The long-rumored marriage between Spanish power FC Barcelona and the city of Miami is set to move one step closer to becoming reality.
The Miami Herald is reporting that Barcelona will formally apply for an MLS expansion team in Miami. The news comes the day before the MLS deadline for prospective ownership groups to apply for one of the two expansion slots to be filled by 2011.
Count me among the people who like the idea of a team in Miami. I know there is concern about the fact that the Miami Fusion failed, but it is pretty clear that an ownership group including FC Barcelona would have the financial and soccer business acumen to make MLS in Miami a success.
What do you think of the possibility of an MLS team in Miami? Share your thoughts below.
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I cant wait to see Barca in Miami I live here and its gonna be so sick. O yeah and for that guy says that the weather is not good over here, where do you plan every year to go on vacation? yep you guessed it MIAMI. So plan to come see MLS in Miami. O and the weather is great. And playing in FIU is a smart move to give time to prepare an amazing MLS stadium.
Good for Miami…
like Brett though, i’m a NYRB/Barcelona fan so you know how I feel. =P
yet maybe, Barcelona should plot a team somewhere else….
Ives, do you know anything about the proposal other than it’s some sort of joint project between Marcelo Claure and Barcelona FC? I’m curious why they’d pick Miami–is it because Claure has some influence there (does he?) or because they think Miami is a better bet than most other people seem to?
85:1 odds that they’d end up calling the club Miami MC (Métetelo Castro).
Yes, I would like Miami to get a franchise just for geographical reasons. Now that the Pacific Northwest is getting a team, that leaves the Southeast as the only region without a team.
Also passionate are the Brits/UK fans whom learned every song in Spanish, word for word, from the Hispanic Afusionados. Our beloved Fusion was a dynamic, unique mix which will only improve. Again I extend an invitation to any doubters, posers, and haters out there to a 24 hr. tour, trust me you will agree. It is a spectacular place to conduct business, that is why it has been called the magic city over 80 years. The Fusion were magic in a bottle and w/ a DP like Ronaldinho or equal we will rule!
Would love to welcome JPA and all Colombians with a ssp, soccer specific party, lol! As I DO LIVE in Miami, yes not only do we have Cubans, some born in USA, whom love soccer, they even play in MLS, shout out to Henry Guitierez of the Fusion. Venezuelans love La Liga, shout out to Redbull Rojas and Chicero, sp? Many PR like it too, see Islanders. We have the highest WC rating in US and local tourney Copa Latina draws 30,000. You could play on the tarmac at Miami Airport and 10,000 would show up!
Oh, it’s supposed to be at Florida International University. No thanks. Florida sucks at supporting non college football teams anyway
They better put it right in the city if we have to try Miami again. None of that suburban location crap.
It depends how it was marketed, how the team was branded, and if they really put a nice stadium in a desirable part of Miami (unlike Pro Players Stadium and the Orange Bowl) if all those things happened, I could be excited about a team. It still wouldn’t be my first choice though for an expansion team, I’d still rather see a second Canadian city, St Loius or Portland.
I’m impressed that some big-money groups like Arthur Blank and FC Barcelona are interested in investing in the league. It tells me that Garber and company have things moving in the right direction. I think between Portland, St. Louis, NYC, Atlanta, and Miami, there should be two very solid additions. NYC might need more time to get their plan together though.
And the answer to the summer heat in Miami and Atlanta: play the games at night.
They have stated the plan for a while now that FIU would be a temporary venue till there new SSS at the site of the old orange bowl, next to the new marlins stadium can be completed. There was even talk of the SSS having a retractible roof so the summer heat could be delt with.
I understand the point about the Spanish speaking Caribbeans not being a lock for supporting a soccer/fútbol club. Yes, of course one must take into consideration that Latin cultures vary. Sure, I would carefully consider that in projections if I were going to expand again to the area. But I also would like for some of you to know that the popularity of the sport has grown in the Puerto Rican, Cuban and Dominican communities and a “sexy” brandname like Barca would probably draw more folks from the growing demographic because of the brand recognition. I don’t spent time in Miami but I do spend time with some folk from those nationalities and I have observed a notable difference between now and 8 or so years (circa Fusion/Mutiny). So I wouldn’t count them out either. Most of them know about Barca. Whether or not they would continue to follow the team after it is starts playing probably isn’t much different than the other Miami pro teams (which many of you have already commented on already).
I am very interested to know what Barcelona’s plans are for this team. Under the current rules in MLS this team wll not succed down here in Miami. Although I am so excited at the prospct of having a team here, what Im really interested to know is what Don Garbar and the league has assured or promised Barcelona. I dont think Barca is stupid when it comes to business, so their has to be something the league has assured them when im pertaining to salaries. Lets face it Miami is a soccer city, but without world class stars people wont come out to the games. Lets hope these rules will change in time for 2011.
Its good for MLS to get foreign investment from major clubs. Chivas USA has turned into a good franchise. RSL probably attracted some initial attention just for the “Real” name.
http://www.futfanatico.com
Martha, I would love to have a road trip to Miami when the new team arrives. I would sure love a nice reception for a couple of Colombians(JP Angel and myself), lol. Hope the deal goes through.
The Miami Catalans….enough said.
oh and p.s. we still have an Italian Irish American, whom speaks spanish and loves a certain Colombian, having never missed a Fusion game in 4 years!!!
btw the demographics have changed over the past 5 yrs. with more percentage of Colombians, Argentines, Brasilians, Peruvians, Ecuadorians, Urugayan, Bolivians and Central Americans, heavily outweighing the baseball loving folks of Cuba and the carribean nations now. Also they knocked down the Orange Bowl, may it rest in peace, to build the marlins and a sss for mls next to it. The FIU is known for soccer in US, as past champs, not football, and their stadium was built for mls as a sss in mind.
I like the idea of a team in miami and I also think they will fare better then the Mutiny and Fusion. But I really hope to see another team in NY. The Red Bulls are a Jersey team, they always have been it should have been the nj metrostars. But for a NY team to be viable they need to follow Toronto’s example and put the stadium downtown (i know that wont work in NYC) but hey what about Brooklyn…
Miami Al… I got that covered! Dont worry he is on top of that and thanks for the mention! Speaking of fantastic Colombians, Tom P. are you sure you are married to one as you misspelled it twice…very odd, they are fabulous, happy, positive people… you…not so much! As a die hard Afusionado, I am thrilled and anyone whom doubts it, come visit me, after 24 hrs. not only will you agree its great to return our Fusion/ DC/ Metro rivalry, you will be moving here. I wait with baited breathe!!!
I thought MLS learned from the Fusion failure that just because someone speaks spanish, that doesn’t necessarily make them soccer fans. Dominicans, Cubans, Puerto Ricans… the majority of Spanish speakers in South Florida, consider soccer a poor second (or third) sport.
And no one else went to Fusion games either.
The only positive would be hearing Ray Hudson’s post game quotes again.
This is an honest question. I’m not trying to a jerk here but… Why do people think a second team in New York would be fantastic? From what I’ve seen and read, RBNY’s attendance hasn’t been great and Forbes recently released information stating that only three teams are making a profit and New York isn’t one of them. What am I missing?
Did someone put in a call to Diego Serna?
The Florida Marlins were in 1st place for most of the season and they couldnt get 10000 a game. Is Barcelona this naive to think they could draw more then 7000 a game? Like that Barcelona FC is interested, but they need to pick another city. And no, NY doesnt deserve another team, they cant support the team they have.
I would love to see Miami get if we don’t maybe next time. I do think it’s inevitable.
Here’s more info from Reuters – it addresses the stadium issue:
http://uk.reuters.com/article/worldFootballNews/idUKB65769220081015?pageNumber=2&virtualBrandChannel=0&sp=true
Betinho- if it’s any consolation I would like to see the teams in markets with weak support or no soccer specific stadium move as well.
It kills me that Houston and DC have no stadiums with fantastic fan support while Dallas and Colorado have lovely soccer specific stadiums with no real fan base. Colorado-Denver- is so depressing when you see that beautiful facility less than a year old and the attendance looks to be less then 10,000.
You are right to quote Wascfan- there are so many deserving cities who have proven their worth as soccer supporting towns. I like to see Canada get at least 2 more teams because Toronto FC is my model franchise from a fan support viewpoint and I believe that Vancouver and Montreal would be similar in that regard.