All Happening Down in Miami

Today, renowned Uruguayan coach Diego Alonso became the third and most significant arrival in three days, down Miami way.

David Beckham’s Inter-Miami have pulled off a coup by acquiring the only coach ever to win the CONCACAF Champions League with different clubs.

It follows hot on the heels of the arrivals of both Juan Agudelo from New England Revolution and Panama’s international captain Roman Torres, a two-time MLS Cup winner with Seattle Sounders.

Alonso doesn’t have happy memories of Montreal Impact. He was the CF Pachuca coach when Cam Porter’s Impact ‘moment of the decade’ last-gasp goal knocked his side out of CONCACAF Champions League in 2015.

But he was also still the CF Pachuca coach when they won the competition two years later defeating Tigres 2-1 on aggregate in the final, and steered them to a third place finish in the 2017 FIFA Club World Cup.

Alonso joined CF Monterrey in July 2018 and despite winning a second CONCACAF Champions League Final, again over Tigres (2-1 on agg.), in three years, was dismissed just under 15 months into the job. CF Monterrey could only finish in 8th position in the 2019 Apertura and that effectively sealed his fate.

Photo by Alfredo Lopez/Jam Media/Getty Images

Inter-Miami’s new coach has extensive playing experience having represented La Liga’s Valencia and Atletico Madrid, and both of Montevideo’s most successful clubs, Penarol and Nacional.

He’s previously coached in Uruguay (Bella Vista and Penarol), Paraguay (Guarani and Olimpia, the current club of former Impact midfielder, Alejandro Silva) and of course Mexico.

Montreal Impact fans get their first chance to see Diego Alonso and his Inter-Miami CF on Wednesday 20 June at Stade Saputo.