It’s an exciting weekend here at the Inter Miami CF Academy Presented by Baptist Health!
Announced in April, the Community Cup will kick off this weekend, allowing local fútbol clubs to showcase their skills against the best of the best at the Inter Miami CF Training Center. The tournament-style competition will offer a platform for teams to put their skills to the test against other local competitors.
The Community Cup, which begins on Saturday, Aug. 14, will consist of several age groups - 2005s, 2006s, 2007s, 2008s, 2009s - competing in their own Cup, in order to provide kids across all competing ages an opportunity to find success.
Coaches, both from Inter Miami CF and other local clubs, are also excited for the opportunity on the pitch. Lauderhill Lions Coach Roody Lormera is looking forward to the start of the Community Cup. He expressed his gratitude to all those at Inter Miami CF who worked hard to make the Cup a reality.
“To expose my players, who are coming from a small club, to be a part of the Inter Miami Community Cup, it’s amazing,” said Lormera.
As a former player for the Chicago Fire and Columbus Crew, Coach Lormera understands the value of involving his team of young players in an MLS environment.
“I know what this event means for our kids, our community, to be a part of one of the best clubs in South Florida. Because if they become a part of the Academy, they can at any moment become a professional,” stated Lomera.
Academy Scouts and Coaches Giuseppe De Palo and John Deeley both spoke about the opportunity to evaluate local talent during the tournament as well.
“It’s an opportunity to see a lot of players in one location, on our own turf,” said De Palo. “Bringing the event to our doorstep makes it easy for us to get a lot of eyes, like our coaches and staff, to hopefully identify more players for the Discovery Program and eventually our teams.”
“The Cup is really a combination of a pure identification process-type competition with community outreach to strengthen the bond between the clubs and Inter Miami,” added Deeley.
Christian Mas, one of the tournament's main coordinators, also expressed the team's player-first mentality. By evaluating talent during the tournament looking for the best, the Academy looks to “better the players’ careers and give them a platform.”
We wish all those competing in the Community Cup the best of luck heading into this weekend! Make sure to stay tuned to our team’s social media accounts for more coverage of the tournament. As always, you can follow our academy’s journey online by following our Twitter account @InterMiamiAcad or via Instagram @InterMiamiCF_Academy.
