Youth players from South Florida are first to play and win wearing the Club badge ahead of its MLS debut in 2020.
MIAMI (August 11, 2019) — The Club Internacional de Fútbol Miami Academy made history in South Korea early Sunday morning when the U17-18 team played the Club’s first-ever match, winning 2-0 against Ansan in the 2019 K League U-17 Championship tournament.
Coached by Senior Academy Director Jason Kreis, the match saw Inter Miami CF deploy a 4-3-3 formation. Goalkeeper Moises Uribe commanded the backline with defenders Jason Bucknor, Fabrizio Cubbedu, Esteban Espinoza and Ian Fray. Edison Azcona, Francisco Raggio and Andres Torrealba manned the midfield, while forwards Andres Cardenas, Nico Diaz and Alexander Lozano led up top.
“It was a good first, official match for the team and a positive step in the right direction,” said Kreis. “We still have a long way to go in bringing our players together playing our style of soccer,but this was a great experience for everyone, and the players had a lot of fun.”
Inter Miami CF opened the scoring sheet in the 14th minute when 16-year-old defender from Broward County, Cubbedu, played a through ball to Lozano who tucked it into the corner, earning both players the first goal and assist respectively in Club history. Inter Miami CF scored again in the second half when a ball bounced off an opponent directly to Lozano, who finished the play in the 57th minute.
“The game was really intense. Everything was at 100% but we never gave up. We were sprinting every ball that we could, and when we lost it, we did everything to win it back,” said 15-year-old Lozano of Miami-Dade County. “I love to enjoy myself on the field especially wearing this badge. Inter Miami represents my home, my family, and it felt great to play with the best players from all of South Florida.”
Inter Miami CF plays its next match on Tuesday, August 13, against Seoul E in the 2019 K League U-17 Championship Tournament. The team will play a total of four matches with semifinals taking place on Monday, August 19. The final is scheduled for Tuesday, August 20.
Details of the game:
Scoring Summary:
IMCF – Alexander Lozano (Fabrizio Cubbedu) 14’
IMCF – Alexander Lozano 57’
Lineups/Substitutions:
Inter Miami CF: GK Mauricio Uribe, D Jason Bucknor (Noah Allen ‘51), Fabrizio Cubbedu (Kai Thomas ‘61), Esteban Espinoza, Ian Fray, M Edison Azcona (Nicolas Pereira ‘68), Francisco Raggio, Andres Torrealba (Moises Cuartas ‘75), F Andres Cardenas (Giancarlo Gonzalez ‘71), Nico Diaz (Brian Hernandez ‘57), Alexander Lozano
SUBSTITUTES NOT USED: GK Ralph Montero
- Academy celebrates first win in club history.
