Inter Miami CF signs star defender Gonzalez Pirez
FORT LAUDERDALE — Inter Miami CF announced the signing of MLS All-Star center back Leandro Gonzalez Pirez on Wednesday as the club traveled to Orlando for the MLS is Back Tournament.
Gonzalez Pirez, an Argentina native who played for Atlanta United FC from 2017-19, will return to MLS after six months with Mexican soccer club Tijuana. He was one of Atlanta United’s best players during their first three seasons in the league, being named an All-Star in 2019 and winning the MLS Cup (2018) and Open Cup (2019) with the club.
Inter Miami used the No. 1 spot in the MLS allocation ranking list and targeted allocation money to acquire Gonzalez Pirez.
TAM is an MLS mechanism that allows teams to sign players whose annual salary exceeds the maximum budget charge. The allocation list allows clubs to acquire U.S. national team players and former MLS players returning to the league after joining a non-MLS team for a transfer fee greater than $500,000.
club had the top spot on the list after Los Angeles FC signed Andy Najar from Anderlecht on June 17. FC Cincinnati took over the top spot, and Inter Miami fell to the bottom of the list after signing Gonzalez Pirez, who has a green card and won’t count as an international player.
“Any time you can add a top player who’s produced in MLS, it’s worth doing,” McDonough said. “I’ve known him from my time with Atlanta. It was a no-brainer for us.”
Gonzalez Pirez will have to wait until he can team up with fellow Argentine defender Nico Figal in Inter Miami’s central defense.
He won’t be available for the team during the MLS is Back Tournament. The league isn’t allowing players who were signed using TAM or designated players signed during league’s upcoming two-day transfer window to participate in the tournament.
‘We were so fast and aggressive getting [the] Leandro [deal] done, they just weren’t ready for it,” McDonough said. “It is what it is. We’re going to go with the team we have and we’ll compete.
“He’ll play once we get back. He’s going to join us.”
McDonough reiterated that Inter Miami plans to sign two more international players — preferably at the forward and center midfielder positions.
“When we add them, I’m going to feel really good about our roster for the short-term and long-term,” McDonough said. “It’s important that we’re able to finish the roster construction and add these guys. I think we’re going to be really happy with the group.”
Although he won’t play, Gonzalez Pirez traveled with Inter Miami as they departed for Orlando on Wednesday afternoon to restart their inaugural MLS season. They’ll kick off the tournament against Orlando City SC at 8 p.m on July 8 at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex near Orlando.
Inter Miami will also face the Chicago Fire (9 a.m. on July 14) and Philadelphia Union (10:30 p.m on July 19) as part of their three group-stage matches that will count toward the regular-season standings before the tournament’s 16-team knockout stage that starts July 25.
Several fans gathered at Inter Miami CF Stadium to cheer on the players and coaching staff as they boarded the team’s two buses headed north.
“It was really important for us to try to do something special for the guys,” McDonough said. “The fans coming out — it shows how important the team is for them and how excited they are to get us back playing.”
McDonough said “everyone” is traveling to Orlando outside of the team’s injured players — George Acosta, David Norman Jr. and Denso Ulysse. One unidentified Inter Miami player who tested positive for COVID-19, which the club announced on June 19, was required with the rest of Inter Miami’s traveling personnel to complete two COVID-19 tests 24 hours apart and within approximately 72 hours of travel before leaving for Orlando.
The team will be sequestered at the Swan and Dolphin Hotel and will immediately take another coronavirus test upon arrival. They will be isolated until they receive their test results, along with the rest of MLS’s traveling personnel.
FC Dallas announced Wednesday that six of their players have tested positive for COVID-19. Two FC Dallas players tested positive upon arrival in Orlando and four more tested positive since the team traveled to Orlando on SatThe urday.
Anyone who tests positive for the virus while in Orlando will be examined by a doctor and isolated in the hotel until they’re medically cleared. McDonough expressed confidence in the league’s protocols before the team departed for Orlando.
“The league has done a really good job with all the protocols and safety measures put in place,” McDonough said. “We’re going into a really safe ‘bubble’ and we just need our guys to stay together, focus on training, taking care of themselves and playing games.”
McDonough said he’s looking for “progress” from Inter Miami after the club started its season with two road losses before the season was suspended March 12.
“It’s been very difficult,” McDonough said. “We started an expansion team, and we started playing and I think we had good performances. We didn’t get the results we wanted, but it’s really hard for an expansion team now because all of a sudden because you have to socially isolate so you can’t get any cohesiveness.
[Head coach Diego Alonso] and the staff were working hard at getting the guys put together. For me, I want progress, because I know we have a long season to go.”