MLS

Miami Soccer in Review: The Miami FC brings MLS to Miami in 2017 as Beckham bid nearly collapses

Miami Soccer in Review | The Miami FC forward Kwadwo Poku scores past Atlanta United defender Carlos Carmona to win the club's U.S. Open Cup tie at Riccardo Silva Stadium in Miami on June 28, 2017. Photo via The Miami FC.

Magic City Soccer will take the last 10 days of 2019 to review the last 10 years of Miami-Dade County soccer. Today in Miami Soccer in Review, we take a look back at 2017. The Miami FC makes an enthralling U.S. Open Cup run, and Jorge Mas offers a lifeline to a Miami Beckham United ready to quit.

When The Miami FC was announced in 2015. owner Riccardo Silva indicated that the U.S. Open Cup would prove to be as important as league performance. That wasn’t reflected in 2016, when the club was bombed out in its first game by Wilmington Hammerheads FC. In 2017, however, a magical run would show the potential that The Miami FC presented the South Florida soccer community.

Miami Soccer in Review: 2014 officially starts the MLS madness that would become Inter Miami CF

Miami Soccer in Review | From Left: MLS Commissioner Don Garber, David Beckham and Miami-Dade County mayor Carlos Giménez pose at Pérez Art Museum Miami on Feb. 5, 2014. Photo via Pérez Art Museum Miami

Magic City Soccer will take the last 10 days of 2019 to review the last 10 years of Miami-Dade County soccer. Today in Miami Soccer in Review, we take a look back at 2014. The announcement Miami’s been waiting for finally comes. And kicks off a half-decade of more waiting.

It was a picture-perfect moment for a picture-perfect day. Don Garber, commissioner of Major League Soccer on one side. Carlos Giménez, mayor of Miami-Dade County on the other. All around, the Pérez Art Museum Miami, a focal point for Miami’s modern development. And standing squarely in the middle: David Beckham.

Miami Soccer in Review: David Beckham begins Miami odyssey in 2013

Miami Soccer in Review: LeBron James shakes hands with David Beckham during Game 7 Of the Eastern Conference Finals. Beckham was in town to tour possible venues for a Major League Soccer team. Eventual partner Marcelo Claure stands to Beckham's right. Photo via Getty Images.

Magic City Soccer will take the last 10 days of 2019 to review the last 10 years of Miami-Dade County soccer. Today in Miami Soccer in Review, we take a look back at 2013. An international superstar started to sniff around Miami, but what many hoped would be the beginning of the end of Miami’s time without Major League Soccer would turn out to only be the beginning of the beginning.

It felt like Miami was the center of the sports world in the summer of 2013. The Miami Heat were on their way to a second consecutive NBA Finals win, and attracting attention from all corners. One of the interested parties was soccer superstar David Beckham, who sat courtside during Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Finals. He was the guest of a high-profile Miami-based CEO: Brightstar’s Marcelo Claure.

Their presence at that game on May 30 was a hint of a larger story to break the following week: Beckham, who retained a $25 million expansion fee clause with Major League Soccer, would look to bring a side to Miami-Dade County.

Miami Soccer in Review: The decade begins with 2010, an Annus Horribilis

Marcelo Claure, now an owner of Inter Miami CF, originally intended to bring a Major League Soccer team to Miami in partnership with Barcelona in 2010. Photo by Patrick Farrell, Miami Herald

Magic City Soccer will take the last 10 days of 2019 to review the last 10 years of Miami-Dade County soccer. Here, we begin our look back at a decade of Miami soccer in review with 2010, an Annus Horribilis.

The decade of the 2010s was supposed to open with a bang for the Miami soccer community. In October 2008, Barcelona announced that it would be partnering with Brightstar Corp. CEO Marcelo Claure to bring an Major League Soccer team to FIU Stadium, possibly as soon as 2010.

If you know anything about soccer in Miami this decade, you know this couldn’t have compared less favorably with what actually happened. In fact, the only constant was Claure, now involved in the ownership of Inter Miami CF.

So you want to follow the 2019 MLS Expansion Draft? History, process and more explained.

The 2019 MLS Expansion Draft will feature five selections from Inter Miami CF and Nashville SC each. Inter Miami will pick first, thanks to a coin flip on Oct. 6, 2019.

Major League Soccer has some terms that can be a bit intimidating to new fans as it relates to player aquisition. GAM (General Allocation Money), TAM (Targeted Allocation Money), DP (Designated Player). But one of the first terms every fan of a new team needs to learn is “Expansion Draft.” The 2019 MLS Expansion Draft will take place this evening. What is it? How does it work? And what does this mean for Inter Miami CF?

Ever Ready?

Another tease on squad building from IMCF HQ. A late night meeting to pitch to another player, the kind of effort which can probably only mean it’s another potential Designated Player target. But does this contain a clue big enough to connect the dots back to the possible target?

I am an empanada enthusiast and who isn’t? And who doesn’t love Graziano’s? Product placement or a hint to the player’s nationality? Let’s assume the latter. An Argentine DP for IMCF makes a massive amount of sense. Anyone who gets out to games in Miami knows that Argentineans show up for soccer and they love being in a stadium watching the game live. South Florida may not have the big numbers of Argentineans as it does Cubans, Colombians or Venezuelans but you can’t go to a game without seeing a River or Boca jersey or maybe someone chilling with their maté. A lot of names have been touted as striking options but if you are IMCF you would absolutely be looking at filling your #10 jersey with a DP. The #10 jersey is always a great thing to see on the back of an Argentine player. Maradona… Messi…

BREAKING: City of Fort Lauderdale commission gives final approval to Inter Miami CF construction at Lockhart Stadium site

The City of Fort Lauderdale commission Tuesday evening gave approval for Inter Miami CF to construct a new stadium at the previous site of Lockhart Stadium. Photo via mlssoccer.com

Less than six months after the proposal was introduced, and less than two months after demolition began, the City of Fort Lauderdale’s commission Tuesday night gave final approval to the construction of a stadium at the site of Lockhart Stadium for the use of Inter Miami CF.

The vote, which was unanimous and took only a few minutes of deliberation, now guarantees that Inter Miami CF will have a home to play in when it begins its first Major League Soccer campaign.

There are still wrinkles to iron out. Most notably, the Federal Aviation Administration will have say over the construction process, due to the lot’s proximity to Fort Lauderdale Executive Airport. According to Chris Wittyngham, who spoke to a team official after the vote, the team is ready to start building as soon as that approval is given.

September start?

640 the Hurricane radio host Andy Slater spoke to the team before the vote. A spokesperson stated that they believe the FAA approval could come in September.

The FAA has been a speed bump on construction at the Lockhart Stadium site before. A long-proposed water park next to the stadium was scuttled because of FAA regulations.

Ownership has routinely stated that they expect the stadium to be completed by the start of the 2020 MLS season.

Is Cavani “Edin” for Miami?

Cavani considering his options as his career continues. Could Miami be a destination? Photo: cavaniofficial21 - Instagram

Edinson Cavani is one of my favorite players. In the modern game reliable goalscoring centre forwards are hard to find, especially at the top level. It’s a simple joy for a football fan to watch a player who just loves to score goals. And score good goals too. We’ve all had that player we wanted to emulate when we were a kid. For me it was the great Mark Hughes. For Cavani himself it was the phenom Gabriel Batistuta. Could kids in the 305 begin idolizing the Uruguayan marksman? It all stems from this, A follow on twitter.