David Beckham and his Miami expansion side have been struggling to get a soccer specific stadium built in downtown Miami, which has thwarted their attempt become the 21st MLS franchise.
But on Tuesday, Becks got a big win when the Miami county commissioners basically punted on the stadium issue by voting unanimously to have Mayor Carlos Gimenez formally
“propose using Florida International University’s stadium as a temporary home for the franchise,”
The stadium, which is on the campus of Florida International University (FIU) in Miami and in recent years it has hosted CONCACAF Gold Cup matches and international friendlies involving club sides and national teams.
With a capacity of 20,000, this is the perfect size for a MLS franchise and gives Miami Beckham United, the name of the prospective MLS ownership group, what he needs while he looks for a permanent solution.
According to a Beckham spokesman, the former Manchester United and LA Galaxy star is actively looking at four or five sites.”
“Things are progressing in Miami, and we are very much on track in our plans,” spokesman Tadd Schwartz wrote in an email to MLSsoccer.com. “David Beckham is very positive about the future of the club, and he continues to enjoy incredible support from the people in Miami.
“Right now, our focus is on identifying the location for a purpose-built stadium that will be the team’s permanent home. Careful consideration will be given to FIU when we address the opportunities for a temporary facility.”
In a recent interview with EOnline, Beckham sounded optimistic that a solution is near.
“We’re pretty close to announcing certain things and then the stadium will come after that,” Beckham told EOnline. “You can’t build a stadium overnight, so finding the right site, finding the right place in Miami is important for that.”
But with a place to play in, Beckham can start to put together the framework of an actual soccer club now. It will be interesting to see if he goes and gets a big name European or South American coach to help spur some interest in the club locally, or whether he goes the NYC FC route, and goes with someone who understands the quirks of MLS?
