Movin’ to SoFlo: Back to Florida Roots

Presented by Good Greek Moving

By Inter Miami CF

June 12^th, 2020

The Inter Miami roster, much like South Florida itself, contains a wide diversity of backgrounds, but a small group of players were already familiar with this fact as individuals with Florida roots; Good Greek Moving presents the story of Inter Miami’s Florida natives and their move back home.

For many, the chance to join Inter Miami meant a move to a brand-new environment was on the horizon. For 20-year-old Miami native George Acosta, however, it was a chance to return to where he felt most comfortable: his hometown.

“I was most excited about returning to see my family, friends and dog, and the fact that I was going to play for my hometown team,” said Acosta. “I tried to stay as calm and collected as possible, but I couldn’t fight the exhilaration and emotions racing through my head. I was extremely excited to return home after being abroad for some time.”

Acosta grew up in South Florida. He represented local youth soccer clubs in the area, fostering his passion for the sport. Eventually the sport took him beyond his hometown as he made stops in North Carolina, Texas and Argentina to further his development. Still, his home resonated as a special place for him.

“I was the first Miami-native signed by the Club and I was especially proud of that. It was a dream come true,” he said. “I feel like I represent all of the local teams and all the teammates I’ve played with, and for, growing up.”

It wasn’t just his past that tied him to the city either. Inter Miami represented his future, something which became clear to him from the moment he returned to his city for his announcement photoshoots.

“The photoshoots when I first signed were awesome. It was a great experience; it was cool being behind the scenes and I met a lot of great people that work for the Club. It definitely felt surreal.”

In the end, returning to his hometown was a no-brainer for Acosta.

“The move was extremely easy. There were a lot of bags, but it was easy because I knew I was coming home.”

For Ben Sweat, receiving the call that he was being selected by Inter Miami in the Expansion Draft meant a chance to experience a new part of a state that he knows well. His new home in South Florida is just about a four-hour drive from his hometown of Palm Harbor, meaning he was returning to a familiar environment.

“The wife and I were super stoked to get the call. I was born and raised here in Florida, she moved here when she was eight or nine, so we both grew up with the ocean, that water and boating lifestyle,” said Sweat. “Coming back down to Florida, being close to friends and family and having that support and comfortability in my state, it makes things a lot easier.”

Sweat’s career has taken him from Reading to Dayton, New York and even Sweden and the Czech Republic. Each city he’s passed through has provided a unique culture and experience, but the state of Florida continues to serve as home.

“Everywhere is different. Every place requires a certain adaptation, but you have to make those sacrifices as a player to get to the highest level and reach your full potential,” he said. “New York was cool, it was a good experience, but the weather is colder, there are cloudy days and not a lot of beach activity up there. Just to have the ocean in our backyard and have sunshine about 300 days a year and warm weather 365 days a year almost, it’s just tremendous.”

The sun and the water are important to Sweat for a number of reasons, but none more so than his passion for fishing.

“I’ve fished a lot in the Everglades and the Florida Keys, but Miami was and is still new to me. It’s exciting to learn a new fishery, but it’s just been good. I saw my friends and my brother always posting pictures while I was in New York and it was making me jealous. I’ve been happy and excited to get back down here and get on fishing,” added Sweat. “Being able to go fishing and being on the beach are just big parts of my life. It was really important for my wife and I to get back and enjoy that part of it.”

Unlike Acosta and Sweat, John McCarthy isn’t exactly a Florida native. In fact, his hometown of Philadelphia differs from South Florida in quite a few ways, but as somebody who has lived in the state for over a year, McCarthy is already finding comfort in his new home.

“The best part about it when I came down here to Florida for the first time, I went from the wintertime in Philadelphia to what is beautiful weather all year long here,” said McCarthy. “Most of the time it's sunny and you can enjoy it outside. You can go to the beach or the pool, it’s always nice weather.”

The 27-year-old goalkeeper signed for the Tampa Bay Rowdies in January 2019, taking him from Philadelphia to Florida. The past stops in his career include New Jersey, Reading and Rochester, providing him with unique experiences and new friends.

“They were all good experiences. I try to enjoy my time wherever I’m at. You get to meet new teammates, you get to enjoy the city life wherever you’re at and try to enjoy it as much as possible,” he said. “Something that caught my eye in Tampa and down here is that there’s not too many rude people. Everyone’s always in a pretty good mood and that’s really nice to see.”

McCarthy’s best friend, however, holds the most important opinion. According to him, his dog Brody is adapting to South Florida with ease.

“My dog loves the city. We have a little balcony outside of our living room and any chance he gets when he sees the sun out, he lays out there. He loves the heat, and he loves being outside. He really loves it down here.”

For McCarthy, the fresh start with Inter Miami is much more than just a job in a pleasant city.

“The Club is absolutely amazing. World class from top to bottom. Philadelphia has an amazing facility with a massive gym, locker room, kitchen, cold tub, hot tub, treadmill, training room and practice fields right next to it. I thought that was really nice and then you come down here and you have a facility that’s ten times the size of that and everything is brand new. The coaches are great, the players are great, the ownership group and the GM, everyone has really bought in down here and it’s awesome to be a part of something fresh. I think everyone has the same mindset of getting the job done and knowing that we’re all bought into the Inter Miami brand. Everyone is together and we’re a family.”

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