Inter Miami CF, which will join MLS next season as an expansion side, has extended academy invitations to approximately 150 youth players from South Florida who participated in invite-only tryouts in April.
That 150 selected from a pool of 6,000 local youth players will compete for one of seven teams in the U-12 to U-19 age groups starting this fall. Inter Miami’s Academy will formally sign and announce full team rosters this summer, ahead of the U.S. Soccer Development Academy’s 2019-20 season start in September.
“We are very proud of all players who participated in our I.D. sessions and are thankful for the local clubs who worked with us to make this happen,” club sporting director Paul McDonough said in a statement. “Our youth soccer clubs have done a tremendous job laying the foundation for these players, which is opening the doors for us to build an Academy made up entirely of South Florida talent.”
MLS clubs launched professional academy programs in 2017 with the principal goal of producing homegrown players who could develop into top professional players.
“I think my dream for the Academy is to see young kids come and learn to play the game, come and learn everything they can about this great sport, but also be given a chance to play in a safe environment, be given a chance to be coached by great coaches and also be given the chance to live their dream of playing in this professional game for us,” club owner David Beckham said in a statement.
