Inaugural Season in Review: Goalkeeper Union

By Inter Miami CF

December 2^nd, 2020

Inter Miami’s inaugural season was filled with memorable moments as the Club brought first division fútbol back to South Florida for the first time in nearly 20 years. The team fought through unprecedented circumstances to become just the seventh MLS franchise to qualify for the playoffs in its first season. The inaugural class of Inter Miami players helped make the Club’s first season memorable, so we will be reviewing their contributions by position group in this series.

Goalkeepers

The goalkeeper union, as it was affectionately known, manned the net and led the backline through 2020. The group was led by the first captain in Club history in Luis Robles, who helped build the foundation for the team both on and off the field. He was joined by another veteran of the American soccer landscape in John McCarthy, who stepped up following an injury to Robles late in the season, and a rookie in Drake Callender. The trio also worked under the guidance of goalkeeper coach and former San Lorenzo player Sebastián Saja.

Robles joined the Inter Miami project in the early going, becoming just the 16th player signed to the Club on Dec. 2, 2019. He came to the Club as a Free Agent after eight seasons with the New York Red Bulls and was named captain on Feb. 25, 2020. Days later, he led Inter Miami in its debut match against 2019 Supporters’ Shield champion LAFC. He stood between the goalposts at Banc of California Stadium and immediately stood out by making a number of spectacular saves, amassing eight in total, which would remain a season high.

Inaugural Season in Review: Goalkeeper Union

Robles continued to make his presence felt throughout the season, starting every match he was available for. On Sep. 9, he helped guide the team to a 2-1 home victory over Atlanta United FC with one of his most memorable moments: a penalty was awarded to Atlanta but the captain was up to the challenge, diving to his right to save Ezequiel Barco’s shot. A follow-up effort to Robles’ save found the back of the net and appeared to give Atlanta a goal, but after video review the attempt had to be retaken. Robles once again stepped up, this time diving to his left and once again saving Barco’s effort from the spot.

The captain went on to play 15 total matches for Inter Miami in 2020, playing 1,350 minutes and registering 34 saves.

McCarthy, meanwhile, was tasked with stepping in for the captain after an injury cut his season short. The Philadelphia native joined the Club on Dec. 4, 2019, two days after Robles. The signing marked his return to MLS after a season in the USL Championship with the Tampa Bay Rowdies.

The 28-year-old made his first appearance for Inter Miami in a road win over the New York Red Bulls on Oct. 7, 2020. From there, McCarthy played every minute of the remainder of the 2020 season, including a memorable 2-1 victory over Orlando City on Oct. 24, 2020 in front of a limited number of Season Ticket Members at Inter Miami CF Stadium for the first time.

In that match, McCarthy made a crucial save in the 88th minute to keep the team alive before a late winner; the keeper cleared a ball away once before a follow-up was struck at him with power, but McCarthy, still on the ground, made a reaction save with his legs to keep the ball out of the net. The victory proved crucial for the team’s playoff chase with just three matches remaining.

In total, McCarthy made one postseason and eight regular season appearances, amassing 810 minutes and 20 saves. He helped guide the team to a strong close to the regular season, compiling a record of four wins, one draw and three losses as the team surged into a playoff spot.

Lastly, Callender completed the goalkeeper union as the young one of the group. The rookie’s Homegrown Player Rights were first acquired by Inter Miami in a trade with the San Jose Earthquakes on Nov. 12, 2019 and was eventually signed on Dec. 23, 2019. Callender joined after a standout collegiate career at the University of California, Berkeley and immediately slotted in with the First Team in training.

While he didn’t appear in a match for the Club, Callender helped push the group in training and consistently appeared in matchday squads. He also impressed with his contributions off the field, including with his talent as a poet.

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