Inter Miami midfielder Julian Gressel has revealed his nerves in facing former side Columbus Crew last week in MLS.
The Herons welcomed their Eastern Conference rivals to Chase Stadium last Wednesday as Inter Miami prepared to take on one of the best sides in North America and the reigning MLS Cup champions, a team Gressel was with last year.
With no Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez and the Crew coming off a run to the CONCACAF Champions Cup final, Inter Miami surprised everyone by claiming an impressive 2-1 win, with Gressel registering two assists on the night.
Yet the 30-year-old midfielder has admitted that he was worried about facing his former side.
Gressel admits he wasn’t confident Inter Miami could beat the Crew
Speaking on the Player/Manager podcast, Gressel shared that he wasn’t sure Inter Miami were going to get a result given the state of the two sides going into the game, yet the midfielder himself was sensational on the night, as the Herons ultimately claimed all three points.
With Gressel also noting how it felt good to get one over on a club that released him, it was a perfect night for Inter Miami, who secured one of their biggest wins of the season against a team who could go toe-to-toe with the Herons in the MLS playoffs.
Gressel said when asked about his thoughts on facing the Columbus Crew: “It was a game where we were stretched thin. Knowing how they play and the team that they have, I’m not gunna lie I was a bit worried going into the game, but that’s why it felt good for me to have a good game.
“I would be lying if I said there was a little extra motivation to show it would have been worth it to re-sign there in Columbus, it was certainly a good feeling. It was a good win and one that I didn’t expect, playing against them was hard.”
Gressel needed win vs the Crew more than anyone else
Having won MLS Cup with the Crew in December before being surprisingly released, no Inter Miami player would have relished more in the win against Columbus last week than Gressel.
The German-born US international has been one of Inter Miami’s best players this year with the midfielder thriving under Tata Martino and setting an example of why the Herons need more than just superstar names to win games.
And in beating his former side, Gressel showed why moving to Inter Miami was the right decision, with the midfielder enjoying his best soccer in years and looking ready to lead the Herons to MLS Cup glory.