Tag Archive for: MLS

Inter Miami Adds MLS Talent Through Expansion Draft

/0 Comments/in , /by

Five selections were made on Tuesday night in the MLS Expansion Draft for Inter Miami, thus bringing more new names to the club’s first ever roster. The draft provided both expansion teams, Inter Miami CF and Nashville SC, the opportunity to add players from other MLS clubs onto their roster. Inter Miami had the first pick.

A breakdown of Inter Miami’s Picks

Ben Sweat went off the board at number one and was just an overall logical pick. Left back in MLS is one of the thinnest positions league- wide. Being able to bring on someone like Sweat is extremely valuable. Although losing his starting role last year for NYCFC, Sweat has proven throughout the years he’s a reliable piece on the backline. He also fills in a position Inter Miami have not yet been able to fill. Sweat is also a Florida native, and having gone to USF and playing in Florida conditions growing up, the climate down in Fort Lauderdale come Spring should serve no issue. The 28 year old has also made two international appearances with the US Men’s National Team, debuting in October of 2018. His experience in MLS with both NYCFC and Columbus Crew will provide Sweat a leadership role on and off the pitch.

After Nashville SC went on to take Abu Danladi with their first pick, Paul McDonough announced that Inter would take a right back with their second pick. Filling out the back line seemed to be the priority for Inter Miami coming into the Expansion Draft as Alvas Powell is set to be making his way down to South Beach. The Jamaican International will most likely start at right back playing across from Sweat, and his youth and experience is something Inter Miami hope to rely on.

Powell debuted for the Jamaican national team in 2012 at 18 years old. Since then he’s gone on to be capped 43 times. It’s a remarkable record at a youthful age. Powell is a player to look forward to for Inter fans as he’s even scored six goals in his MLS career dating back to 2013. From Portland to then the expansion team FC Cincinnati, Powell has gone through the beginning of an MLS franchise before, so that experience will also be valuable.

Inter Miami brings a veteran, MLS star to the fold

A true MLS veteran was next taken by Inter Miami as Lee Nguyen, a name most MLS fans are extremely familiar with, will be joining “La Familia.” Nguyen, the once attacking midfielder saw a much deeper role last season as instructed by Bob Bradley of LAFC. Though it seems from the outside like a good move as LAFC won the Supporters Shield with the best record in MLS, Nguyen’s natural role is playing as a number 10. Throughout his 239 games played in MLS, most of the 54 goals he’s scored has come from that position.

With his experience does come some age. At 33, it was questioned whether or not Nguyen would be the player taken from LAFC in the draft or if it would be Tyler Miller. Inter Miami are confident with taking  Nguyen. He is an experienced player whose also seen time with the National Team. So look for Nguyen to be feeding in balls and sharing some interplay with the likes of Julian Carranza up top from his natural attacking mid position.

McDonough then announced that with Inter Miami’s fourth pick, they’d be taking Luis Argudo from Columbus Crew. This was much of a lesser- known pick by Inter compared to the previous three. Argudo had only entered the league from the MLS SuperDraft in 2018. At 23, Argudo is a young talent with a lot to prove. However, he’ll fit right in Miami. He’s bilingual and claims to represent both Colombian and Ecuadorian heritage along with being American. What also should be noted, Paul McDonough spent time as an assistant at Wake Forest University, which is where Luis Argudo attended college. This pick was influenced by the potential, and most likely the connection to a player from the front office, which gives insight on Argudo’s character.

Meredith will be a valuable piece to team

With Inter Miami’s final pick in the MLS Expansion Draft, they took a Seattle Sounders’ fan favorite in goalkeeper Bryan Meredith. Though he spent a lot of time as a backup in Seattle, Meredith will absolutely compete for the starting goalkeeper spot. He’s also a player any club loves to have around. He was extremely active in Seattle’s community and is also active with the MLSPA.

It’ll be great for Inter Miami to have a guy like this at least in the locker room. Time will tell if he cracks the starting lineup on March 14th against the LA Galaxy. With Tyler Miller becoming a free agent after not being taken in the Expansion Draft, arguably the best keeper in the league is up for grabs. The reports to come out of Los Angeles told that LAFC and Miller were not agreeing to terms. If Inter are willing to throw around some cash, Miller could be headed down to Miami when the free agent period opens up. That would give Meredith the ultimate test, but he surely comes as good insurance.

Inter Miami’s roster features several names

Inter Miami’s roster for the upcoming season now looks like this:

  • Drake Callender – Goalkeeper
  • Bryan Meredith – Goalkeeper
  • Ben Sweat – Defender
  • Alvas Powell – Defender
  • Christian Makoun – Defender
  • Grant Lillard – Defender
  • Lee Nguyen – Midfielder
  • Luis Argudo – Midfielder
  • Jay Chapman – Midfielder
  • David Norman Jr. – Midfielder
  • Victor Ulloa – Midfielder
  • Matias Pellegrini – Midfielder
  • George Acosta – Midfielder
  • Julian Carranza – Forward
  • Jerome Kiesewetter – Forward

 

Jerome Kiesewetter Set to Join Inter Miami

/0 Comments/in , /by

In the week before the MLS Expansion Draft, Inter Miami CF have made multiple moves to bolster up their team going into the club’s first year. They’ve now added their 9th player to the official inaugural roster, Jerome Kiesewetter.

Kiesewetter is no stranger to American soccer or joining clubs in their first year as he spent last season with El Paso Locomotive FC in the USL Championship. El Paso’s inaugural year was quite the success. After making it to the Western Conference Semi-Final, their entire season was led by the 12 goals Kiesewetter scored in 28 games. As the top goalscorer, Kiesewetter went through the year looking like a reliable striker when he was healthy. He did battle injury along the way, but he showed consistent form when he returned to the pitch.

At 26 years of age, Kiesewetter’s experience is well surprising. Before playing with Locomotive last year, he was with Fortuna Düsseldorf of the Bundesliga for two years. And years before that he climbed through the ranks of German soccer starting in youth academies and eventually making his way to the first division.

His 17 caps with the US Men’s U-23 side and 2 caps with the National Team, are another great feat in Kiesewetter’s young career. He’s scored a total of 8 goals playing with various US Men’s sides. This, along with top tier soccer in Germany, seem to prove as worthy experience as Beckham looks to bring in goal scoring threats to his first Inter Miami side.

Inter Miami also went on to acquire Grant Lillard, an experienced MLS defender before the Expansion Draft that takes place this Tuesday. With nine players set to already join, and a potential five more to be added Tuesday, the roster has finally taken shape.

Fans now wait for the much anticipated coach and “star” to be announced.

 

Meet Inter Miami’s Three Newest Players

/1 Comment/in /by

Inter Miami CF have been busy the last 48 hours when it comes to bringing players down to South Beach, or Fort Lauderdale for now. They’ve gone on to acquire three players as well as  the first pick in Stage 1 of MLS Re-Entry draft. Victor Ulloa, Drake Callender, and Jay Chapman have all been acquired as we are now starting to see a real roster being built leading up to the Expansion Draft.

Victor Ulloa, a defensive midfielder who has been in the league since 2011, makes his way from FC Cincinnati by way of trade to Inter Miami. Ulloa has had a very respectable career in the MLS as his long tenure in Toronto earned him over 150 games played. At 27, he is, for now, the oldest player on the roster, as well as the one with the most MLS experience by miles, so the  club will be looking at him to bring that veteran presence as he commands the midfield. 

Inter then acquired homegrown rights to Drake Callender, a goalkeeper who currently is playing at the University of California. Inter did give away a second round pick in the 2020 MLS Superdraft for him, so there’s a lot to be told about his talent. He’s kept 15 clean sheets in 52 games for his school, been with the San Jose Earthquakes academy for 6 years, and he also received an invitation to the US’s U-23 training camp in September. His homegrown rights being with Inter are important as the club looks to build for now as well as the future, but still look for that first choice keeper to come along either in the Expansion Draft or later.

And most recently, Jay Chapman is headed over to Miami from Toronto FC. At 25 years old, Chapman has earned himself a couple of international appearances with the Canadian National team, and is now being brought over from the MLS Runners-up to take up a central-midfield role. Chapman and Ulloa will be the only two players so far that are coming straight from an MLS side. They’ll both be joining David Norman Jr. as the first couple of players with league experience.  

These three, Ulloa, Callender, and Chapman, are the final players coming into the team until the MLS Expansion Draft on November 19th. Waivers and free agency will commence six days later, and of course then the international transfer market window will open on January 1st. There’s a lot to look forward to as an Inter supporter with the incoming players, the building progression of the clubs first home at Lockhart, and then the first home game being announced (vs. LA Galaxy, March 14). The start of Miami’s first MLS side is in full swing.

Inter Miami gets first big win

/0 Comments/in , /by

As incoming teams, Inter Miami CF and Nashville SC both took part in the Expansion Priority draft in New York City today.

As results of a coin toss, the clubs would alternate picks choosing five different ways to help start building their teams.

  1. Number 1 pick in 2019 MLS Expansion Draft
  2. Number 1 pick in 2020 MLS SuperDraft
  3. Number 1 position in Allocation Ranking Order
  4. Penultimate position in MLS Re-Entry and End-of-year Waiver Order
  5. Penultimate position in Discovery Player Ranking

The coin flip was in Inter Miami’s favor, and the club walked away from New York City with both the first pick in the Expansion Draft and the first pick in the SuperDraft. They’ll be able to secure their most favored target with MLS experience and also take their top ranked rookie, barring any trades.

 

Inter Miami have already started building up their roster and have been linked to some major moves. With top priority in both of these drafts, the pieces seem to be falling well for Inter in its inaugural season.

 

The 2019 MLS Expansion Draft will take place on November 19th where both Inter Miami and Nashville will be coming away with up to five players from teams already in the MLS (Exempt teams are D.C. United, Vancouver Whitecaps, FC Dallas, Houston Dynamo, and the New York Red Bulls.) Only 12 players are allowed to be protected by each team, so it seems almost a sure thing MLS proven talent will be headed to South Beach.

 

Silva signing shows Inter Miami roster coming together

/0 Comments/in /by

The Independent has reported that Inter Miami CF are likely to sign David Silva. From the beginning the club was almost built off the idea that they would bring in at least one major name to be the face of the franchise.

David Silva, a World Cup winner and recent Premier League champion, and someone who at the age of 33 played in over 40+ games for the champions of English soccer, is an ideal place to start.

Since 2010, Silva has been a dominant player for Manchester City whos been very consistent at the highest level.

After his arrival from Valencia, City have won four Premier League titles with Silva making a major impact every year. He’s a creative midfielder who excels at keeping the ball at his feet and is one to make all the right passes.

If Silva joins Inter Miami, owners David Beckham and Jorge Mas will be looking to build a team around his quality midfield abilities.

That team that will allegedly be around Silva has already taken shape. Matias Pellegrini, Julián Carranza, Christian Makoun, David Norman Jr. and Miami Native George Acosta are the first five official signings, with Pellegrini being the first reported designated player for Inter. Silva would likely take up the second of the three DP spots on the roster.

A designated player on an MLS roster is one whose earnings do not count fully towards the salary budget. The MLS allows teams up to three players per roster to be these said designated players, and clubs will use these spots for known stars and incoming young talent.

In Pellegrini’s case, he will be considered a young designated player, and the salary charged to the budget will be $150,000. For someone like Zlatan Ibrahimovic, who will make over $7 million this year from LA Galaxy, the club’s salary budget is only charged $480,625. The MLS salary budget for the clubs senior roster, up to 20 players, is $4,240,000.

At 19 years of age, Matias Pellegrini will be joining Inter Miami from Estudiantes, an Argentine first division side. In his first season with Estudiantes he was responsible for 4 goals and 1 assist in 19 games. He’s a young talent who is bound to be developed by Inter, and he’ll have to look forward to playing on the left wing next to Julián Carranza, who happens to be Argentine as well.

Also 19, Julián Carranza is heading to Miami from Club Atlético Banfield, another Argentine first division side. Carranza is a young talent who worked his way up from Banfield’s U20 side all the way to the first team in a matter of a couple years.

The last two seaons, Carranza has played in a total of 32 games for Banfield, and has managed to slot in 19 goals and give off 9 assists on top of that. An extremely impressive record at any level of football. He’ll look to be that goal scoring threat for Inter come 2020.

Christian Makoun, another 19 year old (are we seeing a pattern here?), is a center back who will be coming over to South Florida after playing with Juventus in Italy, and Zamora, a club from his home country of Venezuela.

This was Inter Miami’s first defensive signing, and like their first pair of players, will look to be developed as a young star in the club’s early years.

The first North American acquisition for Inter happens to be a Canadian International whos currently on loan at Pacific FC.

David Norman Jr. plays in the Canadian Premier League, but has been on the mainstage of the MLS whilst playing for Vancouver Whitecaps FC. The 21 year old is a known attacking midfield player, whos had 3 appearances for the Canadian U23 side.

And with the clubs most recent signing, they’ve decided to sign yet another 19 year old player, George Acosta. A United States international whos hometown happens to be Miami, Acosta will be headed over from Austin Bold FC, a USL Championship club. Acosta has spent time in Argentina playing with Boca Juniors, and scored a goal in the U17 World Cup with the US.

It seems as though youth is the priority here, and the five officially announced young players will be joining Inter Miami CF in January 2020.

If David Silva were to sign, he’d likely miss a couple of months of the season as the Premier League would be in full swing come January. A mid season transfer for Silva in the Summer Window of 2020 is something for Inter fans to really get excited for. If not, youth talent and the conception of an MLS club in South Florida has already seemed to do the trick.

 

David Silva and his magic will join Inter Miami

/0 Comments/in , /by

The Spanish midfielder David Silva will play in Miami next year.

Miami announced Edinson Cavani as the first major name that will come to play for the new MLS franchise, and this is now getting very interesting.

But who’s David Silva? Some might ask…

Silva fits perfectly with the typical new MLS team.

A veteran with still a lot to give to soccer, after winning championships with Spain and in England with Manchester City.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I6PgcAaMD-4

The David Silva Magic

Silva was once compared to Lionel Messi and is one of Pep Guardiola’s favorite players. That lefty magic that Spain always needed, since Messi couldn’t play with them.

Guardiola’s goodbye to David Silva

David Silva just plays better soccer than the others. That was the key for him to have such a great career in Europa, according to Pep Guardiola.

Now, it’s time for him to come shine to the United States.

The original news came from England, in an exclusive report by The Independent. A place that will remember him as a key piece to achieve championships.

Silva’s signing is great. Probably the best signing they could have, along with Cavani, unless somebody like Cristiano Ronaldo or Lionel Messi come along next year.

Maybe in three or four.

But now, we have another important name for the roster.

We’re still missing a key factor, though. Who’s going to coach this team?

 

We will be following Inter Miami from the beginning of their route to a championship (maybe before Marlins and Dolphins, or even the Miami Heat, get close to it. Make sure to follow Bruno Gomez, Ricardo Montes de Oca, Leandro Soto and Alejandro Villegas in Cinco Razones. They’ll be the ones covering the team closely. 

Conoce a Christian Makoun, tercer refuerzo del Inter Miami

/0 Comments/in , /by

Christian Makoun fue anunciado este martes por el Internacional de Miami como su tercer fichaje de cara a lo que será su debut en la MLS en la temporada 2020.

El venezolano de 19 años llega a Miami y es el tercer jugador de esa edad que contrata el Inter, que aún sigue sin dar luz sobre quién será su director técnico.

Makoun, quien fue capitán de la selección venezolana sub-20 en  sudamericano de Chile que daba cupos al mundial Polonia 2019, es una apuesta muy interesante del nuevo equipo de Miami.

La presentación del refuerzo de parte del equipo fue admirable. Escuche su historia, desde su natal Venezuela, hasta llegar a la ciudad del sol, en su propia voz:

Pocos recuerdan que Makoun estuvo en el subcampeonato del mundo hace un par de años en Corea del Sur.

Su último club fue la Primavera de la Juventus FC, club en el que tuvo 21 apariciones y marcó tres goles. En ese combinado Sub-23 jugó siete encuentros en la UEFA Youth League y otro en la Copa Italia.

Makoun tuvo 21 apariciones para la Juventus marcando tres  goles para el equipo U-23, incluidos 13 partidos de temporada regular junto con siete en la UEFA Youth League y uno en la Copa Italia.

“Estamos felices de agregar un jugador joven con una sólida experiencia tanto en Europa como en Sudamérica a la lista del Inter Miami”, dijo el Director Deportivo del Inter Miami FC, Paul McDonough.

El directivo también añadió que Christian Makoun “es un jugador con buena reputación y buen carácter. Nos ha demostrado que se esfuerza por representarse a sí mismo y a su país de origen al más alto nivel, y esta es la mentalidad que queremos construir en Inter Miami”.

Disfrute de la transmisión en vivo que hicieron Bruno Gómez, de 90 + Cinco, y Alejandro Villegas, de Cinco Razones Podcast, sobre Christian Makoun, el Barcelona-Napoli en Miami y la nueva etapa de Wayne Rooney en Europa.

 

Con informacion de SportsVenezuela.com

Mas: Inter Miami aspira ser el equipo global de la MLS

/0 Comments/in /by

Inter Miami tiene todo para convertirse en el equipo global de la MLS.

Eso lo tiene claro Jorge Mas, quien sigue dando la cara por el Inter Miami en los diferentes medios de la ciudad.

El empresario de origen cubano conversó con Carinés Moncada y Agustín Acosta en su programa Cada Tarde en Actualidad 1040AM, saliendo al paso a las declaraciones del comisionado Manolo Reyes, confirmando que el Inter Miami va a tener un equipo de la MLS en Miami, además de equipos en todas las categorías de divisiones inferiores.

“Vamos a tener equipos en nuestra academia con niños de entre 12 y 19 años. Vamos a tener nuestra propia cantera, muy al estilo de los equipos europeos y sudamericanos.”

Inter Miami Global

El fútbol en los Estados Unidos sigue creciendo de manera impresionante, y el éxito que ha tenido la nueva franquicia en Cincinnati con el FC Cincinnati le pone cada vez mas alta la barra a los inversionistas dueños del Inter Miami.

Para Mas y su grupo de socios, Inter Miami tiene las condiciones de ser el equipo global de la MLS. Y esa es su aspiración, mas allá de convertir al Inter en el mejor equipo sobre el terreno.

“Miami es una ciudad global, con una fanaticada con una pasión extraordinaria. Miami es una ciudad única en este panorama de los Estados Unidos. Somos un mosaico cultural precioso”

Miami es una ciudad en la que la mayoría son hispanos, con muchos inmigrantes que fueron acogidos buscando una segunda o tercera oportunidad en la vida. Mas proviene de una familia así.

“Empecé a jugar beisbol. No soy experto en el soccer, pero amo a mi ciudad, y quería traer a un equipo de primera categoría a Miami. Por eso me involucré”.

El empresario explica que este proceso empezó hace seis años, cuando Beckham escogió a la ciudad de Miami para ejercer el derecho que le había dado la MLS cuando él vino a jugar en los Estados Unidos con el LA Galaxy en 2007.

El rol de Beckham en el Inter Miami

David Beckham es la cara mas conocida de este proyecto y ha usado toda su influencia mediática para poder llevar adelante este proceso, a pesar de todas las dificultades que se le han presentado en el camino.

Algunos dijeron que Beckham era solo eso. Una cara. Pero Mas dice que eso no es así exactamente.

“David Beckham ama a esta ciudad. No solo es uno de los dueños, también tiene un rol activo diariamente. Él está encargado de las operaciones de fútbol. En estos momentos está enfocado en contratar al que será el director técnico del equipo y está escogiendo jugadores.”

Beckham jugó en los mejores clubes del mundo, incluyendo el Real Madrid en España, el Manchester United en Inglaterra, el Milan de Italia y el PSG de Francia.

“Con su trayectoria de haber jugado en los mejores equipos del mundo, hay docenas de jugadores que están hablando con él pues quieren venir a jugar acá en Miami. Él está involucrado día a día. Tenemos una ventaja de tener una figura como Beckham con nosotros.”

Cuánto le cuesta el Inter Miami a la ciudad

René Pedrosa, director de comunicaciones de la alcaldía de Miami, confirmó que este es un proyecto en el que los contribuyentes no van a tener que pagar ni un centavo, y que va a generar miles de empleos permanentes que pagarán al menos 15$ la hora.

Mas, por su parte, habló de lo que va a tener el parque en el que estará el estadio del equipo, que incluye canchas públicas, un hotel y caminerías para el uso de los habitantes de la gran Miami, entre otras cosas.

Los dueños de este equipo son empresarios en el área de la tecnología. Mas espera que el Miami Freedom Park no solo sirva para entretenimiento, sino también para que empresas transnacionales hagan negocios.

“Soñamos en grande. Queremos crear un área de entretenimiento amplia, en la que la gente puedan ir a entretenerse comiendo en restaurantes, justo al lado del mayor motor económico de la ciudad, que es el aeropuerto de Miami. Además, pensamos en la posibilidad de que se aprovechen esos espacios para que sean las sedes de empresas en esa área. Todo será financiado privadamente.”

Dinero para Miami

El arrendamiento de estas tierras es de 99 años. El terreno seguirá siendo de la ciudad de Miami, que va a recibir al menos $3.5 millones anuales por ese alquiler.

Pero esos tres millones no será lo único que perciba la ciudad. Mas prevé que pueden generarse mas de $40 millones entre la ciudad, la junta escolar, el condado Miami-Dade y el estado de Florida.

Todo eso, sin sumarle los empleos. Según Mas, el monto de ganancias podría llegar hasta los $100 millones anuales.

“Será el único estadio que pague arrendamiento por su tierra y pague impuestos de propiedad.”

Además, los inversionistas van a pagar por la limpieza del terreno y prepararla para que se pueda construir un proyecto de esta índole, tomando en cuenta las limitaciones que hay con respecto a los diseños en esa área, por la proximidad al aeropuerto.

Visitando la página web MiamiFreedomPark.com usted puede ver todos los detalles de este proyecto., en inglés, español y creole.

El tráfico de Miami y el Miami Freedom Park

Hay una preocupación genuina del impacto que puede tener este proyecto en las comunidades adyacentes, sobretodo con respecto al tráfico.

“Lo primero que dije cuando vi los planos del proyecto es que éste no podía interrumpir en lo absoluto la entrada y la salida del aeropuerto de Miami. En ninguna hora del día.”

Mas afirma que el mismo está pensado con una entrada en la 42, en el norte de la ciudad, que está diseñada para no tener ningún impacto con el tráfico que entra y sale del aeropuerto.

“Las entradas por el sur de la 14 no va a afectar a ningún vecino entrando o saliendo de su casa.  Son áreas comerciales. Dentro del proyecto hay mas de dos millas y media de carretera dentro del parque queing. El tráfico va a estar dentro del proyecto, no afuera.”

Con los vecinos se ha hecho un estudio para que los días de los juegos los carros no puedan pasar por la 37, ni puedan estacionar en esa calle. “Es un estudio exhaustivo. Vamos a tener un plan en el que el tráfico no va a ser un problema ni un obstáculo para llevar esto a cabo. Yo vivo aquí,” afirma Mas, confiado en que los vecinos no sufrirán los días de los juegos, como sucede en el Marlins Park.

¿Ayudará al transporte público?

Jorge Mas dice que este proyecto incentivará el uso del transporte público.

Dudar es normal, pues en Miami siempre se ha dicho eso, y la situación sigue empeorando en ese sentido.

Una ventaja de este proyecto, según Mas, es que va a tener un impacto positivo sobre el transporte público.  “Al norte de la propiedad está el metro. Esperamos que mas de la tercera parte de los fanáticos lleguen ahí. Puente peatonal para que la gente pueda cruzar por encima de la 21.”

Ojalá sea todo un éxito, y no termine Miami con otro estadio semivacío, que solo ocasiona tráfico, como nuestro querido Marlins Park.

Escuche la entrevista completa, cortesía de Actualidad Radio, aquí:

Sigue a Alejandro Villegas, Ricardo Montes de Oca y Leandro Soto en Cinco Razones haciendo click en este link. 

Orlando kicks off Inter Miami rivalry

/0 Comments/in /by

It’s started. We all thought 2020 MLS entry Inter Miami CF would have a natural rivalry with Orlando City. It’s the closest thing we’ll have to a local derby (What should we call this? Turnpike Derby? Florida Clasico?).

But we at least thought it would require an actual game before these two teams started trading barbs. Well, Orlando fired off 11 months early with some #banter.

All we’ll say is this: Orlando City have won 2 of their last 20 MLS matches.