Heron Talk presented by Gallagher
Inter Miami is set to take on rivals Orlando City SC in the Round of 16 of the 2022 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup on Wednesday at 7 p.m. ET. Ahead of the fixture in the single-elimination competition, head coach Phil Neville and defender Ryan Sailor previewed the matchup.
“We’re excited. We are facing our closest rivals in a competition that we really want to win,” said Neville.
“[Being an Open Cup match] makes it more competitive, more exciting. We’ve seen in cup games already there’s been an extra feeling of pressure, expectation, and excitement for our guys,” he added.
Sailor, meanwhile, shared how the team’s growing confidence and the focus on getting the result will be key.
“The team is growing in confidence as a whole. We are feeling really good. We want to win the U.S. Open Cup so we are going to give everything we have… [On Wednesday] we want to focus on what we can control, what we’re good at and stick to our game plan. Both sides are going to play really hard and we have to take it to them from the starting whistle and go from there,” said Sailor.
Lastly, Neville highlighted the importance of a fighting spirit to be able to return to South Florida triumphant.
“We’re going to need to have the courage to play, the courage to compete. Last year we went there and got two draws, but draws are no good, we have to win the game. We gotta win this game, whether that's in 90 minutes, extra time or penalties, and we’re preparing that way,” he concluded.
With the U.S. Open Cup being a single-elimination competition, if Inter Miami wins, it would advance to the next round, if it falls, it would knock the team out. If the team wins, it would move onto the Quarterfinals, where it would take on the winner of the match between USL Championship side Louisville City FC and Nashville SC on Tuesday, June 21 or Wednesday, June 22 at DRV PNK Stadium. The winner of the 2022 U.S. Open Cup earns an automatic spot in the next edition of the Concacaf Champions League, a shiny trophy to put on display and prize money.
