Inter Miami CF Academy to Feature in MLS NEXT All-Star Game With a League-High Four Representatives

Israel Boatwright, Benjamin Cremaschi and Kobi Thomas selected to the East squad for the MLS NEXT All-Star Game;
U-17 Academy team head coach Javier Morales selected as head coach for the East team

MIAMI (July 27, 2022) – MLS NEXT announced today that four Inter Miami CF Academy representatives will feature in the inaugural edition of the MLS NEXT All-Star Game presented by Allstate, the highest number of representatives from an academy in the league. Defender Israel Boatwright, midfielder Benjamin Cremaschi and attacker Kobi Thomas will be managed by Inter Miami CF Academy U-17 team head coach Javier Morales on the East team. The players have been selected among 45 of the game’s rising stars to feature at the National Sports Center in Blaine, Minn., on Wednesday, August 10. 

“We’re extremely proud of Benjamin, Israel, Kobi and Javier. This recognition is a reward for all their hard work and dedication throughout the season. We know they will represent us well in Minnesota and continue to excel as they progress in their respective careers,” said Inter Miami CF Academy Director Craig Dalrymple.

The four selections wrap up an impressive season for the Inter Miami CF Academy, featuring 10 Academy products called up to their national teams, nine Academy products making their professional debuts with Inter Miami CF II and numerous titles including:

• All age groups won their respective leagues
• U-15 – MLS Next FLEX group winners
• U-17 & U-15 – Generation adidas Cup qualifiers group winners
• U-13 – Two tournament wins (Copa Rayados & Easter International)
• U-17 – Generation adidas Cup semifinalist and invited to Liga MX tournament as one of the top two MLS academies
• U-15 & U-17 – qualified for playoffs
• U-15 – MLS NEXT Cup – National Champions

Boatwright, Cremaschi, Thomas and Morales will join First Team defender DeAndre Yedlin in the MLS All-Star festivities, as well as Inter Miami CF’s Director of Club Administration and Operations Francisco Tobar and Sr. Coordinator of Communications Michael Franca, who have also earned the selection by MLS to assist at the highly anticipated event due to their outstanding work with the club. 

Israel Boatwright – Defender

Boatwright, 17, had a successful 2022 season with Inter Miami’s Academy U-17 side, being a key player as the team made it to the semifinals at the 2022 Generation adidas Cup, while also earning Best XI honors in the tournament back in April, finished at the top of the East (South) Division which concluded in June, and qualified for the MLS NEXT Cup U-17 tournament at the end of June and early July . His stellar season led to the defender being called up and making his professional debut for Inter Miami CF II on April 26 and subsequently making three appearances, scoring his first professional goal in the team’s 4-0 win over FC Cincinnati 2 on June 19 in the process. Additionally, on the international front Boatwright was called up by the Dominican Republic’s U-20 national team for the first time and scored on his debut on June 26 in a 2022 Concacaf U-20 Championship group stage match.

Benjamin Cremaschi – Midfielder

Cremaschi, 17, shined for the Inter Miami U-17 team throughout the 2022 season, being one of the sides’ leaders at the 2022 Generation adidas Cup, helping the team finish at the top of the U-17 East (South) Division, and being part of the squad that competed at the MLS NEXT Cup U-17 tournament. The midfielder also broke through at the professional level with Inter Miami CF II this season, making his professional debut and going on to make eight appearances, including five starts, and scoring two goals thus far. On the international stage, Cremaschi was first called up by the U.S. U-17 MYNT for a training camp in late April and early May, and then called up by the U.S. U-19 MYNT for friendlies against England and Norway in Marbella, Spain, in June, and most recently was called up once again by the U.S. U-19 MYNT side for its ongoing training camp from July 25 through Aug. 2 in Carson, Calif. 

Kobi Thomas – Attacker

Thomas, 16, enjoyed a 2022 season to remember with the Academy’s U-17 team, including featuring at the 2022 Generation adidas Cup and helping the team make it all the way to the semifinals. The attacker also made his professional debut for Inter Miami CF II in 2022, making five appearances to date, four of them starts, and netting two goals. Thomas also made his debut on the international level this year, being called up for Jamaica’s U-20 team for the 2022 Concacaf U-20 Championship and participating in the 2022 Concacaf U-20 Championship. 

With its three player selections, Inter Miami is tied for first as one of the academies with the most representatives in the inaugural edition of the MLS NEXT All Star Game.

Javier Morales – Head Coach

The former midfielder, nicknamed ‘El Maestro’, enjoyed a successful 11-year stay in MLS with Real Salt Lake and later on FC Dallas, in which he racked up 255 regular season appearances and 21 playoff appearances, registering a total 53 goals and 92 assists, between 2007 and 2017. His influence on the league continues beyond his playing days as he became an academy coach upon retiring from the league. He began as the U-13 coach for FC Dallas, where he played for one season in 2017, before joining Inter Miami in early 2019 as an Academy coach. In 2022, he led Inter Miami’s U-17 side to the semifinals of the 2022 Generation adidas Cup, a first place finish in the U-17 East (South) Division, and qualified the team for MLS NEXT U-17 playoffs.  

His MLS career consisted of several standout moments and impressive personal and team accomplishments. In 2008 Morales completed his first full season in MLS, in which he guided RSL to its first-ever MLS Cup Playoffs on the strength of his 15 regular season assists. The team reached the Western Conference Finals in that season’s edition of the playoffs. Then, in his second season in the league, Morales helped RSL clinch the 2009 MLS Cup, the only one in club history to date.
His list of team accomplishments doesn’t stop there, either, as he helped Salt Lake reach the finals of the 2011 Concacaf Champions League, the 2013 MLS Cup and the 2013 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup. He also etched his name in the individual record books, as he was named an MLS All-Star twice, MLS Best XI once and RSL team MVP three times. Morales had his number 11 retired by Salt Lake not long after he retired.

MLS NEXT All-Star presented by Allstate Additional Details:

Two teams will compete in an East vs. West format on the day of the MLS All-Star Game. Twenty-eight of the 29 MLS academies had at least one player selected to the inaugural rosters, with Inter Miami CF, Philadelphia Union, and San Jose Earthquakes leading the way with three selections apiece. Five non-MLS academies will also be represented in Blaine: Barca Residency Academy, De Anza Force, PDA, Strikers, and the San Francisco Glens.

The MLS NEXT Player Selection Committee also advised on the selection of the coaching staff for both East and West clubs. Inter Miami Academy coach Morales, will be leading the East team and will be joined on the bench by Rob Becerra of the New England Revolution, who coached the U19 Revolution team to a championship at the 2021-22 MLS NEXT Cup Playoffs in July.
 
Leading the West squad will be MLS Great Jeremy Hall, who played 127 games for five MLS teams during his playing career and is currently an assistant coach for MNUFC2 of MLS NEXT Pro. Joining Hall is assistant coach Antonio Medina, who coached the U19 San Francisco Glens to a runner-up finish at the 2021-22 MLS NEXT Cup Playoffs.
 
MLS NEXT and Allstate will provide the players with a once-in-a-lifetime player experience during MLS All-Star Week, with a full slate of evening programming events and activities in advance of gameday. The players will be fully integrated into MLS All-Star Week festivities while training and competing in their own All-Star Game.
 
The 45 players were chosen by the MLS NEXT Player Selection Committee, which is made up of key MLS Player Development department personnel, following the conclusion of the MLS NEXT Cup Playoffs and Showcase. Players must have been U-18 (born in 2004 or earlier) and have competed in one of the MLS NEXT national showcase events this season, including MLS NEXT Fest, MLS NEXT Flex, Generation adidas Cup, and MLS NEXT Cup Playoffs and Showcase.
 
The match will be streamed live and further tune-in details will be available at a later date. Admission to the MLS NEXT All-Star Game presented by Allstate at the National Sports Center is free of cost.

MLS NEXT All-Star presented by Allstate rosters:

 
About Major League Soccer
Headquartered in New York City, Major League Soccer – celebrating its 27th season in 2022 – features 29 clubs throughout the United States and Canada, including 2022 expansion team Charlotte FC and St. Louis City SC, which debuts in 2023. For more information about MLS, visit www.MLSsoccer.com.

About MLS NEXT
MLS NEXT is a new paradigm for player development, launched in 2020 to transform youth soccer in North America. Founded on a collaborative approach to governance and a commitment to innovation, MLS NEXT players have access to the highest level of competition, training and personal development opportunities that will prepare them for their futures, both in soccer and in life. Membership for the 2021-22 season includes 133 clubs, 598 teams and over 12,000 players across the U.S. and Canada. Official partners of MLS NEXT include adidas, Allstate, DoorDash, and the University of South Carolina. For more information about MLS NEXT, visit www.mlssoccer.com/mlsnext.
 
About Allstate
The Allstate Corporation (NYSE: ALL) protects people from life’s uncertainties with a wide array of protection for cars, homes, electronic devices and identity theft. Affordable products are available through a broad distribution network including Allstate agents, independent agents, major retailers, online and at the workplace. Allstate is widely known for the slogan “You’re in Good Hands with Allstate.” For more information, visit www.allstate.com.

About Inter Miami CF
Club International de Fútbol Miami, known as Inter Miami CF, is an American professional sports team in Major League Soccer (MLS). The team made its debut in March 2020 and became only the seventh expansion team in MLS history to reach the MLS Cup Playoffs. Inter Miami plays and trains at its 34-acre centralized facility, which includes the 19,100-capacity DRV PNK Stadium, a 50,000-square-foot training center and seven fields in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. In addition to the MLS team, the Club fields MLS NEXT Pro team Inter Miami CF II and has a youth Academy for ages U-12 to U-19 as part of the MLS NEXT program. Please visit www.intermiamicf.com for more information.
 

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