On July 8, Inter Miami resumed our Club’s historic inaugural season in the opening match of the MLS is Back Tournament at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex. The match against Orlando City SC marked a special occasion for Inter Miami players Mikey Ambrose, Luis Argudo, Julián Carranza and Jay Chapman, as they made their official debuts defending the team’s colors.
“It was a great feeling to represent this badge after seven months without competing. Physically I felt great. I hope to continue getting minutes on the pitch and help the team get the positive results we’re all looking for.” expressed 20-year-old Argentinian forward Carranza who had missed Inter Miami’s first two MLS games due to an injury to his left foot.
“It felt great to start for my team. After all the work we’ve been putting in through the quarantine, it just felt good to finally get on the field and compete alongside my teammates,” added Ambrose, who made his debut for the Club facing his former team Orlando City.
Ambrose was selected for Inter Miami’s starting XI and slotted into defense. He played the full 90 minutes, recording 25 successful passes and guarding the left flank. Meanwhile, Carranza came on as a second-half sub during the 73rd minute of play in place of attacker Juan Agudelo and helped applying pressure to the opponent’s backline.
Inter Miami’s other debutants of the night, versatile 24-year-old midfielder Argudo and 2019 MLS Eastern Conference champion Chapman, entered the match in the 70th minute to replace Wil Trapp and Lewis Morgan and helped control the tempo of play in midfield. Argudo connected with his teammates with several passes, while Chapman nearly tied the match with a header following a corner in the final seconds of the game.
“It felt great to make my Inter Miami debut. I’m happy that I was able to go in and help the team out,” said Argudo.
“It felt great to represent the club for the first time. I was excited to get out there and try to fight for the three points. A little bit disappointed with the result, but I’m excited for the future,” highlighted Chapman.
The debutants also expressed their gratitude toward the Club’s loyal fanbase for their unconditional support while focusing on getting a better result for Inter Miami in our next match.
“The fans have been amazing. We felt the support all the way from Miami here in Orlando and we appreciate all the support they give us,” stated Ambrose.
“The first three games were a bit unlucky in the results. I think we put in a lot of hard work and the ball is going to start bouncing in our direction and we’re going to come out with three points very soon.”
“Now we have to move forward and focus on our next game on Tuesday and keep building onto all the positive things that we showed last game,” concluded Argudo.
Inter Miami will continue MLS is Back Tournament play with its second group stage match on July 14 when it takes on Philadelphia Union at 10:30 p.m. ET. The match is set to air on TUDN.
