Inter Miami debuted on March 1, 2020, and it is safe to say that the team’s inaugural season was a success. Let’s take a look at how a first-season expansion team fought through a rough start with COVID-19 and secured a spot in the 2020 Major League Soccer (MLS) Playoffs. Before Inter Miami’s second season began on April 18, let’s take a look at how their inaugural season went, their offseason changes and their expectations for year two.
Being an expansion team isn’t easy. Inter Miami’s initial roster consisted of a majority of free agents from other MLS teams and some players in Europe and South America whose contracts were up. In the MLS, transfer rules are a bit different than the average league. Teams can only go over their budget, whether it’s for a transfer or a contract, three times per season. They are called “designated players.”
Inter Miami used their first two designated player slots before the season started. Attacking midfielder Rodolfo Pizarro from Monterrey, Mexico and winger Matias Pellegrini from Estudiantes de La Plata, Argentina.
Of course, with the club being run by former soccer star and international icon, David Beckham, there are obvious perks in terms of choice. Inter Miami didn’t want to use their third designated player spot because they wanted a star. They had been linked with numerous superstars, though none of them were signed at the time.
Inter Miami had a rough start to last season, starting off with five losses in a row before getting their first win in franchise history. The team had only scored six goals in eight games and had conceded 11 goals in that time. It was clear that this team wasn’t going to get it done. Regardless of the squad’s performances being disappointing, they were still expected to be in the running for the playoffs.
To help with their playoff push, Inter Miami brought in two world-class players who are easily the best in the entire MLS: striker Gonzalo Higuain and midfielder Blaise Matuidi. Higuain and Matuidi played together for Juventus before making their moves to Inter Miami, but Matuidi was signed using TAM (targeted allocation money) and Higuain was the third designated player. The team also signed defender Leandro Gonzalez Pirez to captain their backline and Gonzalo’s brother, Federico Higuain, who plays midfield.
The midseason reinforcements elevated Inter Miami to a playoff-level team. After the acquisitions, Inter Miami won six games, drew two times and lost seven times.
Inter Miami snuck into the MLS Playoffs in the tenth and final spot and lost their matchup with Nashville SC, a fellow expansion team. With two world-class players on their roster in Higuain and Matuidi, there was zero excuse for an Inter Miami loss. Changes needed to be made from the top down, and they were.
Inter Miami’s offseason saw them fire coach Diego Alonso and hire a new coach in Phil Neville, a legend in England, and a new sporting director in Chris Henderson, who won multiple MLS Cup titles with the Seattle Sounders. They also brought in some notable players from out of the United States. Brazilian midfielder Gregore patches up their hole in the midfield, former Sounders Joevin Jones and Kelvin Leerdam slotted in as wing-backs, English defenders Ryan Shawcross and Kieran Gibbs asserting dominance in the defense, and Dutch goalkeeper Nick Marsman is a major upgrade over the disappointing keepers from last season.
One thing is clear: Inter Miami isn’t messing around. Inter Miami has gathered the best all-around roster in the MLS by far and should win the league handily. The team’s starting 11 should all have European experience and be able to take down their opposition. Anything less than an MLS title will be seen as a disappointment.
