Gonzalez Pirez ready to make debut
Signed on July 1, defender had to sit out all of the MLS tournament games
On Inter Miami CF’s roster, there might not be anyone more eager for Saturday’s home opener against Orlando City SC than Leandro Gonzalez Pirez.
After signing with Inter Miami on July 1, the Argentine center back had to sit out all three of the team’s games in the MLS is Back tournament.
He was allowed to travel and practice with the team near Orlando. However, Gonzalez Pirez could only watch as his new club lost all of its games in the tournament, due to Major League Soccer’s transfer policy prohibiting targeted allocation money (TAM) players from competing.
“It was tough in Orlando because I was training there, but I couldn’t play,” Gonzalez Pirez said. “It was difficult to train every day without any motivation. I tried to help my teammates in every aspect I could.
“I tried to motivate myself, because I knew in the future I was going to have to be ready to play.”
His preparation will pay off soon, as Gonzalez Pirez is expected to start Saturday and be a part of one of the most dynamic center back duos in MLS, with fellow Argentine defender Nico Figal.
Gonzalez Pirez joined Inter Miami and returned to MLS after spending six months with Mexican soccer club Tijuana, which had its season shut down in mid-March due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
He played for Atlanta United FC from 2017-19 and was one of Atlanta United’s best players during their first three seasons in the league — being named an All-Star in 2019 and helping the team win the MLS Cup in 2018 and Open Cup in 2019.
Inter Miami COO and sporting director Paul McDonough’s,relationship with Gonzalez Pirez helped him feel comfortable coming back stateside after his brief stint in Mexico. McDonough was Atlanta United’s president of soccer operations from January 2016 to August 2018 and originally brought Gonzalez Pirez to MLS.
“Paul called me and I took this opportunity because I know him,” Gonzalez Pirez said. “I came to Inter Miami to win titles and trophies. When he talked to me, I didn’t have any doubts.”
Gonzalez Pirez describes himself as an “aggressive player who likes to play with the ball at his feet and wants to attack,” which are qualities that fit into Inter Miami coach Diego Alonso’s preferred style of play.
“Leandro will help us become a better team defensively,” Alonso said. “He’ll also help us with the attacking side because he’s a player who can play out of the back and he’s great with his feet.”
Gonzalez Pirez’s contributions to Inter Miami’s attack will be welcomed, as the team has scored three goals through its first five games — each one being one-score losses. He sees similarities between the aggressive attacking scheme Alonso implements and the one Gerardo “Tata” Martino, current Mexican men’s national team coach, used during Gonzalez Pirez’s first two seasons with Atlanta United.
“Here, we have more ability between defense and attack,” he said. “In Atlanta, we were more offensive and we take more risks on defense than here, but the mentality of the team is similar to Atlanta. This is what I like.”
Gonzalez Pirez already had a strong familiarity with South Florida before joining Inter Miami. He regularly vacationed in Miami with his family and is appreciative of the influx of South Americans in the area.
“It’s like home because you have a lot of Argentines and South Americans living here,” Gonzalez Pirez said. “You can buy a lot of the same things in Argentina here. It’s pretty homey here.”