He Inter Miami The curtain will rise on a new era for the institution on Saturday, when the Nu Stadium, the touted home of the pinks that has a stand named after Leo Messi, opens.
But beyond how significant the day will be for the squad in general, the opening of the new venue will have a particular season for midfielder David Ruiz.
The player is not only a native of the “City of the Sun”, but grew up in the vicinity of what is now known as “Miami Freedom Park” and his mother has a restaurant in nearby Little Havana.
“I used to go to a water park literally next to Grape Land,” Ruiz said, in statements reported by CBS News. “I actually live three miles from where it is located right now. And just seeing how it went from just land to what it is now is incredible to me,” he added.
Likewise, right on Calle Ocho, also about three miles away from the stadium, is his mother’s place, which is called “Alba’s Café and Restaurant.” There are displayed some of the recognitions that Ruiz has received throughout his career.
Football fans and support groups frequently attend the restaurant to watch the games, but they stay there for the taste of the food.
“I order the chuco chicken,” Ruiz confessed. “It’s just incredible. It’s chicken and plantains, but it’s the seasoning they have. It’s magnificent.”
However, perhaps what is truly magnificent is that the midfielder is living his dream at home. Since his father passed away, the family was reduced to his mother, his four brothers and him.
Ruiz, 22 years old and a Honduran citizen, said that he is blessed to be a professional athlete in the city where he grew up, but that the most special thing is being able to share all those moments with his mother.
“I feel like a lot of things happen for a reason. My mom has been through everything, the sacrifices she’s made,” he explained. “Playing at home, we have a game and then we go to Tampa, to Orlando and they are trips for which he probably needs to ask for days off. But yes, he does it with a smile on his face,” he added.
Now, like Inter Miami, Ruiz and his mother will begin a new stage, in which both prepare to make the short trip to the new “Garzas” stadium.
“It’s every little boy’s dream, to be such a privileged person. I honestly have to thank God for having me where he has me. And I’m really looking forward to Saturday so we can go and have fun,” he concluded.
