Here Come The Herons!
Here Are The Herons! 2022 Preseason Has Started!
After what has felt like forever, yet has only been a tad over 2 months, Inter Miami has returned to the training grounds in preparation for the 2022 MLS Season! Inter Miami kicked off the year with a livestreamed training session, which included interviews with head coach Phil Neville, sporting director Chris Henderson, and saw Henderson, Neville, and Gonzalo Higuain answer questions from the media. Let's take a look at what we learned today, announcements from the past week, and announcements that are still to come.
Neville and Henderson Lay Out Their Vision
Chris Henderson and Phil Neville both laid out their vision for the club in 2022 and beyond during their interviews and press conference during today's livestreamed event. The biggest take away from their comments on the squad for the 2022 season and beyond is: Younger, More Athletic/Physical, Faster, and Hungry. It was made VERY clear by Neville's comments that this year, this squad will truly be HIS team, with players who WANT to be here and want to be a part of the squad. Neville mentioned multiple times that last season, Inter Miami was not a team, and instead was a group of individuals playing and training together, while in 2022, Inter Miami will truly be a team of players who are willing to fight for each other and the crest on their chest day in and day out.
Henderson touched on what went into building the 2022 Inter Miami squad this morning - including how the club identified players to bring him and how the club identified players to loan or transfer away. Firstly, the club used the expansive scouting network, along with Henderson's contacts from across the globe from his past experiences, to identify players to bring in for the 2022 season. Miami's South American scouts helped the club identify players such as Jean Mota and Emerson Rivaldo - 2 players who should be key to the success of the squad in 2022. Henderson's contacts from his past experiences allowed him to identify players such as Christopher McVey, Leonardo Campana, and Damion Lowe. As for the players Henderson identified to move away, it was made easy by looking back at the previous season and moving away players who were unhappy at the club (Rodolfo Pizarro), who were playing as individuals (Figal, LGP, Matuidi), or who were assets that could acquire large returns for the club (Morgan and Makoun). Henderson was able to use the returns acquired from moving these players to reinvest into the squad - by way of using GAM to acquire players (Duke and Lassiter), using international slots for players (Campana, Mota, and Rivaldo), or using transfer fees to acquire new players (Rivaldo).
A Busy Week of Announcements
The week prior to training camp was a busy one for Inter Miami, as the club announced the signings of multiple players, the retirement of one, and participated in the 2022 MLS SuperDraft, along with announcing the club's preseason schedule, an open training session, and 3 new performance staff hires.
The 2022 MLS SuperDraft.
On Tuesday, Inter Miami participated in the 2022 MLS SuperDraft - an annual college draft held by the MLS to allow club's the chance at drafting top college talents from across the country. Inter Miami held the 9th overall pick in the draft and were able to select 6'4 centerback Ryan Sailor with that pick. Sailor is a large, mobile centerback who's a force in the air - both offensively and defensively. Sailor is regarded as the most MLS-ready centerback in the draft and he will join training camp with his eyes towards winning a starting spot on February 26th.
Signings Announced.
Throughout the week, Inter Miami announced the signings of multiple players, including goalkeeper Clement Diop, centerback Aime Mabika, center midfielder George Acosta, rightback Christopher McVey, and centerback Damion Lowe. Let's quickly break down these signings:
Clement Diop - Diop is a mobile goalkeeper who spent the 2nd half of the 2021 season on loan with the club after reaching a deal with CF Montreal to terminate his contract. Diop is a perfect backup to Nick Marsman, as he is the same type of goalie as Marsman and should be able to step in with ease if Nick is unable to start the season or picks up any injury at any point during the season.
Aime Mabika - Mabika is a player who is well known by Inter Miami fans, as he was one of the few bright spots in the 2021 season during his 2 appearances with the first team and throughout the season with Fort Lauderdale CF. Mabika will have the chance to win a starting role on the 2022 Inter Miami squad.
George Acosta - One of the club's first ever signings, George Acosta is a Miami native who impressed during his 2 years playing for Fort Lauderdale CF, including during a breakout year in 2021 where he embraced the creative #10 role and lead the team as a creative outlet. Acosta likely will not be a starter for Inter Miami in 2022, but he will have every chance to learn and grow further while training and travelling with the first team in 2022.
Christopher McVey - Christopher McVey is a 6'4 dual-national Swedish-American right back and center back who is a force to be reckoned with in the right back position. McVey will likely be the starting right back when the 2022 season begins and will bring another large body on the back line.
Damion Lowe - Damion Lowe is a 6'3 Reggae Boyz centerback that Chris Henderson is extremely familiar with from his time at Seattle Sounders. Lowe is a fast and physical centerback who's not afraid to put in a challenge or put his body on the line to block a shot or stop an attacking opportunity. Lowe comes very highly rated from his fans in Jamaica and will have an opportunity to win a starting centerback role with the club in 2022.
A Retirement
On Tuesday, Inter Miami fans were surprised by the announcement that centerback Ryan Shawcross has retired from the sport. Shawcross was signed last season as a veteran presence in the locker room and in the backline, however, his season was cut short by a back injury early in the season that he faced a long and difficult road to recover from. Shawcross had to, according to Phil Neville, basically relearn how to work after his injury - something you never want to hear for a professional sports player. Per a source, Shawcross attempted to make a comeback for this season, however, upon returning to voluntary individual workouts this past week, he realized that he was no longer physically capable of playing at a high level and came to the decision to retire.
Preseason Schedule and an Open Training Session
On Thursday, Inter Miami announced their 2022 Preseason schedule, along with an open training session to prepare the club, along with the supporters, for the 2022 season home opener on February 26th. During preseason, Inter Miami will play 6 matches, including 3 matches open to the public during the 2022 Carolina Challenge Cup in Charleston, SC. Miami will spend from January 17th to February 11th training at the Inter Miami CF Training Center, and during that time will play 3 closed door scrimmages against Columbus Crew, DC United, and an opponent TBD. Inter Miami will then head to Charleston, SC for training camp part 2 from February 11th to 19th, and during that time, will play Columbus Crew, Charleston Battery, and Charlotte FC during the 2022 Carolina Challenge Cup - all of these matches are open to the public. Inter Miami will then return to South Florida for a final week of training camp before the 2022 home opener on February 26th.
Inter Miami will also be hosting an open training session and 2022 season kickoff event on February 5th at 3:45pm. The event will introduce the supporters to the 2022 Inter Miami CF squad and will feature food, drink, and will allow supporters to hear from Phil Neville and the players themselves on 2022 season.
Performance Staff Hirings
Inter Miami also announced that it has hired 3 new members of the performance staff - Julian Haigh as Director of Sport Science, Tom Jobe as Director of Fitness and Rehabilitation, and Silas Waszczuk as Sports Performance Specialist. Inter Miami has focused on creating a world-class staff that will allow for the club to keep players healthy and fit - a major problem the club dealt with in 2021.
Announcements Still to Come
Despite training camp beginning today, Inter Miami is still not done building the 2022 squad. While multiple players have arrived or been resigned and been announced, multiple others have still yet to be announced. Among those who haven't been announced, yet featured in training camp this morning, are Leonardo Campana, Emerson Rivaldo, Harvey Neville, Shaan Hundal, and Brek Shea.
Further, a source has confirmed that the club has finalized a deal with Aston Villa for the return of Indiana Vassilev. Vassilev is preparing to travel to Miami to join the squad in training camp within the next few days.
Announcements that haven't come yet, but should shortly, are the statuses of Blaise Matuidi - who the club is working with, along with his lawyers, to reach a buyout agreement - and Nicolas Figal, who is working on green card issues before he can join the club and be transferred to Boca Juniors in his native Argentina.
Inter Miami is also working on 2 more signings, which they are working to finish before the end of the January transfer window, but if not completed, Miami could pivot to sign one of those players in the 2022 summer transfer window.
Chris Henderson, along with the entire Inter Miami staff, are busy at work preparing the club for a busy 2022 MLS season that is fast approaching. Expect more signings and news as training camp continues, along with a first-look at the 2022 Inter Miami squad during the February 4th open training, and how this new squad plays during it's 3 games at the Carolina Challenge Cup from February 12th to 19th.
As always, you can keep up-to-date with the latest news, along with commentary from the club's match against the Columbus Crew in the 2022 Carolina Challenge Cup on February 12th as I travel to the match for the first Inter Miami away day of the year, on my Twitter @IMCFTraveller
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