Inter Miami: Crucial decisions confront inaugural season countdown
Inter Miami will start MLS play in the 2020 season. But before that time, they have a whole lot of decisions to make, and the time to make them is looming.
Inter Miami have not shown great urgency in filling the roster yet. In fact, they have not shown much urgency in anything this far. And as the 2020 season looms with the offseason now here, crunch time has arrived for David Beckham and those in charge in Florida.
One key positive is the stadium. Construction of the Inter Miami Fort Lauderdale Stadium and Training Complex started on November 1. The 18,000-seat stadium will serve Inter Miami CF until the permanent MLS stadium is built in Miami. After that point, the Fort Lauderdale stadium will serve the team’s USL League One club.
However, while the facilities and infrastructure are well on their way, the team and its head coach is lagging behind.
At present, Inter Miami have just four players on the roster. They are:
- Defender Christian Makoun
- Midfielder David Norman
- Midfielder Matias Pellegrini
- Forward Julian Carranza
Miami are expected to sign former FC Cincinnati midfielder Victor Ulloa. Ulloa is a veteran of MLS teams including FC Cincinnati in its debut year after eight years with FC Dallas. he started 22 games for the expansion team. He scored a goal, plus two assists. He is regarded as a personality who can help new players adapt to MLS.
But observers believe after the addition of Ulloa the roster will double from five players to beyond 10 during the month of November. This is a very busy offseason and Miami need to fill out out an entire squad. Inter Miami may also select up to five players in the Expansion Draft. At this stage, they are needed to bolster a rather thin-looking squad.
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The team also needs a head coach. Since August, media have reported the team close to finalizing a deal for a leader on the pitch, with Real Madrid’s Santiago Solari the most heavily linked name. Genarro Gatusso, formerly of AC Milan, has also been mentioned as a potential head coach option.
Inter Milan founder and owner David Beckham played with both former head coaches. Solari is especially a good fit for a team that would look like the essence of what Beckham achieved while active on the pitch. Team co-owner Jorge Mas affirmed that the team intends to sign a head coach who will install the culture the leadership envisions. They want a person who has demonstrated that type of culture in the highest levels of football, both in coaching and playing.
Inter Miami sporting director Paul McDonough and other team leaders said last month that the team continued hoping to finalize the deal, but the front office continues to move busily between all the parts that the team needs in place well before beginning play. And a deal for a head coach is yet to be completed.
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Mas applauded McDonogh’s efforts, saying they want him to be thorough. And thoroughness takes time. But as we steam towards the offseason and the 2020 season looms, the time for decision is nigh.