Inter Miami starts 2-0 and gets second shutout with win against Philadelphia Union
Inter Miami made history in Week 1 by winning a season opener for the first time in franchise history, and all the team did for an encore was deliver another three points at home thanks to a pair of impressive goals.
Corentin ‘Coco’ Jean and Robert Taylor produced gems on each side of halftime to push an effective Inter Miami to a 2-0 victory over the Philadelphia Union at Drv Pnk Stadium on Saturday night.
Jean authored the winner in the 32nd minute with a laser-accurate finish from distance while Taylor came off the bench to provide a sensational volley that both iced the match and sent head coach Phil Neville into a euphoric celebration.
“The two goals that won the game were probably two goals to win any game of football,” Neville said. “I am proud of the team, proud of the squad, and we are making baby steps forward.”
Inter Miami, which produced only two shots on target in the Eastern Conference affair, improved to 2-0 on the year with the win while the Union dropped to 1-1.
The South Florida side is one of only two teams in the Eastern Conference along with the New England Revolution to pick up back-to-back wins at the start of this season.
Neville’s men are also yet to give up a goal and have won both of their 2023 games by the same score.
“What we have done in the first two games this year is we have knocked down a lot of the psychological barriers of not winning in the first couple of weeks in a season,” Neville said. “That was hanging over this football club.”
Playing in the same 4-2-3-1 formation that was used in the Week 1 win over CF Montreal, Inter Miami drew first blood when Jean delivered a low shot from distance. The Frenchman’s effort from the right found the bottom left corner of the net with pinpoint precision, giving him his first goal of the year.
Inter Miami goalkeeper Drake Callender stood tall when called upon three minutes later, keeping the Herons in front by denying Union attacker Daniel Gazdag on a 1-v-1 look inside the penalty area following a poor turnover in the defensive half.
Despite those chances, the first 45 minutes marked a cagey affair between the two Eastern Conference teams. Inter Miami and the Union combined for 16 fouls and three shots on goal at the break.
“I feel as if there is so much more growth in this team, in possession particularly,” Neville said. “Tonight I think we gave the ball away at times carelessly, which meant that we were always under pressure.”
The Union wrestled some control of the run of play away from Inter Miami after halftime, but Brazilian midfielder Jean Mota nearly made it 2-0 in the 67th minute when he hit a stinging shot that was denied by the crossbar.
That would not be the case 10 minutes later. Seconds after entering the match as a substitute, Taylor chested down a Mota pass on the left before uncorking a ferocious volley from outside the penalty area that sailed over Union goalkeeper Andre Blake and into the back of the net.
“It is probably the top (goal I have scored in my career),” said Taylor, who only rejoined Inter Miami this week after spending time in his native Finland to take care of green card paperwork.
Taylor’s golazo prompted an overjoyed Neville to burst into a short sprint towards Inter Miami co-owner Jorge Mas, whom the manager embraced euphorically before looking towards the west stand and raising two fists in celebration.
“It was probably our one bit of quality in the second half,” Neville said.
Inter Miami next hits the road for the first time in 2023, visiting New York City FC at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx on March 11.
“Now with the two games and the six points on the table, it puts us in a great position to go and attack the two away games that we have got coming up against two really good teams,” said Neville. “We have got to keep grinding, we have to keep working hard.”
