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.
When Jorge Mas said that we would hear news about the Miami MLS project soon, we were all hoping for it to be in the coming weeks after the announcement. We’re close to being four months away from the date that MLS declared Miami was officially getting a franchise and we’re starting to get some early clues as to how the franchise will honor the Magic City. While it’s nothing from the horse’s mouth, the connections are too big to ignore. Miami Freedom appears to be in the lead position.
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.
The search for a Fútbol Miami MLS stadium continues, as the ownership group met with members of Doral city government to discuss a lot of land next to the Palmetto Expressway, according to the Miami Herald.
Doral mayor Juan Carlos “JC” Bermudez disclosed the meeting to the public at a City Council meeting Wednesday. According to the Herald, the meeting included members of the city’s administration, MLS deputy commissioner Mark Abbott, Fútbol Miami MLS partner Jose Mas and real estate developer David Martin, who owns the land in consideration.
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.
In another twist in the ongoing saga of Fútbol Miami MLS, partner Jorge Mas told the Miami Herald the group is now considering “five or so” locations for a new soccer stadium for Major League Soccer. This is a stark on-the-record departure from the ownership group’s position since late 2015.
In a way, most of the people who were told about the North American Soccer League’s decision to cancel the 2018 season were ready for that outcome. It almost seemed as if it was destined to happen after all of the events leading up to this point. Hell, the most pessimistic supporter of an NASL club could have told you the writing was on the wall after the tumultuous offseason of 2016-17. Be that as it may, Miami currently has zero professional clubs ready to play in a professional league for the 2018 season.
David Beckham made a splash near Biscayne Bay on Monday in typical Miami style, high on hype and low on substance. But the energy was palpable in the Arsht Center and across Miami as the footballing legend announced that finally, yes, Major League Soccer had awarded him a coveted franchise in South Florida.
