These veteran MLS players will be critical to Inter Miami’s success in first season
Much of the buzz surrounding the launch of Inter Miami has been around co-owner David Beckham and the big-name players rumored to have been in negotiations with his new Major League Soccer team.
But the key to the success of the team will lie largely with the squad’s veteran MLS players, who know the opposing teams’ tendencies, are familiar with the stadium conditions, and are accustomed to flying across three time zones on a regular basis.
Goalkeeper Luis Robles, 35, spent the past eight seasons with the New York Red Bulls, was a captain, and is a natural leader. He said one of his top priorities as training camp gets underway this week at Barry University is helping non-MLS players become acclimated to the league.
Other players with plenty of MLS experience include 27-year-old forward Juan Agudelo (six years with the New England Revolution), 32-year-old defender A.J. DeLaGarza (11 years in MLS, including seven with the L.A. Galaxy), 33-year-old Lee Nguyen (eight years with Revolution, Los Angeles FC), and 33-year-old defender Roman Torres (captain of Panama’s World Cup team and five years with MLS Cup champion Seattle Sounders).
“Having teammates with MLS experience is massive, can’t be understated,” Robles said. “A.J. has won three MLS Cups with the L.A. Galaxy and won the U.S. Open Cup with Houston. Roman has been in the final four of five years, helped Panama go to the World Cup, and has been part of the biggest moments in soccer history of that country. The leadership qualities they bring, especially in the back, when a lot of new teams spend most of their money on the front. .. .As a goalkeeper, when I saw them signing those players, it made me more confident what they’re trying to accomplish.”
Nguyen agreed that the blend of MLS experience and young talent is critical and says the MLS players have already developed a bond in recent weeks.
“The technical staff has done a great job of creating this core group of guys to kind of steer the ship,” Nguyen said. “All these vets have been around the league, played against each other, with each other, so a lot of familiar faces.”
One of the biggest challenges for new players, Nguyen said, is the distance that teams travel with road games as far away as Vancouver, Seattle, Portland, San Jose, and Los Angeles. Most players from abroad are not used to that much travel during the regular season.
“The hardest thing when they get here is the travel, going from East Coast to West Coast, the different time zones,” Nguyen said. “Even still for me it’s not easy, but once you get on the field, the talent speaks for itself.”
Inter Miami sporting director Paul McDonough has made it a point to find MLS leaders as he builds the roster.
“Having MLS experience is important,” McDonough said. “Adding a guy like Luis, adding a guy like Roman Torres, bringing some of those guys together A.J., Lee. We have some guys that have been captains within the league, been through it. Lee helps us because he’s been through expansion. I’ve been through expansion. A lot of people haven’t. It’s a process. This is going to be a long, long road for us.”
Robles said after just a few days together, he senses a positive energy between the veteran MLS players and the international newcomers, such as Argentine 19-year-olds Julian Carranza and Matias Pellegrini.
“What’s really nice is the experience of vets who have won wherever they’ve been at,” he said. “They’ve won trophies. They understand what it takes to win in this league. It’s a difficult league. Lot of different nuances players from other leagues aren’t familiar with. It’s important for us to help them make those adjustments. Then we have the younger players, who are the difference-makers. They will make us exciting and different.”
Carranza is one of those difference-makers. The young Argentine forward is “very impressed” with the team’s $100 million Fort Lauderdale facilities, which are under construction. “I had seen photos, but to see them in person I can say they are first-class. I didn’t expect them to be so nice.” He also is excited to work with coach Diego Alonso.
“I see [Alonso] as a coach who wants to win, who wants to lead this team,” Carranza said. “We had a conversation as a team at training, and he was very clear that he is here to win. If people said he was coming to Miami to be on vacation, he is not. Same with us players. We are here to work and give our best, every single one of us.”
This story was originally published January 21, 2020 at 1:33 PM.