MLS Miami - Marcelo Claure interview, he wants in!

Discussion in 'Inter Miami CF' started by chichi, May 27, 2011.

  1. WhiteStar Warriors

    Mar 25, 2007
    St.Pete/Krakow
    Club:
    FC Tampa Bay Rowdies
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    I can't believe some people haven't heard of wikipedia or just plain research.
     
  2. Miami_Soccer

    Miami_Soccer New Member

    Feb 27, 2008
    Miami FL
    Let me clarify a few things here. I'm one of the founders of La Academia.

    1st - I have probably gone to see more MLS games this year than what you have gone your entire life. I hold season tickets for the NYRB, and fly from Hollywood FL for all weekend games. Next week I'll be at the NY vs DC game. Not to mention the Gold Cup at FIU, and the USA game in Tampa. I sacrifice more both financially and time wise to follow MLS, than I would if I was going to the Strikers games.

    2nd - The aim of La Academia is to support MLS with or without a team in SoFlo, is not a supporters group as we are not following a team, but a league. La Academia does not promote the Strikers simply because Traffic has taken themselves out of the MLS conversation by not coming out and publicly make a statement they are bidding for MLS just like every other team in USL and NASL have done. Plus there is a clear conflict of schedules.

    3rd - I don't understand why the hate towards a group that wants to promote MLS here in SoFlo, we have never said anything bad about the Strikers, or the Ultras, we think what they are doing is great, but we think is also important to keep the conversation going about MLS, and try to connect with those fans that want to follow MLS but do not know where to go. Is not as if we were promoting EPL or La Liga, that would be asinine.

    4th - The name came from a conversation the founding members had with Diego Serna at a restaurant. I used the term to try to understand what Diego was saying (which by the way was totally unrelated to our group), and he said no "that is not what I mean", but term stuck with me, and it sounded perfect, so we picked it. We had no idea that it meant anything to Claure, it was just a freak coincidence.

    My last point is this, I spend the last 4 years following a team with an ownership in Traffic that had no intentions of bringing MLS here, I don't want to see my self in 4 or 5 years and say whao, San Antonio has a team, Detroit has a team NY has 2 teams, and I still watching D2. I want to consume MLS now, and I will promote and enjoy the league now, and I will follow any ownership who is seriously willing to bring MLS to Florida, and yes I mean anywhere in Florida, Miami, Ft. Lauderdale, West Palm, Orlando, and even Tampa, right now that ownership is not Traffic, but Marcelo Claure.

    One last thing, if you want to join us for an MLS road trip let me know we have one coming in August 12.
     
    1 person likes this.
  3. SYoshonis

    SYoshonis Member+

    Jun 8, 2000
    Lafayette, Louisiana
    Club:
    Michigan Bucks
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    WSW spouts off without having a clue what he's talking about. Again.

    Shocking.
     
  4. pace8

    pace8 Member

    Aug 17, 2006
    Miami and Montreal
    Club:
    Montreal Impact
    Nat'l Team:
    Haiti
    The only way an MLS team can survive in South Florida is if they were to play in a SS retractable roof stadium. Its too damn hot in the summer. Alot of people don't go to Marlins and Dolphins games because of that.
     
  5. OleGunnar20

    OleGunnar20 Member+

    Dec 7, 2009
    Club:
    Manchester United FC
    perhaps you should look at the demographics a bit more carefully. Miami MSA has a very old population (strike one) and a very high poverty population (strike two) and a very poorly educated population (strike three).

    there is one thing that Seattle, Portland, Toronto, Vancouver, Montreal all have in common demographically? they are very young, well educated and low poverty/high wealth MSAs ... which just so happens to correspond nicely with MLS fan base demographic ....

    and, and let's not forget that Miami is decidedly mediocre when it comes to the attendance of the pro sports teams it already has ...

    miami and tampa would both suck for MLS expansion ... again ... they'd be lucky to get 12-14K a game after the first few seasons. they are not another portland or montreal or vancouver or philly ... they are the past and should remain there. accept that fact and enjoy supporting what will be quite nice D2 teams.

    and a quick check tells me that FLS are averaging about 4,500 thru 7 games and FCTB about 3,000 thru 8. yeah, that is pretty good for D2 but that isn't blow your socks off, MLS pounding down your door to get you kind of numbers. Portland was doing 10K and Montreal is doing 11-12K (and has been for years) so feel free to come back when your teams have averaged about 8K+ for 5 or more consecutive seasons and then we can talk about "how strong" the soccer market is in Miami and Tampa .... (and no, you do not get credit for "improvement" because your attendance in the past was embarrasing ... nice to improve but you don't get credit for going from suck to what should be normal and expected).
     
  6. drSoFlaFan

    drSoFlaFan DEFEND THE FORT!

    Feb 25, 2008
    Plantation, FL
    Club:
    Ft Lauderdale Strikers
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    That's only partially true. Yes, it's too hot to sit and watch a football game which takes 3.5 hours and is played at 1:00 PM, or a baseball game that theoretically could never end and is always prone to rain delays.

    Soccer however is almost always played at night down here, and as long as there is a roof that covers some of the fans it would be fine. And soccer only takes 2 hours. A retractable roof is not necessary, but a SSS is.

    We can't have a team down here playing on a college campus with plastic grass, or playing at Sun Life getting raped with the kind of terrible lease the Marlins have enjoyed over the years.

    Traffic may not have come out publicly saying they want to be in MLS, but they haven't publicly said they don't want to be in MLS either. And besides, that's pretty much irrelevant. Seattle and Vancouver weren't really gunning for MLS from the start. But the good support they had sparked interest from their owners, as well as other investors, to get on board and make the push when MLS was accepting bids. And it made MLS want to accept those bids. Up until this season, Traffic has had no reason to make a push for MLS considering the crappy support from the community they got for Miami FC, and MLS has had no reason to believe that we could support a team. Now that they are seeing the dividends of what can happen if you do things right down here, MLS could very well be in their plans for the future.

    There is no better way in my eyes to show MLS we want a team back then to support the club we have now, the Strikers. It certainly doesn't hurt the cause. Bad D2 support is not an indicator of how well MLS would do, but good support definitely is a positive. So those of us who are supporting the Strikers are doing our part to let MLS know we want division 1 back in South Florida.

    There is an open invitation for you guys to come back out to Lockhart anytime. We appreciate the work being done to keep MLS in South Florida on the minds of the league and fans alike. But we'd love to have you guys join us at a few Strikers games too.
     
  7. Miami_Soccer

    Miami_Soccer New Member

    Feb 27, 2008
    Miami FL
    Montreal, Portland, Seattle, Vancouver, San Antonio, Cosmos, Atlanta, Ottawa all revealed their MLS intentions in different ways before their bids started, but even if you think they didn't, they did not used they funds to buy the league they play in, Traffic has positioned itself as a competitor to MLS with vested interest in a league, and there is nothing fans can do to change that. Traffic has no intentions to go MLS not matter how many people show up for the games. I hear the attendance so far is around 5k, imagine what the attendance would like if Tim Robbie says, we have formed an exploratory committee to see if we could jump to MLS in the next couple of years, the committee will be accessing the interest of investors and sponsors. That is how you build momentum, I think something like that would take attendance to 8k-10k, I do agree with you that going to the Strikers games is important, but without the support of the ownership MLS will not happen. I have the possibility to see live MLS action in probably the best SSS in the nation every 2 or 3 weeks, and that is why I don't go to see the Strikers. The way I can contribute right now is by keeping the MLS conversation going, and try to connect with other MLS fans.
     
  8. Lucho305

    Lucho305 Member

    Inter Miami CF, Junior de Barranquilla
    United States
    Jul 9, 2008
    Miami
    Club:
    Miami FC
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Ok guys, we are seeing the light of recieving an MLS team yet again, though this time, there is more of a base.. First we had a game at sun-life with over 70,000 fans to watch Chivas vs Barcelona, and we passed, now they are throwing us a curveball with this US v Honduras match for the 8th of October, we need to show that we have passion for the sport but that we have U.S. Pride as well, we have to show the rest of this country that we are one with them..

    Lets pack that stadium, and get MLS investors rolling in on the Idea for a Miami MLS team... I feel it we right there, the Barcelona vs Chivas shut the doubters up, but we face a harder test coming up lets get the mouths rolling on this US match and get people out there, if we get hell 50,000 atmost for this match we will get a MLS team in the coming years..

    Remember its a test use word of mouth to get people out to these games... Also for those who go to the Dolphins games, spread the word, put it in your facebook status's.. Tell the sports bars to put up signs, lets get people put to that match on October 8th its on Saturday at 6pm!!! Lets pack that stadium, beat the hondurans, cheer for USA, and get that MLS team Miami so desperately wants!!
     
  9. Macsen

    Macsen Moderator
    Staff Member

    Nov 5, 2007
    Orlando
    Club:
    Orlando City SC
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    And how many of those people actually lived in Miami? I'm willing to bet a vast majority of those fans were from either Barcelona or Guadalajara.

    And a USMNT match is no good measure either. A lot of those fans will be flying in from other parts of the country, as well as fans from Honduras.

    If those were "good measures", wouldn't cities like Nashville and Charlotte have teams by now?
     
  10. Smoke & Mirrors

    Jul 18, 2010
    Club:
    Ft Lauderdale Strikers
    Nat'l Team:
    Germany
    Rays, first congrats on your team's championship. We are envious, and hoping we'll get a chance to challenge that 11,200 number in an NASL final match at Lockhart!

    Your very factual and logical words above will fall on the deaf ears of Lucho and a handful of his friends who continue to refuse to see the reality of pro soccer, and American soccer in general in South Florida. I'm all for his passion for soccer. The problem is you are 100% right when you say that turnouts for Barca matches mean ZERO when you start talking about MLS expansion. The USMNT has slightly more significance, at least it's American soccer, but again, it's a completely different animal then top level pro club soccer here. An extremely small percentage of the fans that packed Sun Life for Barca/Chivas would ever consider going to an MLS game, let alone buy regular season tickets. It's disappointing, but in Miami it's just reality.

    You can't argue with history, it is black and white. history tells us that the only successful pro soccer team in South Florida has been the Ft. Lauderdale Strikers. I won't knock the Fusion too much, but with smarter better organization, they should have been able to survive. They made two mistakes. The only owner they could get involved was not a soccer guy. That isn't a killer by itself, as plenty of other teams had the same situaiotn and made it. But his lack of passion for the game was obvious in the end, wasn't it?

    The other problem was how they tried to market the team. The Miami Fusion ignoring the tradition, glory, and passion of the only team ever to succeed in South Florida before them, the Ft. Lauderdale Strikers? Really? Miami Fusion not playing in Miami even? Not that that would have worked either. There's a HUGE red flag for all the MLS in Miami lovers. Where did the Miami Fusion play Lucho? It wasn't in Miami. The club at least had enough werewithal to understand they'd have died off much sooner if they'd tried that. But the problem was thay seemed to believe the fallacy that some others tout - that somehow the name Miami will just work, no matter what. That there is some allure to the name Miami. Well, if you're talking about clubbing at South Beach, I won't argue. Talking NFL? I'm with you again. But pro soccer - not a chance. Who flipping cares about the name Miami in the pro soccer world? Actually the converse is the perception, the name Miami connected to pro soccer is a laughing stock.

    MLS in South Florida has as good chance as anywhere else, but only if you go after it the right way. Geez people, Garber said it himself - support what you've got - the Strikers. Not sure what it takes to make you understand this. It was plain, simple english. If we can partner with the club to work hard to rebuild the Ft. Lauderdale Strikers tradition to where it was once before, MLS would not ignore us. And all the excuses about Traffic not being interested in MLS are ridiculous. Who ainvests the kind of money in pro soccer that Traffic has, aspires to D2 and then says, you know what, that's enough for us, we'll just stop here?!? Hello McFly?!? You want to know why Garber told us what he did about the best way to MLS? Because Traffic isn't going to bother with MLS talk unless it sees a large enough fanbase in place first. You may not like that, it might even piss you off, but it's not like it's off the wall. It's not even unreasonable. There is nothing, I repeat nothing, stopping Traffic from pursuing an MLS bid for the Strikers, especially if they got someone like Beckham or Claure to partner with them. They don't need to walk away from NASL and the time and money invested in it either. They simply make the Silverbacks or evne better, the Railhawks, their NASL "flagship" franchise.

    Anyway, as he usually does, Lucho has got me fired up. LOL I'm still waiting for him to come down to Lockhart and experience the only pro soccer in his area himself, and I've even offered to buy him a beer. As a leaving off point, I'd offer this. A nice crowd at Sun Life on Oct. 8th would be nice. If the Strikers aren't playing I'd even try to attend myself. But just because of the nature of the situations, I'd say that from the perspective of MLS opportunity, I think it's more important for us to put up great attendance numbers, much like Orlando did, for playoff games. An NASL finals leg at Lockhart with 5 figure attendance would definitely get Mr. garber's attention, and it would be us doing exactly what he said we should do to get on MLS radar again - supporting the Strikers.
     
  11. Macsen

    Macsen Moderator
    Staff Member

    Nov 5, 2007
    Orlando
    Club:
    Orlando City SC
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    MLS ignored that history. By the time they figured it out with the Earthquakes (not that it's helped them much, mind you, as two titles under the two greatest NA attacking midfielders in history, Landon Donovan and Dwayne De Rosario, couldn't save them from moving to Houston), it was too late to save Tampa Bay, and Miami was taken as a knee-jerk reaction. Or was it the other way around? Either way, both markets got screwed in the deal, as both were ascendant in 2001.

    They even tried to pull the same with Seattle, but the fans weren't having it. When "Sounders" was left off the fan poll, virtually everybody wrote it in. So they didn't even bother with Portland and Vancouver: they went with the fans.

    When your markets get back to MLS, they need to not make the same mistake again. It has to be as the Strikers and the Rowdies.
     
    1 person likes this.
  12. FIUPantherFan

    FIUPantherFan Member

    Dec 20, 2008
    Miami
    Club:
    Tottenham Hotspur FC
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    I know most of you don't like the idea of the team in Miami, but here's FIU's announcement of the expansion of the stadium, in addition, the north stands will be set back to meet FIFA specifications so we could host more Gold Cups which have been pretty succesful at FIU. Marcelo Claure's Brightstar HQ's are literally 10 minutes down the road from FIU and they do have a history, I wonder if they are still talking. The capacity will be just right for MLS 20-25k and it is ready to go. I know most of you prefer a grass field, but that hasn't stopped Seattle.

    [​IMG]

    Here is a photo of the stands that are going to be demolished an essentially replaced by similar looking stands as the rest of the stadium.

    [​IMG]
     
  13. Smoke & Mirrors

    Jul 18, 2010
    Club:
    Ft Lauderdale Strikers
    Nat'l Team:
    Germany
    Umm....there isn't anything in that article about soccer, pro or otherwise. The Sounders playing on turf in Seattle is the exception, nto the rule. The day will come when that organization has its own SSS with grass as well. And once again, forget Miami. Miami has not, does not, and will not support pro soccer. You want to watch pro soccer? Come to Lockhart on the 17th for the Strikers final regular season game. Come and enjoy what we have. If everyone would just do this on a consistent basis, we would have a legitmate shot at MLS. Just can't get why people don't see the obvious right in front of their eyes......
     
  14. Sempuukyaku

    Sempuukyaku Member+

    Apr 30, 2002
    Seattle, WA
    Club:
    Seattle Sounders
    Nat'l Team:
    United States


    LOL. Get real, pal. We average 36,000 fans per game, and just pulled in 46,000 fans for a REGULAR SEASON game this summer. Do you really think we're going to cut off our nose to spite our face because a couple folks on BigSoccer say so? Building an SSS in no-man's land suburb completely kills the awesome fanbase we've built.


    I think eventually we'll work out something so that we can have a grass (or hybrid) field with the Seahawks. But leave Centurylink? lolz

    Anyway, back to the Miami/Ft. Lauderdale MLS discussion. :)
     
  15. Chairman Mau

    Chairman Mau Member

    Jul 4, 2007
    Birdland
    Club:
    Kansas City Wizards
    Nat'l Team:
    American Samoa
    I still wanna see the "Boca Raton Juniors"
     
    1 person likes this.
  16. Macsen

    Macsen Moderator
    Staff Member

    Nov 5, 2007
    Orlando
    Club:
    Orlando City SC
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    You already do. They're called "magicJack". :p
     
  17. DKDynamite

    DKDynamite New Member

    May 16, 2010
    N of WPB
    Club:
    FC København
    Nat'l Team:
    Denmark
    It would be great to have a football team from South Florida in MLS.
    However, who is willing and able to pay that huge "entrance fee" to be part of MLS? Especially in these financial times, who is willing and able to take the risk?
    It's nice that The Don wants to make sure there is a "fan base" to help support the extravagant entrance fee for a MLS team and SSS. Along with making sure that the stadium whatever it may be has more than 6 people show up. FIU? Lockhart? other? oh and for the love of the beautiful game! NO TURF! and no American football lines!
    A successful team with a good stadium would attract more fans, it would take time, naturally.
     
  18. futbol in Miami

    Colombia
    Sep 11, 2011
    Miami
    Club:
    FC Internazionale Milano
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    unfortunetely that wont be enough. everyone is still convinced the "ft lauderdale fusion" was a failure. This is a tough market for MLS to break in. Miami is too much of a soccer snob i suppose, heck, i admit, i dont watch MLS at all. but i can tell you whats going on in other leagues around latin america and europe. ft lauderdale has history, but needs more support from the region.

    now i can only speak for myself, but I really want a team in Miami. and only Miami. just because a team has the potential to expand in S. Florida doesnt mean i have to automatically support it and pledge my allegiances to it. the rest of So. Flo can support a bid in ft lauderdale or west palm all you want and i wish you luck. but for me its either Miami or nothing.

    As for the Nats playing at Sunlife, im going for sure with friends. but im going not to prove that Miami loves soccer. the world knows we are soccer crazy. im going because im a fan. lets beat Honduras baby!
     
  19. Lucho305

    Lucho305 Member

    Inter Miami CF, Junior de Barranquilla
    United States
    Jul 9, 2008
    Miami
    Club:
    Miami FC
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Agreed, couldn't put it any simpler... Miami is snobby, and we feel we deserve our own team, we don't like to share.. I'll admit it too.. Miami is Miami, and the rest is Florida... Sorry guys..
     
  20. Smoke & Mirrors

    Jul 18, 2010
    Club:
    Ft Lauderdale Strikers
    Nat'l Team:
    Germany
    Here's the problem with that attitude Lucho.....you don't have enough people that feel the same that are willing to come out and support American pro soccer. If you told me Ft. Lauderdale was just too far for you to drive for games, I'd think it was weak, but at the end of the day I couldn't knock you for it because I don't know you or your life situation. But to just say you're too snobby, that is just a sign of exactly why American pro soccer will never work in Miami.

    Garber has made it 100% clear that South Florida fans are going to have to show MLS that they are willing to support American pro soccer if we're to have any shot of a future exapnsion team. Take a look around the area. The only way to currently support American pro soccer in South Florida is the Ft. Lauderdale Strikers. Anyone who is too snobby from 305 to do so can keep going to Barca friendlies, and an occasional USMNT game. But the rest of us know what needs to be done, and we're out there doing it.
     
  21. futbol in Miami

    Colombia
    Sep 11, 2011
    Miami
    Club:
    FC Internazionale Milano
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    You're exactly right. I would much rather attend occassional international friendlies than support the "only" viable bid in a city (Ft Lauderdale) i have no connection to.

    We have plenty of soccer to go around town. from mini tournaments, pick up games at local parks (which are normally packed), to cable and satellite games around the world we watch at home or pubs. and of course the occassional friendlies at Sun Life. We're doing just fine.
     
  22. Prime Time

    Prime Time Member

    May 1, 2004
    South Florida
    Have fun watching soccer on TV for much of the rest of your life.
     
  23. Prime Time

    Prime Time Member

    May 1, 2004
    South Florida
    If you're a part-time fan, yeah that would satisfy your thirst.
     
  24. Smoke & Mirrors

    Jul 18, 2010
    Club:
    Ft Lauderdale Strikers
    Nat'l Team:
    Germany
    It's a real shame that people like Lucho and futbol in Miami who claim to have a desire for American pro soccer in South Florida, aren't able to bring themselves to do what it will take to bring it here. It's that snobby unwillingness to support anything not named Miami that ensures you will never get the chance to see MLS in South Florida. Miami will never work. On a huge college football night in South Florida we drew just shy of 5,000 at Lockhart Saturday against the last place team. I can't wait for what we will see in the playoffs. You guys can wait every 5 - 7 years or so down in Miami for Barca or some other non-American club friendly to come around, hoping their top players even play. In the meantime, we'll continue building the Strikers fanbase and enjoy the only pro soccer franchise in South Florida, be it NASL, or someday MLS.
     
    futbol in Miami repped this.
  25. futbol in Miami

    Colombia
    Sep 11, 2011
    Miami
    Club:
    FC Internazionale Milano
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Part time or full time fan is irrelevant. I can only speak from experience, but the average soccer fan here is indifferent about having an MLS team here. That's just an unfortunate fact. If we get one, cool, if not then whatever. I would love to have a pro soccer team. But its out of my control and I've come to terms to the reality of the situation in miami.
     

Share This Page