Miami, Florida — It didn’t take long for Luis Robles to find a new home in MLS. Yesterday, Inter Miami announced that they signed Robles as a free agent. Robles spent the last eight seasons in MLS with the New York Red Bulls.
The 35-year-old goalkeeper hails from Fort Huachuca, Arizona. He began his career in 2003 with the Boulder Rapids Reserve, which is now the Colorado Rapids U-23 team. Then, he made his way overseas to Germany, where he featured for 1. FC Kaiserslautern. Robles stayed in Germany until 2012, spending his final two seasons with Karlsruher SC.
Robles entered the Red Bulls program in 2012 as a backup. However, in 2013, he became the clear-cut starting goalkeeper. He started every single one of his 238 regular-season appearances, providing 72 clean sheets. Robles also added 23 playoff appearances. However, during his time with the Red Bulls, Robles never won MLS Cup. He did have two semifinal appearances.
In 2019, Robles recorded nine shut outs in 33 appearances. The Red Bulls crashed out of the playoffs early this year, losing to the Philadelphia Union on penalty kicks.
In a press release, Inter Miami sporting director Paul McDonough did not say if Robles will be the immediate starter.
“Luis has had a storied MLS career and we are excited that it will continue in Miami,” McDonough said. “We look forward to his contributions ahead of our inaugural MLS season.”
Robles joins Bryan Meredith on the goalkeeping roster. Meredith was picked up by Inter Miami in the MLS Expansion Draft. He spent the last three seasons with the Seattle Sounders FC, including this year’s MLS Cup Championship winning team. He also spent time with Seattle in 2011-12, before spending a chunk of time in San Jose.
Luis Robles says his goodbye to the organization. pic.twitter.com/stwRrn6lMU
— New York Red Bulls (@NewYorkRedBulls) November 21, 2019
Inter Miami also adds A.J. DeLaGarza
Robles isn’t the only veteran heading to Miami.
The club also announced the signing of defender A.J. DeLaGarza yesterday. The 32-year-old from Bryans Road, Maryland, signed after spending three seasons with the Houston Dynamo. However, before joining Houston, DeLaGarza spent eight seasons with the LA Galaxy.
He has over 260 appearances in MLS, recording 253 starts. His minutes are impressive, too, as he has counted for 22,227 minutes on the pitch. A defender, he scored two goals for the Galaxy in 2009 and 2010. He hasn’t scored since.
However, DeLaGarza has provided a handful of assists over the years. He has eight total, including four from his three seasons in Houston.
In a press release, McDonough said that DeLaGarza’s versatility and experience will be “vital” for Inter Miami. “Pair that with his leadership ability, and he will be able to come into preseason ready to contribute,” McDonough said.
DeLaGarza spent his collegiate career with his hometown University of Maryland. With the Terrapins, DeLaGarza won two National Championships and appeared in 88 matches. He also won one ACC Championship and made appearances in the NCAA Tournament.
Thank you, AJ 🤘🧡 https://t.co/5PRcix2Abr
— x – Houston Dynamo FC (@HoustonDynamo) December 2, 2019
