Sun Sentinel Palm Beach Edition
Boca Raton native moves up to MLS
Inter Miami sign Guediri from USL team, Fort Lauderdale CF
A Boca Raton native has made the jump from USL League One to Major League Soccer, with Inter Miami CF signing Sami Guediri to their roster ahead of the team’s sold-out home opener against the LA Galaxy on Sunday.
Guediri spent the 2020 season with Inter Miami’s USL team — Fort Lauderdale CF — playing in all 16 matches (14 starts) for Fort Lauderdale in 2020, recording two assists in 1,290 minutes of play.
The 23-year-old left back’s deal with Inter Miami is through the 2021 season, with club options for 2022 and 2023. Guediri started for the reserve team in Inter Miami’s intrasquad scrimmage last Sunday and has been practicing with the MLS team during training camp.
“Sami has had a strong preseason with us coming off of a good first year with Fort Lauderdale,” Chris Henderson, Inter Miami chief soccer officer and sporting director, said in a statement. “His development has been impressive since moving from midfield to left back and we feel he has more room for growth with the first team.”
Guediri was named the League One player of the week during the 2020 season after Fort Lauderdale’s 2-0 win over Orlando City B on Sept. 19. He signed with Fort Lauderdale in free agency last summer ahead of the team’s first season.
Before joining Fort Lauderdale, Guediri spent the 2019 season with USL League One club Greenville Triumph, making 17 appearances for the team. He’s played for USL League Two side SIMA Águilas in 2018 and German clubs VfL Alfter (2017) and BW Friesdorf (2016-2017).
Inter Miami have filled 27 of their 30 roster spots heading into Sunday’s match versus the LA Galaxy. Nick Marsman and Kieran Gibbs will occupy the team’s 28th and 29th roster spots — barring any other changes to the team’s roster — once they join Inter Miami in July.
Patrick Seagrist, who Inter Miami traded for last December, has joined USL Championship team Indy Eleven on a season-long loan.
2021 roster
Goalkeepers (3): Drake Callender, Dylan Castanheira, John McCarthy.
Defenders (8): Nico Figal, Ian Fray, Sami Guediri, Joevin Jones, Kelvin Leerdam, Leandro González Pirez, Christian Makoun, Ryan Shawcross.
Midfielders (12): George Acosta, Edison Azcona, Jay Chapman, Gregore, Federico Higuain, Blaise Matuidi, Lewis Morgan, Josh Penn, Rodolfo Pizarro, Brek Shea, Victor Ulloa, Felipe Valencia.
Forwards (3): Julián Carranza, Gonzalo Higuaín, Robbie Robinson.
Tired legs
With Inter Miami only playing two preseason friendlies and not scrimmaging against an MLS team before the start of the regular season, expect for the team to lean on its bench as much as possible against the Galaxy.
“Physically we will not be 100 percent match fit on Sunday,” Neville said. “I think that is why I look at the squad and think the 11 who start are massively important, but [so are] the people on the bench.”
Teams are allowed nine substitutes for their official match rosters, with each team getting a maximum of five normal subs per game to be used across three opportunities, excluding halftime, per the league’s competition guidelines.
“There is going to be strategic substitutions throughout the game from halftime [on], I am almost convinced,” Neville added. “The team with the strongest bench, the team that makes the best substitutions will probably have a major effect on the game on Sunday and that is something well within our thought process at this moment in time when we are structurally looking at the process for selecting the team.”