Who is the Brazilian who, without Messi on the field, won the new Inter Miami Icon of the Match :: Olé

Leonardo Afonso He became the hero of the night Inter Miami. In Las Garzas’ first game after Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez They will leave the team to play with their national teams America Cupthe 22-year-old Brazilian striker, scored the goal of the 2-1 victory against Philadelphia Union in one of the last plays of the game, and with two less due to the expulsions of David Ruiz and Tomás Avilés.

For his key goal against Philadelphia, which not only meant an epic victory for Inter Miami, but he was also key to maintaining the lead in the Eastern Conference, Leo Afonso took the first Icon of the Match. The brand new award that the club began to give out from this date for the player of the match. The name of the award has to do with the sponsorship of Royal Caribbean, the main sponsor of Inter Miami. .

This was the second goal for Afonso who, since his debut in the team, has already played seven games in Major League Soccer. although most of them entered from the bank. His previous goal, coincidentally too it had been 2-1 against the Colorado Rapids Although, on that occasion, the rival finally tied the game on the hour mark.

Leo Afonso was born on July 13, 2001 in San Pablo, Brazil, but the first steps of his career were already taken in American soccer. The forward is a product of the Inter Miami Academy and was selected in the second round of the 2024 MLS SuperDraft.

The paulista He signed a contract in the first days of April until the end of this season and with the possibility of extending his contract for 2025, 2026 and 2027. “Leo is a promising attacker that we have known for a long time, andsHe has earned his place in the First Team through his performance with Inter Miami CF II, and in the two MLS games that he played under short-term agreements,” said the sports director. Chris Henderson.

Furthermore, in his presentation, Henderson added: “We are proud of the progress he has made since he initially arrived at our Academy in 2019. We are delighted to sign him for the First Team to take the next step in his career with the Club. “We are excited to continue his development within our system.”

Afonso, who was previously an Inter Miami CF Academy player between 2019 and 2020, This year he joined the club’s second team that plays in the MLS NEXT Pro, Inter Miami II, after his time at the University of Virginia during his college career.

The front shined for the University of Virginia team during his university career. In his senior season in 2023 he scored five goals, three of them in postseason games, and had two assists in just 10 appearances for the Virginia Cavaliers. In total, Afonso played 59 games in his university career, recording 22 scores and eight assists.

Afonso is the third Brazilian in the history of the franchise and the second to convert for the club. Between 2021 and 2024 Las Garzas had Gregore de Magalhães Silva Favero, better known as Gregore, who played 65 games for the club.

Before the start of this season, the Brazilian, who even participated in the tour of Asia with the team led by Tata Martinowas hired by Botafogoso he returned to his country to dispute the local competition and the Copa Libertadores. In the 2023 season he was off the field for almost seven months due to a Lisfranc injury, a fracture-dislocation of the midfoot.

Between 2022 and 2024 Inter also had Jean Mota. The midfielder played 53 games with the Florida team and scored three goals. After participating in the preseason and After playing two of the first three games of the championship, he finally left for Vitória.