So I was down in Ft. Lauderdale just the other day and I was going to the Orioles Spring Training. My dad and I went to the game and low and behold, there was Fusion stadium right next door. I was pumped that I got to see it, but that made me think about a few questions. Why did they base a Miami team in Ft. Lauderdale where the population is predominantly white when they could be in Miami with a large Latino base? How hot was that stinkin' stadium in the summer? No shade at all? After seeing the stadium, I'm not surprised to see that they didn't draw well.
      As I've never been to Miami other than for two stopovers at the airport, I'm not that familiar with the area's demographics.       It might be telling, though, that Ft. Lauderdale is about 26 miles away from Miami, much like Frisco is about 24 miles away from Dallas - yet that team will still be called the Dallas Burn once it moves into its new stadium in 2005. So perhaps it was still okay to call the team the Miami Fusion.       It seems that several soccer-specific stadiums are or will be located several miles from the actual city their teams represent: Bridgeview is 9 miles away from Chicago, Carson is 21 miles away from LA, and the three currently-proposed sites for the Earthquakes new stadium are 0 miles (San Jose), 8 miles (Santa Clara) and 17 miles (Fremont) away from San Jose, respectively - but those teams will still be called the Chicago Fire, the Los Angeles Galaxy and the San Jose Earthquakes.       Which further illustrates the need for MLS teams to build soccer-specific stadiums from the ground up rather than to convert old high school or college stadiums. Certain amenities like a roof and strategically-placed concession stands and restrooms are easy to implement when building a new stadium, but tough to implement on an already-existing structure (was Columbus Crew Stadium built with the ability to add a roof later? ). -G
Yea everyone thought Lockhart was some dream of a stadium and gave MLS some sort of stature or something, but in reality lockhart was a highschool football stadium 45 minutes outside of miami. They refused to get a deal done with the Orange bowl so instead of plaing in tropical park or somewhere in miami the Fusion landed north of fort lauderdale. Day games were harsh, night games were ok. Too bad they were folded, but hey Miami doesn't deserve sports teams because no one is really a fan of anything down there.
Having gone to many matches at Lockhart, I can easily answer how hot it was for you: unbearable! When it wasn't too hot, it was raining that hard that it was unsafe to drive there. That never stopped me, but I'm insane. The best months for outdoor sports are Nov-Mar, but its too cold elsewhere to base a season during those months.
In my younger days, I played down there once. Unbearably hot. That said, I'm glad that they didn't take the O bowl. That place is huge. I only say this beacuse seeing the metros play in giant stadium is almost painful sometimes. Although I love them, seeing a stadium filled to one-eighth capacity hurts my feelinsg sometimes. Just a thought.
Hot, Humid, Rainy, it didn't matter. Those were the best years of my life. I was there at almost every game. Someday Soccer will be back and I'll be there, no matter where they play. http://www.soflastrikers.com/ http://www.soflastrikers.com/forums/
double.. AMEN .. soon, I think ! we will have a pro team, again !! FUSION times... where great times...!!! missed 6-7 games only..in 4 years... season ticket holder X 2 for all the years..
i went to one fusion game in april of 2000 or 2001, and my god was it hot, and i just noticed also when i went t down for o's spring training that harland stadium is still there, orioles wanna buy that property from wha i heard
Lockhart was electric when even at half capacity....too bad that wasn't more often... Too bad Ken Horowitz took his ball and went home...MLS down here was simply 'in the right market with the wrong owner'. It can and will work if we get someone down here with deep pockets. Let's face it, MLS would go to Anchorage if someone stepped up with some coin. That said, we'll probably see 25,000-30,000 in the OB for USA-Haiti tonight. What I love are those fans in SJ, Dal, KC that bad-mouthed our market when, in reality, their numbers were no better--and in some cases, worse than ours. You just happened to either have 'the Golden Boy' or a Phil/Lamar kindaguy bankrolling you. Support your local MLS team. You're still very lucky to have it.
By Jeff Bradley ESPN The Magazine Wednesday, March 17th, 2004 "5. I snuck into Lockhart Stadium, sat down on the turf and got a lump in my throat. What a crying shame that the third best existing soccer stadium in America has no team. I also have this recurring dream that some billionaire South Florida soccer fan walks up to Ray Hudson’s door with a sack of cash and says, “Build it again, Ray, and we will come.” "What a crying shame that the third best existing soccer stadium in America has no team. " "What a crying shame that the third best existing soccer stadium in America has no team. " "What a crying shame that the third best existing soccer stadium in America has no team." FUSION2001 Strikers2005
I certainly do hope that Miami gets pro soccer again. It's a great market and the media down there is VERY soccer friendly. The only thing that sucks about these things is you need people with big pockets to make this stuff happen. And unless you have someone else like that down in Miami who will stay committed to MLS and help to build an SSS, there won't be a team.
I think south Florida has the same problem that North Carolina has. Good soccer friendly communities, but when it comes to having a professional team, no one wants to ante up. The fan base is there, it just has to approached carefully and done right.
Though I'm very sad that the Fusion (and Mutiny) are gone, I used to go to Lockhart way back in the days of the Strikers vs. Rowdies. I hated the facility then, and I still don't like it now. There is no place to get away from the elements (and with my disaster/weather background I can speak on this topic) and this isn't a good thing. It's very dangerous for fans to be out during a storm. I'm not commenting on the atmosphere - it is great. I'm just commenting on the facility itself. It really is a glorified high school stadium. Regarding Jeff Bradley's comment, I wonder what the Charleston Battery would have to say about Lockhart being the 3rd best soccer facility??? I believe Blackbaud Stadium would beat Lockhart hands down. Just my 2 cents!
Sorry !!! to disagree on this…Mutinywxgirl LockhartSSS…is beautiful, in its simplicity…and the phenomenal closeness to the action. When you get 12-15k it is simply one of the best venues around.. I don’t think that Bradley, ONLY !!!! considered the stadium, as a architectural 3rd… I would think and believe.. he, like me, envisions the FUSION at Lockhart, with that in mind is definitely a top 3 … MLS venue. Yes ? Charleston has a nice operation…but not the MARKET as we have here… Surely ! the history at Lockhart with the Strikers, and Fusion… makes most locals… identify Lockhart, as one of the best …soccer venues in US.. NOT as glorified HS field !?!?!?! For goodness sake..they play full internationals here…it meets the worlds standard !! You are a soccer girl, I don’t know…if you seen many games outside USA, but a spruced up Lockhart keeps up with many world pitches.. (of course discounting the multi billion dollar clubs, and the new temples they built for the game) And the “weather” ? yes ! is not for all, but the game is played in such conditions in hundreds of stadiums around the globe… or we can freeze..our butts of, and play in snow.. @%$&#!? Each team brings in a factor of advantage against its opponents…and if the weather is hot and the occasional storm. so be it…let opponents beware… it is part of the game.. my 2 cents ps SEE the above picture…it looks like 20,000 proud … Lockhart fans… To bad, to sad, WE, the I/O, MLS, and partially some of the fans could not see a good thing then…but many are coming about… including Bradley. In today’s sorry 10 team MLS…with all the confusion of expansion …!?!?!? LockhartSS, and the Fusion2001, look better every day…. To SAD
by orlandosoccer2 "I sent an email to the director of A-League. He told me that there are groups trying to bring a A-League team to South Florida. He said its probably likely for 2005, but nothing is firm." 2001 Fusion 2005 Strikers 2008 Real Miami
I heard rumors in 1999 and 2000 that there'd be a name change to something like Florida Fusion, South Florida Fusion, etc. CCS was built with that ability. The idea is to expand the seating capacity, then add a roof. The thinking on that was that it's somewhat hard to expand when you've got a roof.
Adu's night of adoration can't drown out reality The 14-year-old phenom draws mixed reviews after teammate Craig Capano scores the only goal in a friendly against Haiti. BY MICHELLE KAUFMAN mkaufman@herald.com ''Freddy! Freddy! Freddy!'' echoed the children's voices through the Lockhart Stadium tunnel moments after the U.S. Under-20 national team defeated Haiti 1-0 on Wednesday night in Fort Lauderdale. The chants got louder as 14-year-old Freddy Adu, the highest-paid soccer player in America, made his way through the throng of autograph seekers. At one point, a barricade came down, opening a flood of fans racing toward the 5-foot-7 phenom. Within seconds, Adu was surrounded by eight bodyguards, who escorted him to the locker room. ''It's weird, that's the only way I can describe it, weird,'' Adu replied, when asked about the fan frenzy. ``But it's good for the sport, and it helps us all out. A lot of people say I'm the savior of soccer, but soccer doesn't need a savior. We all just do our part.'' Adu admitted he felt a bit uneasy being showered with such love when his teammate, 18-year-old Craig Capano, scored the winning goal. In fact, Adu didn't play one of his better games in this match, which drew 9,105 fans -- many of whom came to watch him. ''It does feel awkward,'' Adu said. ``This guy right here [pointing to Capano] scored the goal, and he should be getting all this. But what can I do? There are people who want my autograph, so I do my best to give it to them.'' U.S. coach Thomas Rongen, a native of the Netherlands, watched the scene in amazement. ''I haven't seen anything like that since I left my country,'' Rongen said. ``I used to see it with Johann Cruyff, but to see it in this country is wonderful for the game. To see that pure passion, adoration really, is pretty special. This young man is giving us a lot to cheer about.'' POTENTIAL THERE Adu showed flashes of the brilliant potential that led Nike to sign him to a $1 million contract and Major League Soccer to make him their highest-paid player at $500,000 per year. His first touch belied his youth, and he made some moves that are not seen on high school fields. But he didn't dazzle. A few of his back heel passes went toward the feet of Haitian players. Capano and Eddie Gavin, who had the assist on the goal, played better, as did Ricardo Pierre-Louis of Haiti, but everybody was talking about Adu. ''There is something special there, for sure, but he is far from a finished article,'' said former Fusion and D.C. United coach Ray Hudson. ``This is not the Rembrandt of soccer here. He is an exquisitely gifted little footballer, but he's still a little chicken coming out of the egg. It's just that he's the first player in America to reach this height of attention, so the expectations are tremendous. ``And it is not just what he is doing on the field. Look at what he is creating with the public. That is special.'' Former Fusion midfielder Jim Rooney agreed. ''You can see that he has it, because his first touch is immaculate, he gets the ball under control very fast, and that's the key to being a great player,'' Rooney said. ``He does the right thing with the ball, but people have to understand he's 14 years old. He is being paid for his potential.'' PEERS CRITICAL A few teenage fans were harsher critics. ''I don't think he's that special, I expected more,'' said Robert Cannon, 15, who plays for the Plantation Eagles. ``I thought he'd take out the whole team and score a couple goals.'' Darrin McFarland, a 15-year-old for the Weston Warriors, piped up: ``All he does is back heel passes. I thought he'd be better.'' Alex Jean-Pierre, a 15-year-old teammate of Cannon, was a bit kinder. ``He's only 14, and he's playing against guys much older than him. I don't think we've seen how good he can be yet. But there is no way he's a superstar. He's not [David] Beckham or Ronaldinho or Roberto Carlos. At least not yet.'' www.soflastrikers.com
This in response to the original message in this thread, which is kind of silly since it was a few months ago, but what the heck. I wouldn't say that Ft. Lauderdale, or Broward County, is predominately white. There is a HUGE latino population all throughout Broward County these days, and it's constantly growing. If I was to put an MLS franchise in South Florida, I would opt for Broward County ahead of Dade anyday of the week.
Since Lockhart is an awesome stadium and it sounds to me like there are tons of crazy a$$ soccer fans, the US Open Cup final needs to be played there. Not only can it get a good crowd, it can show future owner that soccer can work there.