For awhile now, most of the talk about bringing Major League Soccer back to Florida was focused on Central Florida.
It’s no secret that Orlando City, now playing in the USL PRO league, has its sights on a MLS franchise. Hopes that they would be franchise #20 were dashed when it was announced that would go to a group of investors with New York City FC.
The buzz for a new team in the Sunshine State took a new turn when David Beckham turned up in Miami for a few days.
He wasn’t there just for the sun and warm ocean breezes.
Beckham has a promise of ownership in a MLS team as part of the contract that brought him to Major League Soccer. It is reported that he has the option to purchase a franchise for $25 million.
A bargain, since the last one went for $100 million.
Beckham toured Sun Life stadium and then spent nearly two hours on the campus of Florida International University, where he visited the 20,000-seat FIU Stadium.
He was presented the keys to the city by Miami Dade Mayor Carlos Gimenez. Others who greeted Beckham included FIU President Mark Rosenberg, Miami-Dade Commissioner Jose “Pepe” Diaz, Jose Sotolongo, executive director of the Miami-Dade Sports Commission, and FIU men’s head coach Kenny Arena, whose father Bruce Arena, was Beckham’s coach with the Los Angeles Galaxy.
He also attended a Miami Heat NBA Playoff game with Bolivian billionaire Marcelo Claure, owner of Brightstar Communications. Claure tried to bring an MLS team to Miami in 2009 with FC Barcelona as a partner.
Beckham, who is reported to be worth about $275 million, sat courtside with Claure and Miami Dolphins owner Stephen Ross.
An article in the Miami Herald reported that Beckham’s meetings clearly indicated that he was “clearly very interested and serious” about being involved in a new MLS team in Miami.
Beckham retired as a player from professional soccer last month. He played five seasons with the Galaxy, and then joined the French club Paris St. German for the second half of the European season.
MLS commissioner Don Garber has stated on several occasions that the league would like to return to Florida. The southernmost franchise in the league is D.C. United.
While the announcement for the next franchise to go to New York, Orlando officials are continuing to make plans to build a $105 million soccer stadium in downtown.
Orlando City is averaging crowds of about 8,300 this season. A recent exhibition game against the Brazilian club Fluminese FC drew a record 11,127 in the Citrus Bowl.
While both Sun Life Stadium and FIU Stadium were built to FIFA specifications, seating capacity might be a factor. Sun Life Stadium seats over 50,000, and may be considered too large for a MLS team.
FIU’s 20,000 capacity facility can be expanded should a larger stadium be needed in the future.
Major League Soccer has not recently addressed either Beckham’s Miami visit or Orlando’s continued stadium plans. Nor was it expected.
When MLS launched in 1996 the Tampa Bay Mutiny was one of the original eight. The Miami Fusion was one of the first expansion teams in 1998. Both were folded by the league in 2001.
Maybe it won’t be an either/or deal next time around. Why not both Miami and Orlando if the communities want MLS and can support it?
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