By Darbi Lockridge // @sonchyenne
Readers who have followed MLSFemale’s path to Switch the Pitch might know me as the adamantly-fan-first Houston Dynamo reporter for that organization. And many of you might wonder exactly what in the goalpost I am doing here, writing an introductory piece about Inter Miami CF. It’s a valid question, but one that is easy to answer. The answer is simply:
A.J. DeLaGarza
Throughout MLS, there have been few players who have commanded the kind of long-lasting fan loyalty that A.J. has maintained. And while the right back’s performance on the pitch is solid and he has stacked up an impressive amount of hardware through his career, I believe it is the person that he is off the pitch that has garnered this level of respect. When he moved to the Houston Dynamo in 2017, I was amazed to see the number of fans on Twitter that both wished him well and continued to support his efforts. Anytime the Dynamo traveled to take on the Galaxy, he was always welcomed with posters and cheers from the fans. And when Tab Ramos’ new plans didn’t include renegotiating his contract for 2020, I knew that I would continue that tradition wherever A.J. went next. That place turned out to be Miami.
In addition to A.J., Inter Miami is stacking up a very impressive roster for their inaugural season, and head coach Diego Alonso certainly has experience leading championship-winning teams. Inter Miami is going to be a powerhouse in their first year. I’m eager to see what they can do and know that the stellar leadership that DeLaGarza shows both on and off the pitch will be a key piece to their success.
So…Welcome to MLS, Miami. You have one of my favorite players of all time! Please treat him well, and be sure and send him in your 18 when the Dynamo host you in April. See you on the pitch!
*** Of course, I’ll only be providing limited coverage for Inter Miami for Switch The Pitch. We would love to have a full-time reporter doing real justice to this team, so if you are interested in covering them long-term, please contact us. ***
Featured images: AJ DeLaGarza on Twitter
Follow and chat with me on Twitter // @sonchyenne
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