Heron Talk presented by Gallagher
Inter Miami CF continues its 2022 MLS regular season campaign this weekend, hosting Minnesota United FC for the first time ever at DRV PNK Stadium this Saturday, June 25 at 8 p.m. ET. Defender DeAndre Yedlin met with members of the media after training today to preview the upcoming clash.
Yedlin, one of the team’s leaders on and off the field, expressed that the team is focused on the attributes that bring out their collective best, rather than focus on external factors.
“[We’re] staying positive. We’ve done pretty well previous to the last game, but I think it’s just staying positive, and focusing on our values. Really, what we’ve been doing has [served] us pretty well, so I think we’re going to just keep focusing on that. It’s important to respect our opponent, but the focus is on ourselves moving forward.”
The team’s focus on its own positive characteristics still leaves room for a careful examination of its upcoming MLS opponent, however.
“They’re a good team, they attack well,” Yedlin said, giving his appraisal of the Minnesota United offense. “We’ve got to try to get it behind them, and we have incredible pace in this team. We can get in behind them, get in the final third, and finish attacks. [We need to] cut out small mistakes, and be a little more lethal in the final third. I think once we put those two things together, we’ll be back on track.”
Head coach Phil Neville also emphasized the importance of the squad playing at home against a difficult opponent.
“We’re looking forward to the game. I think the feeling is that the home fort, DRV PNK Stadium, has been our strength. We’re under no illusions, we’re playing against a team that has experience, has good players, has a couple of players up front that I really like, and it’s going to be tough.”
Neville also conveyed his message of resilience to the team this week, saying, “we’re in the marathon now. We’ve got to start grinding out the results. I think whoever goes on a run now of four, five games unbeaten, with wins similar to what we had before the break, is going to find themselves in a top four position. I think the league is as condensed as it’s ever been, and I sense that our players are really focused this week.”
Inter Miami CF hosts Minnesota United FC this Saturday, June 25 at DRV PNK Stadium at 8 p.m. ET. Tickets are available HERE.
