Getty Images SportWHAT HAPPENED
Inter Miami's advanced to the FIFA Club World Cup knockout stage, and will face PSG in the Round of 16 this weekend. Benjamin Cremaschi, the 20-year-old midfielder, called the milestone "huge" as Miami was the only MLS side to advance from the group stage in the expanded tournament format.
“Yeah, absolutely huge,” Cremaschi said on The Overlap US podcast. “I mean, everyone probably thought we weren’t going to get a single point at this Club World Cup and we weren’t looking too great, you know with the players that we had before. So having achieved this and playing the way we’re playing, competing the way we’re competing is huge for the club.
"It shows the quality of players we have when we’re focused, when we have a big big ambition to win. So this was absolutely huge for us, for the MLS, for everyone around in this country. It puts us in a very good place, at least MLS, and Miami."
Cremaschi knows Miami will be challenged by Champions League winners Paris Saint-Germain. He believes that the Herons are capable of getting a result, and will be inspired by Botafogo's victory over PSG in the group stage.
“We know they’re the best team in Europe - and we know that for a fact,” Cremaschi explained. “We’re ready to compete the way we’ve been competing. I don’t think we need to shy down from anything. I feel like we’ve been competing at a good level and we saw Botafogo do it, so why can’t we?
“And Botafogo is a team which competes a lot, which runs a lot, defends very well. I think if we kind of just mimic that and compete the way we’re competing and play the way we’re playing, and you never know, something could happen. We could do something. And we have nothing to lose, so we’re going to go full and see what happens.”
WHAT CREMASCHI SAID
The 20-year-old further talked about his future with the USMNT and admitted that while he hasn’t spoken to Mauricio Pochettino since January, he is focused on performing with the U20s at the moment. The USMNT topped their group and are set to play Costa Rica Sunday in the Gold Cup quarterfinals.
“No, I haven’t spoken to him since January camp,” Cremaschi admitted. “Honestly I’m pretty focused on the U20s right now. And we have World Cup coming up soon, and feel like I’m a important player there. So I really want to focus on the U20s for now and then see where the next step is with the senior team. But obviously I follow them, I see their results. So I’m happy for them and hopefully they can take it all the way.”
THE BIGGER PICTURE
Inter Miami's success represents a milestone for both the club and Major League Soccer. The other two MLS sides, Seattle Sounders and LAFC, were eliminated from the CWC after finishing fourth in their respective groups.
WHAT’S NEXT?
Inter Miami take on Paris Saint-Germain in the Round of 16 of the FIFA Club World Cup on Sunday at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia.