Inter Miami midfielder Lee Nguyen says head coach Diego Alonso has made no bones about wanting to play possession-based soccer.
Alonso’s men were defeated 2-1 by Eastern Conference rivals Philadelphia Union in their first ever match in front of the public on Saturday.
New designated player Rodolfo Pizarro scored, but it wasn’t enough to prevent a loss.
One of the features of the match was Inter’s possession-based soccer, how they bossed the ball and looked to play out from the back.
And that’s something head coach Alonso has tried to implement since the moment he walked through the door, according to Nguyen.
“I think from day one he came in here and he says he wants to play football, from the back to the front, and no mater what, he emphasizes that he wants us to play and keep it on the ground,” said the 33-year-old.
“He wants us to eliminate as many long balls as possible so we can play the style of football he wants us to play.
I think we are starting to get that.”
Despite the Herons’ wealth of possession, they struggled to create many clear-cut chances at Al Lang Stadium, particularly in the second half.
But that could well be down to fatigue.
“We had 11 guys who were trying to play 90 minutes and they made 10 substitutions at half-time, so there is a little bit of fatigue for sure,” Nguyen added.
“It this is pre-season, so we are trying to get our fitness up and it’s going to take time.”
