We can only hope, here is the situation... His name is Jorge Vergara, Mexican, owner of Chivas Rayadas de Guadalajara and Saprissa of Costa Rica. He is currently looking to buy Emelec of Guayaquil Ecuador http://www.cre.com.ec/futbolnac/detallenoticias.asp?ID=38943 and is intrested in buying Comunicaciones of Guatemala, Atlético Nacional of Colombia and Santos of Brazil. He is the owner of a company called Omnilife http://200.76.177.21/ Jorge Vergara Madrigal http://www.geocities.com/chivaschingon/articulo21202.html Oficinas Generales: (01 33) 3540-6664 en Guadalajara, Jal., México Since he's into buying Soccer teams and since Miami is the Gateway to Latin America, it would make sense for him to invest here. Think of the off season Cups, all his teams could play here in Miami! I'm looking for his email and I'll post it if I can find it. It would be great to contact him and see what he thinks.
nice, but a few problems 1)need $10,000,000 2)need a large fan base 3)need a stadium (not lockhart) even if you had these, i don't see MLS returning to Florida anytime soon. There are cities that want franchises and MLS will give them franchises instead of givin Miami or TB a second chance. Sorry bud.
Re: Re: New Fusion Investor ? JMMUSA8, Like leca said MLS would jump at it. It's only a matter of time before we have a team here in Miami again. Face it, nobody wants to go to the Boston area, everybody wants to come to Miami.
So what, other than the fact that he wants to buy teams other than the Fusion, leads you to believe that he wants to invest in the Fusion?
I can only pray that someone like this would invest in SoFla. By the way, interesting that the price for a new franchise is now down to $10MM, from $20MM. I keep reading how well MLS is now doing, why drop the price? I guess the former Fusion owner made a mistake by not taking that $18MM offer a year and a half ago. It seems his investment is depreciating.
Re: Re: New Fusion Investor ? I'm just thinking out loud, hoping we can somehow get a hold of the guy and see what he thinks. The dude made close to a billion last year, I think he's got the money to do it.
im not saying MLS shouldn't expand back into Florida, but the likeliness of them doing that is small. I'd like to see a Florida team as much as you would, in fact my second fav team was the the Mutiny. But don't expect a team anytime soon. Maybe by 06 or 08. MAYBE as for your boston comment, theres a reason why we get important national team games and cup games. 61,316. Number sound familiar?
Yeah, I know it will be awhile before we get a team but I'm just saying that if we get an Investor like this Jorge Vegara guy then we have a better chance of getting one sooner. About the Boston comment all I was saying is that people preffer to come to Miami then almost anywhere else. I preffer National team games up there because here in Miami there are too many foreigners. It sucks to see your national team play at home yet the oposing team has more fans...
I thought Horowitz still has dibs on Miami since he hasn't been bought out or anything. This guy would have deal with KH first and then with MLS. If he has all of those other teams, I can't see him wanting to buy into a league instead of a team he could operate as he sees fit.
Re: Re: New Fusion Investor ? First of all. Just looking at this superficially it looks ideal. The fact that this guy has connections with S. American teams is significant for a town like Miami. For a recent pre-season exhibition tournament including one of the above mentioned teams National de Medellin there was 25-30k for thier games alone. Also I personally know several National, Communicaciones, Saprisa, Emelec and Santos fans. I think the synergy involved may unite all parties in further enhancing the marketability of a Miami team. Such a team may even incorporate aspiring young players from such teams to play as one of the 3 "foriegner" for such an MLS squad. This sounds like an interesting senario for all parties. PS: By the way Bilf (last post), MLS and commish Garner already made it clear in a statement about 1-2 months ago that Ken Howowitz though still involved with MLS does not own any rights to the S. Florida area. I would have given you the presice quote immediately had the moderators and administrators in these boards did not consistently erase post even from a small thread like this one.
Re: Re: New Fusion Investor ? Smart ass, you know what I meant... MikeT caught my idea and improved on it. I totally agree, this scenario would be ideal for this guy and would defintely create a unity amongst fans of all those teams mentioned here in Miami. It would unite local fans under the Fusion or whatever they want to call the new team. I've gone mad looking for this guys email but no luck, only general emails. I'm going to write to one of them and see what comes up. I'll let you guys know.
Miami is not the gateway for Mexico. If this guy is a Mexican investor looking possibly to branch out into MLS it would make more sense for him to look into Arizona, New Mexico, California,or Texas.
Re: Re: New Fusion Investor ? furie, Miami is the gateway to "Latin America" and that includes Mexico. I'm looking at the big picture. Jorge Vergara is buying teams from Central and South America. All this while he is the CEO of Omnilife (similiar to Herbalife, vitamin suplements, etc). He's already big in the America's with his products and he is going to look at the European market pretty soon. He is buying Soccer teams for a reason and it's more then just love of the sport, it's part of the whole package. His teams no doubt will be sponsored by his own company. Texas or the other states you mentioned would be an option for him if he were to concentrate on the Mexicans alone, but he's looking at the whole enchilada. Miami is where everybody wants to go in the Americas and in Europe. It's a good base of operations and a Miami Soccer team would be a better start then anywhere else.
Chichi, I'm so sorry to disappoint you, but your thread is made of pure expectation. I feel for you though. I think Miami deserve a team, not Tampa.
Re: Re: New Fusion Investor ? Yeah, but I'm actually trying to find an Investor, For Miami. Atleast I'm not sitting around. I wrote the guy an email. I hope he gets it...
Email!!!! Ok People, I got his email and that of a few of his people. I need for you guys to help me out and write him something, so he can see we actually want a team!!! CEO Jorge Vergara: jvergara@omnilife.com.mx Public Relations Director: btenorio@omnilife.com.mx Adminitrive Coordinator: jarredondo@omnilife.com.mx I wrote the email to Jorge Vergara and copied in the others. Hopefully one of our emails will get through. I stated why I think he should come to MLS and to Miami specificly. If you guys want I'll post my email. Thanks for your help!!!
Chichi, I emailed them also. Thanks for the email. Also, the city of Miami has been in discussion with the Florida Marlins in building a new $450MM stadium. This would be the perfect time for MLS and/or an investor to get involved. They could easily include a soccer stadium or combo. facility in this new venture.
I am not trying to damper anyone's spirits. I truly hope Miami gets their MLS team back. However, didn't Garber (or some other MLS bigwig) have a press conference in Miami after the MLS spring training and basically accuse Miami of being half-wit fans? I completely disagree with him, but I read it on Sports Illustrated and he (whoever it was) said the reason the Fusion were pulled was that the south Florida community sucked as fans. I thought it was rather unprofessional and rude myself. He used as some evidence, the fact that a international match and the MLS preseason matches down there were poorly attended. Any thoughts?
Just emailed.. to Sr. Vergara I suggest emailing to the other contacts. OrlandoS¡K MLS/Garber just are continuing to bash S Florida, to sustain their credibility, and warrant their fiasco, and mismanagement of the market. Why the heck would I go and see their crap venue, and pay after they jacked our team.??? Screw them¡K this is passion, and there is no love or support for the opponent. The reason we are going to get a team, in the next 2-3 years, is that eventually a smart I/O will see and understand the viability of this market ƒº NOT thanks, to a wet behind the ear non-soccer boyGarberPinocchio, Horrorbitch, Groupies & Co. that set us back 4-5 years.