The wait is over! Inter Miami FINALLY lift themselves off the bottom of MLS table as Phil Neville’s side leave it late with 95TH MINUTE winner from Indiana Vassilev against Nashville
- Phil Neville had Indiana Vassilev to thank for Inter Miami’s very late victory
- Vassilev headed in the winner in the 95th minute to defeat visiting Nashville
- David Beckham watched on as his side lifted themselves off the foot of the table
Inter Miami’s mini-revival was given new life in the final seconds against Nashville as Indiana Vassilev’s 95th-minute header lifts them off the foot of Major League Soccer table.
Pressure had been mounting on Phil Neville with the David Beckham-owned franchise rooted to last place following a dismal start.
But after hitting rock bottom in a 5-0 defeat to New England Revolution, in which players and manager were booed off, Inter Miami have looked galvanised – and they showed all their spirit to take a last-gasp win on Sunday.
Indiana Vassilev scored a 95th-minute winner for Inter Miami against Nashville on Sunday
Boss Phil Neville has been under immense pressure and it served as a huge boost for his side
Co-owner David Beckham watched on from the stands with interest in Fort Lauderdale
‘When a team scores late on, I think it is a great sign for everybody,’ said Inter Miami boss Neville.
‘It’s a great sign for everybody inside the club that we are headed in the right direction.
‘We knew that the substitutions were going to win the game for us today, and that’s how it played out.’
It looked set to be another frustrating night when C. J. Sapong put Nashville ahead three minutes into the second half.
Ex-Juventus and Chelsea ace Gonzalo Higuain made it 1-1 with a fizzing strike into the corner
Gonzalo Higuain then turned on his class after being played through by Blaise Matuidi to make it 1-1.
And then, just when the game looked set to be petering out for a draw, Vassilev found a yard of space in the box to meet a pin-point cross from the right, sparking wild celebrations in Fort Lauderdale.
‘Obviously really, really exciting from a personal standpoint but I think today it was about our team,’ Vassilev said.
‘Our team deserved this win because we were the better team. Hopefully we can keep this all going.’
Higuain celebrated with team-mates but there was to be further drama to come for the hosts