New York City FC hosts Inter Miami CF this weekend.
For this edition of 'The Away End' presented by Berkeley College & Rennert International, we spoke to Daniel Granada, co-host of the Battered Herons: An Inter Miami Podcast.
Hi Daniel, thanks for speaking with us. How long have you been covering Inter Miami CF?
We began our Inter Miami podcast in 2022. We’ve been season ticket holders since the inaugural season.
What has been your highlight in that time?
On the pitch clinching our first playoff berth against our rival Orlando City Oct 2022 and lifting our first trophy last summer.
What were your thoughts on the 2024 season?
The expectations were high with the ultimate goal being to get that first star over the badge. Many in the fanbase(myself included) set the bar at multiple trophies this season, but they’ve fallen short of every possible trophy thus far. We are still excited that we are in a position to get the supporter shield and can still get that star we’ve been waiting for. This season can’t be deemed a success or failure until December 7th though.
What are your hopes for what remains of the 2024 season?
Our hopes are to win the MLS Cup.
What do you think will be the deciding factor in Saturday's game?
We’re getting a lot of our players back, the key to this game will be avoiding costly turnovers from our back line when being pressured. Aviles is constantly giving the ball away when he feels pressure and we constantly give up big opportunities or scoring plays to the opposing team off those turnovers. We also like to build up the left wing with Alba but with the narrow field I’m not sure how much that changes.
And for any fans that might be in Miami for a game in the near future are there any spots you'd suggest they check out?
For anyone that’s never been to Miami the most lively place to visit is Wynwood. You’ll find a little bit of everything there and I believe Art Basel will be there for the weekend of December 7th so if anyone comes down to watch Miami play in the MLS Cup final that weekend, they could go party at Art Basel after the game.
