For some people at the City of Miami’s commission chambers Wednesday, it was nearly an 18-hour day. For supporters and opponents of Fútbol Miami MLS’ ballot initiative, they came and had their say. However, at nearly 11 p.m., the city’s commissioners voted to delay discussion on the proposed stadium and park for nearly a week.
It’s a late-night record for Omar and Matt on the Magic City Soccer Podcast, and they both practice their ASMR skills by discussing the proposed “Miami Freedom Park” by Fútbol Miami MLS as well as The Miami FC 2’s NPSL Sunshine Conference regular-season crown. The 2018 FIFA World Cup is also discussed, naturally. Join us, won’t you?
Thanks to our sponsor, Groundhopper, for helping to make this Magic City Soccer episode happen!
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As is to be expected, there has been a lot of discussion about Miami Freedom Park, where Fútbol Miami MLS intends to build its stadium (with the approval of City of Miami voters in November). However, co-owner Jorge Mas has revealed a lot of other news related to the actual sport of soccer in the course of his interviews this weekend. And it appears a lot of pieces related to the team will be falling into place in weeks, rather than months or years.
Mas spoke to Will Manso of Local 10 WPLG on Sunday, and revealed a number of juicy tidbits:
- First, the colors, shield and uniform could be released as early as the end of this month.
- Second, the club has interviewed candidates for general manager and coach, and the GM position is expected to be filled by the end of next month.
- Third, the team name will be released after colors, and it will not be Miami Freedom, as had been speculated in May. That name will be reserved for the development at Melreese. Michelle Kaufman of the Miami Herald reported last month that the two favored finalists appear to be Futbol Club Internacional de Miami (Inter Miami) and Futbol Club Atletico Miami (Atletico Miami).
- Finally, and most critically, Mas reiterated the plan to kick off in March 2020, even though the proposed stadium won’t be ready until 2021. That means the team will start in a temporary venue. Mas mentioned that there’s interest in “the other two large facilities in Dade County that can house our team,” referring to Hard Rock Stadium and Riccardo Silva Stadium.
Mas indicated the ownership group had an idea of the style it would like to play, and hopes to model Atlanta United as a club to develop players for the future.
Listen to Matt and Omar discuss the “Miami Freedom Park” plan on Magic City Soccer Episode 57!
It’s hard to imagine a time where Fútbol Miami MLS might be “done” with the preparation stage. For years, Miami fans eagerly awaiting a Major League Soccer team to support have awaited a finish line. However, developments over the last week may indicate that Thursday’s meeting with the City of Miami’s commissioners may signal the beginning of the end (or, at least, the end of the beginning).
In this episode of the Magic City Soccer podcast, Omar and Matt discuss two teams with two divergent goals, as The Miami FC 2 grabs two wins in the NPSL Sunshine Conference while Miami United gets ready to host Orlando City of Major League Soccer in the U.S. Open Cup. Plus, we have an interview with Ariel Gonzalez of Futbolasta Auctions. Join us, won’t you?
Thanks to our sponsor, Groundhopper, for helping to make this Magic City Soccer episode happen!
To subscribe to Magic City Soccer on iTunes, click here. To subscribe to Magic City Soccer on SoundCloud, click here.
To subscribe on Google Play,
Miami United FC reached a height the club has never known before Wednesday night. And perhaps the most shocking thing about it was how easy it came.
Miami United scored two world-class goals, and Jacksonville Armada never mounted a serious challenge, as United qualified for Round 4 of the 2018 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup. Miami United will next face a team from Major League Soccer.
Soccer fans in South Florida have an interesting event to look forward to next week. The SPORTELSummit Miami Beach will bring a number of important figures in the sports world together to discuss the issues of the day. However, there are some notable absences that leave participants and followers asking: What happened?
Michael Lahoud, the Sierra Leonean footballer who came to The Miami FC in May 2016 as a stabilizing force for a foundering side and became its captain, announced Tuesday night that he is leaving the club.
A short roundup of coverage about Miami soccer:
–MiamiHerald.com: Soccer fever is shaking up Peru as they set eyes on the World Cup
Andre Carrillo, with his hair dyed gray, booted in a first-half strike, and Edison Flores used his left foot to knock in a rebound in the second 45, much to the delight of the crowd of 46,893, which was dominated by red-and-white clad Peru fans.
Walter Villa of the Miami Herald writes a recap of Friday’s Peru-Croatia victory, where Los Incas dominated in front of a very pro-Peru crowd. But he also goes into greater detail about what Peru’s participation in the 2018 FIFA World Cup means to the fans.
The endless rollercoaster of indecision that is David Beckham’s quest for an MLS franchise has a new twist as of last week. Claro. The Miami Herald reported that Beckham’s group, primarily newly minted owner Jorge Mas, are looking at potential stadium sites other than the Overtown plan which was close to being finalized. The new locations, no less than five according to Mas, span from Downtown to Doral to Hialeah.
They seem to concede that after years of bluffing about requiring a stadium in the “urban core”, MLS doesn’t really care where they put it as long as it’s in the county.
One of the sites that’s making Miamians do a double take is Hialeah Park. And it could be the perfect location for Beckham to base his MLS franchise.
Hear me out, groaning Miamians.