporters] are the life and soul of this fútbol Club.”
Winger Lewis Morgan knows that the team needs to use this victory to build momentum as the positive results continue to improve the team’s performances and morale.
“We just need to keep building this momentum now and another game is coming quick and fast on Wednesday...The group’s always been upbeat but when you win, when you’re getting points it makes everything that much better,” said Morgan
“I wouldn’t so much say ‘turn the corner,’ we can’t get ahead of ourselves. We need to keep working, keep showing this desire. With that, as the time [goes on] players are going to get into better spaces and start to win games, start to control games a little bit better.”
Striker Gonzalo Higuaín, who was the star of the night after scoring a brace and receiving Heineken Man of the Match honors, meanwhile, was delighted to help the team get back to winning ways and dedicated his performance to his loved ones.
“I’m very happy. Scoring goals is what I like the most, and even more if it helps the team win. I dedicate the goals to my family; to my dad who was at the stadium, my wife, my daughter. The goals are for them because they are always supporting me, and for my mom who is watching over us from above.”
Neville concluded that the positive stretch of results make him proud as a coach, and expressed that while there is still much for the Club to prove, it’s a great place to start.
“Winning is a byproduct of attitude, of togetherness, of spirit and we’ve shown that. We’ve shown that from the minute we lost to New England, we all had our backs to the wall and we’ve responded in a way that makes me really, really, proud… It's a start.”
