Everything you need to know as 2023 Inter Miami season kicks off Saturday vs. Montreal
Inter Miami kicks off its fourth season on Saturday much the same way it started the previous three — with slick social media campaigns, promises of a deep playoff run and rumors of global superstars on the way.
The biggest difference is this time, those rumors may finally prove true.
This could be the year team owners and fans get at least one of the headliners they have been craving since David Beckham stood on the Perez Art Museum waterfront patio nine Februarys ago and announced his plans to bring an MLS team to Miami.
Lionel Messi’s contract with Paris Saint-Germain expires in June and the Argentine World Cup star, who owns a home in South Florida, has been in serious talks about a potential move to Inter Miami, according to multiple club sources and reports from Europe.
Another year in Paris or a move back to FC Barcelona remains a possibility, but Miami and MLS are said to be offering a sweet deal that would make Messi the most expensive signing in league history, with the U.S. co-hosting the World Cup in three years. He is expected to decide by the end of March.
Meanwhile, Messi’s former Barcelona teammate and captain Sergio Busquets is also in talks with Inter Miami. Word is he is likely to join the team this summer.
Asked how he manages his players heading into the home opener against CF Montreal knowing the roster could radically change this summer, coach Phil Neville told the Herald: “You break the season into two, from now until July, and then we know in July we have the potential to strengthen. But July doesn’t matter now.”
Neville stressed that the team must hit the ground running and break the habit of slow starts. Last year Miami went winless through the first five games.
“We can’t wait around, and say, ‘Oh, we’ll be OK in July,’ ’’ Neville said. “We’ve got to start well. This franchise has not done that, and we want to break that mold.”
Despite Inter Miami reaching the playoffs last season with a sixth-place finish in the Eastern Conference, expectations from national media are not very high.
There are reasons for skepticism, as leading scorer Gonzalo Higuain retired and playmaker Alejandro Pozuelo was not re-signed. MLS.com published its season preview and of the 12 pundits, none had Miami higher than sixth place in the East and seven had Miami below 10th place.
Neville is using those underwhelming expectations as fuel. He showed his players the predictions last week.
“I quite love things like that,” he said. “If my memory serves me correctly, it was the same last year. They all had us down in 13th, 14th, 12th place, and we proved a lot of people wrong. We’ve still got people that doubt us, still got things to prove to people and when you’re in that mindset of proving to people there’s an inner determination and collective spirit that can come together.
“So, we are going to make sure everybody in this organization knows that everyone has written us off, and we’ll use that as part of our motivation.”
With or without Messi or Busquets, Neville said he believes in the players he has.
“[The prognosticators] have not seen us play, have not seen the players we recruited and that’s fair,” Neville said. “But when you’re a manager you spend the entire offseason recruiting the right type of players and we have five or six new players already that give us massive hopes and confidence for the season.”
The most pressing questions heading into the season are:
Who will replace Higuain?
Enter Josef Martinez, the ruthless, clinical, outspoken, entertaining Venezuelan who was MLS MVP in 2018 with Atlanta United.
Martinez, known as “El Rey” (The King) during his years in Atlanta, is one of the most prolific strikers in MLS history. He scored 114 goals in four seasons, including 39 in his MVP season.
But he tore his ACL in February 2020, missed that season, scored 12 goals in 2021 and nine in 2022, when he was often relegated to coming off the bench. He also had public spats with coaches Gabriel Heinze and Gonzalo Pineda.
He arrives in Miami happy to be in a Hispanic community among friends, relatives and a newborn son. He also is hungry to be the old Josef again. Neville said Martinez will start Saturday but is weeks away from being in peak form. The player agrees.
“After two months standing still, it’s a little difficult to get in peak form,” Martinez said. “You play your way into shape the more games you play. There are always expectations of me, but the most important thing for me is for our team to get off on the right foot.”
He will be paired up front with dynamic Ecuadorean forward Leo Campana, the 22-year-old who scored 11 goals in his debut season after joining from English club Wolverhampton.
Martinez welcomes the partnership.
“We have a good relationship and both want the same thing,” he said. “Nobody wants to take someone else’s spot. I’m here to help this team win trophies.”
Asked if he feels he has anything to prove after how things ended in Atlanta, Martinez said: “I want to be a good father. That’s what’s important to me. This is a sport. Sometimes you win. Sometimes you lose. Sometimes you don’t score, sometimes you score seven goals. I’m not worried about what others think.
“From now on everything I do is with my son in mind. If I knew the love you could have for a child, I would have had children sooner. Here in Miami, a city I love so much, I feel at home and am very happy.”
Neville likes what he has seen thus far.
“We must be patient with Josef and the partnership, but we’ve invested in that end of the pitch in Leo’s new contract and bringing Josef in,” the coach said. “We’ve invested in goals. There are huge demands and expectations on them. We have two strikers who are incredibly hungry. That’s a good recipe.”
Who is the new playmaker?
Pozuelo’s vision and pinpoint passes will be missed. Inter Miami will rely on Rodolfo Pizarro, Nico Stefanelli, and Bryce Duke to provide the playmaking. Pizarro is back with renewed energy after a year on loan in Mexico. Stefanelli, a 5-5 crafty Argentine, recently signed from the Swedish league.
“Nico is going to surprise people,” Neville said. “Rather than tell people what he’s going to be, just come and watch him. What I see is a player that’s going to link the team together. He’s a winner, speaks brilliant English and Spanish, a connector in the group and he hates losing.”
Stefanelli, who attended an English language school from age 10 to 13, has always wanted to play in MLS and jumped at the opportunity. He is a student of the game and eager to create, and score, goals.
“My versatility is a big reason they signed me,” Stefanelli said. “I was excited to come to USA and practice my English, but here I am speaking more Spanish. I felt comfortable immediately.”
What’s New with the Back Line?
DeAndre Yedlin returns at right back fresh off the World Cup with the U.S. national team. Christopher McVey shifts from left back to center back. The two newcomers are Argentine left back Franco Negri, who is dangerous up the left flank, and veteran Ukrainian center back Serhiy Kryvtsov.
“Serhiy is a leader, is very smart positionally, and has a warrior mentality,” Yedlin said. “He’ll literally die on the field if he has to, will run through a wall for his teammates. That’s the kind of guy you want, in the back, especially.”
Does Neville Feel Extra Pressure on a One-Year Contract?
“Management is really hard, I knew it would be difficult and I didn’t think I’d get an easy ride, and I haven’t,” said Neville, whose contract was extended for just this season. “We were in a build phase, and it took every ounce of me to have any kind of success. We’ve got to start delivering. We took a massive step forward last year, but must do better.
“In football, you’re always on a 1-year contract even if you have a 4 or 5 year contract. You see that all over the world. If you’re not doing well and the owners don’t believe in you, they’re going to get rid of you. But I trust our owners implicitly and am so excited for the season to get going.”
Inter Miami Fan Guide
Season Opener: Feb. 25 at home vs. CF Montreal, 7:30 p.m.
Home Stadium: DRV PNK Stadium, 1350 NW 55 St, Fort Lauderdale (Commercial Blvd, just west of I-95)
Head Coach: Phil Neville (3rd year)
2022 Record: 14 W, 14 L, 6 T. (Sixth place Eastern Conference, lost opening round of playoffs to NYCFC)
Key Players Gone: Gonzalo Higuain (retired), Alejandro Pozuelo (contract expired), Damion Lowe (traded to Philadelphia Union), Kieran Gibbs (contract terminated, working for club as on-air talent)
Who’s Back: Leo Campana, Ariel Lassiter, Robbie Robinson, Bryce Duke, Coco Jean, Jean Mota, Robert Taylor, Gregore, DeAndre Yedlin, Christopher McVey, Drake Callender, Victor Ulloa, Aime Mabika, Harvey Neville, Nick Marsman, Ryan Sailor, Noah Allen, Edison Azcona, Ian Fray, CJ Dos Santos
New Players: Josef Martinez, Rodolfo Pizarro (back after one year loan in Mexico), Nico Stefanelli, Franco Negri, Serhiy Kryvtsov, Jake LaCava, Benjamin Cremaschi, Shanyder Borgelin, Cole Jensen
Numerical Roster:
0 Cole Jensen, GK, USA
1 Drake Callender, GK, USA
2 DeAndre Yedlin, RB, USA
4 Christopher McVey, CB, Sweden
5 Serhiy Kryvtsov, CB, Ukraine
6 Aime Mabika, CB, Zambia
7 Jean Mota, MF, Brazil
8 Bryce Duke, MF, USA
9 Leo Campana, F, Ecuador
11 Ariel Lassiter, F, Costa Rica
12 Jake LaCava, F/MF, USA
13 Victor Ulloa, MF, USA
14 Coco Jean, MF, France
15 Ryan Sailor, CB, USA
16 Robert Taylor, MF, Finland
17 Josef Martinez, F, Venezuela
18 Harvey Neville, D, England
19 Robbie Robinson, F, USA
20 Rodolfo Pizarro, MF, Mexico
21 Nick Marsman, GK, Netherlands
22 Nico Stefanelli, MF, Argentina
24 Ian Fray, D, USA
26 Gregore, MF, Brazil
28 Edison Azcona, MF, Dominican Republic
29 CJ Dos Santos, GK, USA
30 Benjamin Cremaschi, MF/F, USA/Argentina
32 Noah Allen, LB, USA
33 Franco Negri, LB, Argentina
49 Shanyder Borgelin, F, USA/Haiti
Tickets: intermiamicf.com
Parking: Blue, Green, Yellow lots are reserved and pre-purchased. Event Day non-reserved parking only in Orange lot. South entry to NW 15 Ave. lots ONLY accessible traveling Westbound on Commercial Blvd. Left turn lanes at NW 15 Ave. are blocked for Eastbound traffic. Club recommends using Waze for best directions on game days.
Special parking instructions for Opening Game Only: Season Ticket Members that do not already have a parking pass will receive a parking pass that will give access to the Yellow, Orange and Brown Lots for Saturday’s Home Opener against CF Montréal. The pass is FREE for Season Ticket Members and parking will be available on a first come, first served basis. The pass will be added to the respective accounts. Non-Season Ticket Members will have the opportunity to pre-purchase a parking pass for the Yellow, Orange and Brown lots via Park Mobile. Pre-purchase your parking pass for Saturday here .
New Stadium Food Options: Concession stands - Mini Cuban Sandwiches, Cantina Street Tacos, Churro Bites. Midfield/NW Club – Guava Glazed Ribs, Masitas de Puerco, Dulce de Leche Cheesecake. Suites – Sliders, Reuben Sliders, Wings, Margarita Flatbread, Key Lime Tarts
TV: All matches leaguewide can be seen on the new MLS Season Pass through Apple TV App. Season ticket holders get a free subscription with their ticket plan, which can be shared with five family members. For details, go to mlssoccer.com/season-pass/
