Yeah, we know about this but it conflicts with Miami FC's season opener which is the 18th... we'll have to do a 2-day soccer weekend. http://football-miami-n-beyond.blogspot.com/2009/03/soccer-legends-invade-miami-will-play.html
Wouldn't it have been better if they both matches as a double header? That way the people that come out to watch the legends get to watch the FC, and get to watch there home opener maybe it will bring out more people to the other games through out the season...
If you support MFC you should not support the legends game. FIU thinks they are too good for MFC and would rather do soccer on their own. The 2 need to work together, but until that happens we should not support FIU soccer events.
I agree Lucho! It makes total sense to have a Double Header, more people would go to the game but it seems both FIU and Miami FC are playing hard ball. Miami FC doesn't want to pay the rent FIU wants and FIU would rather have an empty stadium then compromise. It doesn't make sense to me as I'm sure Traffic would organize other international games in addition to the Miami FC games and they need a stadium to do it in! FIU should say "We will lower the rent as long as you have a minimum of 15 games at the stadium" Thats just my 2 cents... I also agree with Pieter! If I have to pick I'll support Miami FC. The old foggies are cool but I've seen most of them in their prime so it's not that attractive to me. Vamos Miami FC!
One of the best ways we can show FIU they are wrong is to say "F*** you we're going to Tropical Park or Lockhart to watch Miami FC, we don't need your exhibition matches!" After a year of not getting nearly the money/exposure they wanted going the international route, they'll be more likely to let MFC in next year. Something that would benefit both sides would be MFC advancing deep into the US Open Cup and ended up playing Beckham or Blanco, or even better, somehow winning it and going to the CCL and playing some big Mexican teams. Then they could move the game to FIU as it would no doubt demand bigger capacity.
Two can play this game. There's no way I'll buy MFC tickets, let alone season tickets. I was supporting the MLS entry because it benefitted our school and I'm a soccer fan (I attend a lot of FIU soccer matches). FIU's athletic department doesn't run a charity. If you want to rent the stadium then pay the money. If you don't have the money, that's no one's fault but your own. I understand your not offering enough money to cover the stadium for use (including utilities, security, ushers, operators, etc.). Why would anyone (FIU) in their right mind lose money for a team that could fit their fans in our Soccer Stadium (why don't you use that?) Also, I love how traffic can't pay for rent, yet we are somehow going to lose money from (supposedly) traffic sponsored matches that would materialize, yeah right! They've just proven that they don't have the cash, so what's to lose. Go F I U!
Huh? I used to go to FIU, so I'm all for anything that benefits the University but we can get in a good debate on this... I mean, did FIU really need this stadium? All the money they spent on this stadium could have gone to a myriad of other uses. As a matter of fact the Soccer stadium you speak of could have been used for the football team if adapted. But that's a different monster. Lets go to the subject. Miami FC and FIU were ready to seal a deal before the MLS bid came up and then FIU dropped Miami FC, FIU backed out. You need to look up Traffic Sports, I dare say they are bigger then MLS. They organize Soccer tournaments for a living all over the world. FIU would benefit making a deal because the stadium will have many games played there, games that will otherwise be played in alternative stadiums. I'm sure the Athletic dept will be more then paid if a deal is made otherwise the stadium will have to live off of the very charity you speak of... these little benefits. If you don't want to go to Miami FC games it's fine with me. But It tells me you are not a true Soccer fan. You were all for the "flair" of MLS but are not willing to support Miami FC because they don't want to pay rent in your Stadium? Sorry, I am a true soccer fan, I've gone to FIU soccer games, I had Miami Fusion season tickets and I now have Miami FC season tickets, hell I even went to see Copa Latina games. I support Soccer in Miami no matter what. I live in Kendall but I'll gladly drive to Lockhart Stadium for the sake of Soccer and it looks like that will be the case. We need to support Miami FC by Attending the games. If Traffic notices the community is behind this team then they will build their own Stadium. Vamos Miami FC!
Absolutely right chichi. If your a true fan of soccer you ought to support MFC. FIU has nothing to lose by letting Miami FC play there, even for a reduced rent. Even on an absolutely best case, unbelievable Miami FC draw, that stadium won't be operating anywhere near capacity. Heck, MFC could probably run the show with their own staff. The football team uses the place 5 or 6 times a year. Include their practices and a healthy lineup of international soccer games, and you've still got a building that will be empty most of the time. Why not let Miami FC play there? MLS is NEVER coming to FIU Stadium. NEVER. If another bid tries to use that it will fail. They won't get anything better, so they need to work something out with MFC. That is if they want a semi-permanent tenant to make some money off of. That being said, other than the easy access, I don't think FIU is a very good USL venue. It's way too big and it has FieldTurf. Even though it's a nicer facility, Tropical Park or Ted Hendricks offer USL reasonable capacities and grass surfaces. Lockhart is big, but at least it has grass, and some historical significance. For MLS FIU would have made a fine temp venue, but it's overkill for USL, especially Miami FC. I'd rather they spend the money on players and play at Tropical Park then spend it on rent at FIU. If they end up there, I'm fine, but I don't think it's wise to go that big right now. Will it lend some credibility to MFC, sure. But we'll end up with a Marlins at Dolphin Stadium scenario where even a good crowd looks like crap.
+1 Don't let the majority of these posters bring you down, they have no clue about the business side of things.
No problem, I don't take anything that is said on a message board personally. I'm just trying to point out facts. Such as the following: FIU is going to cut $1 Million dollars from its athletic budget. http://www.miamiherald.com/sports/colleges/fiu/story/966354.html Does anyone seriously think that if renting the stadium to MFC was a money maker for Pete Garcia and FIU he would decline it because he "feels he's to good for MFC"? Be realistic, the reason this isn't getting done is because the MFC offer is a Money LOSER. Maybe you would like for FIU to lay off more people from our athletic department just to make you feel better about MFC? Also, if Traffic is this big entity (bigger than the MLS) why aren't they supporting you financially (they are your owners not FIU). If anything you should be pissed at them for having the funds and not spending it on MFC. In light of that, and since I'm not a real soccer fan, I think I will take the money that I had deposited for MLS and the additional money I would have spent on going to MFC matches and donate it to FIU. I'm sure MFC wouldn't have taken a "fake" soccer fans money anyway.
My 1st reaction, before I read the link, was "whatever, adios". Reading the link tells the story. If Garcia is cutting jobs to survive & has to ask for a certain amount to keep things going &, for whatever reason, Miami FC can't pay, then it is game over for using FIU Stadium. To me this is simply a business thing & the way it is & it is time to move on without any hard feelings or recriminations on anyone's part. Maybe next year things will be different enough that some accommodation can be reached. In the meantime attend whatever games you want wherever they are played with out getting on anyone's case about them not being there. It seems that we possibly lost an attendee to a Blues game or 2 because of some sort of misunderstanding. We can't afford to do that. ""Whatever, adios" does not apply. Sorry for the harsh words and the misunderstanding involved does.
I am an FIU alumni, and I love the school, but I wish there was a way they could get a deal done. Let's not get bitter over a stadium. If FIU does not want to MiamiFC there let's hope is for the right reasons, and let's play a Lockhart.
Didn't mean to offend anyone. I only speak as a soccer fan. I just don't understand why anyone would boycott our Miami team and see old fogies past their prime playing rather then see a team which we hope can win a title and play in CONCACAF champions. Do it for the school I guess. They should have done a double header as someone suggested earlier, to benefit the school and rally the community around our local team. Instead they will divide the community by having one game on a Saturday and another the next day, truly sad. I did read the link posted by FIUPantherFan before and it's sad they need to do cuts and all that. It makes you think if FIU really needed that stadium. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out business as Redknapp11 suggests... but I do wish a compromise is made between FIU and Miami FC. So I guess I'll be driving father to see games. So be it.
My interest in the 'old fogies' game is to see how FIU Stadium performs as a soccer venue. I think it should be excellent, but you really can't say until you've seen it in use. Too, it would be good to see El Pibe on the field one more time, even if it's just for old times sake...