Looks like Beckham & Claure's MLS Miami team is taking shape.

It's been almost a month since a certain David Beckham was seen at a Miami Heat game with Bolivian billionaire Marcelo Claure.
We first heard the rumor of a Miami MLS team between Claure & Beckham a few years back. But, not many took notice until a small mention on May 1, 2013 on the Washington Post by Steven Goff:

*Getting word a David Beckham-backed effort to bring MLS to Miami is about to pick up a steam and could go public in about a month. The league has prioritized a second club in New York for the 20th team and is intrigued by Orlando’s aggressive expansion campaign, but with Miami featuring Beckham and Dolphins management, Miami has quietly re-emerged. South Florida had an MLS team from 1998 to 2001, the Miami Fusion, which played at Lockhart Stadium in north Fort Lauderdale (30 miles from downtown Miami) but lacked the investment muscle and public will to survive. Commissioner Don Garber has said repeatedly MLS needs to expand into the South; currently, there are no teams south of Washington on the East Coast.

You can read the rest of the piece HERE.

Fast Forward to Tuesday May 28 when Simon Evans breaks out the news that Beckham is indeed on his way to Miami to meet with Marcelo Claure at a Heat game no less!
 Simon Evans wrote:

Former England captain David Beckham will visit Miami this week as he steps up his interest in owning a new Major League Soccer (MLS) team.

 Beckham, who played for L.A. Galaxy in the MLS, has an option to create a new franchise in the North American league.

 While the exact location is still to be decided, he will be in the Florida city to explore possibilities, according to former Miami mayor Manny Diaz.

 "Yes, he is coming. My understanding is that it's very exploratory at this stage," said Diaz, who took part in the last time a Miami-based MLS team was under discussion in 2009.

Read the rest of the article HERE.

A few days later on Thursday May 30th, anyone that watched the Miami Heat game could see Simon Evans was on the money about the meeting.

Having had a couple of days to work with, a few fans decided to have a Beckham rally to show support. Michelle Kaufman from the Miami Herald covered it HERE.

 Beckham ended up staying almost a week touring stadiums and taking in everything Miami had to offer. South Florida was a buzz with Beckham sightings across town. A couple of local news sites were able to get an exclusive interview with him.

“I think bringing an MLS team here to South Florida would be exciting,” Beckham told Miami's CBS4 News. “I think Miami fans are very passionate about the sport and about winning and of course, it would have to be success but it’s definitely exciting.”

 David eventually attended a second Miami Heat game and for the next few days the media continued to cover his visit, as fans also began to light up twitter and facebook with pictures and mentions of sightings.

A month later and as talk of Orlando's stadium project began to get attention. Brightstar CEO Marcelo Claure tweets a picture of David Beckham holding a Club Bolivar jersey (Bolivian Champions also owned by Claure) which indicates talks are still on going and mentioning Beckham as Claure's MLS partner on his Twitter account.

 It's an exciting time to be a South Florida resident and soccer fan. Hopefully we'll soon know if our Miami MLS dream will come true!

Want to be part of the South Florida MLS movement?
Join MLS Miami Bid:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MLSMiamiBid
Twitter: @Miami_MLS
Website: mlsmiamibid.com
Email: info@mlsmiamibid.com

South Florida Soccer News: More Red Bulls vs Strikers, Billboard and Flight 19.

Strikers Billboard is up! If you are headed Northbound on I-95 be on the look out for this new Fort Lauderdale Strikers sign pictures captured by Miami Ultra Pabony Rivera and Flight 19 member Derek Reese. It's between Sunrise and Oakland Park.
The good news we hear is that the Strikers front office is selling season tickets like hotcakes! The bad news we have heard is that last years MVP Christian Gomez and top scorer Abe Thompson will not be back this year. (Gomez is said to be headed to China). The absence of both are a tough blow for the offense of the team which seemed non existent during Saturdays game. A notable presence Saturday was Eduardo Coudet, the Argentine midfielder who played for the Philadelphia Union last year. Former clubs he played in include Celta de Vigo in Spain, San Luis in Mexico, and River Plate.
The Strikers defense looked solid against the Red Bulls considering they had only practiced for a week before their first scrimmage. There is no doubt the Strikers need some top fire power upfront and a good playmaker. Let's see what coach Daryl Shore comes up with as preseason continues.

In the picture below, fan favorite and Strikers defender Martyn Lancaster can be seen after the Red Bulls game with  forward Theirry Henry.  

Be sure to visit www.strikers.com for more info on the team as things heat up on the road to the season opener versus FC Edmonton April 9th at Lockhart Stadium.
Following is a video by Miami Ultra Alan Guevara.

 MLS News

South Florida resident and Reuters journalist Simon Evans has launched a new Reuters Soccer blog. His latest piece is an interview with Thierry Henry.

Q: Was the fact that America is still, in some ways, a new frontier for the sport and you have a role in spreading the game’s popularity, an attraction?

No, I know that people are always going to talk about me, Rafa (Marquez), Becks, Donovan, they will talk about us but it is up to everyone in the league, all of us, to perform well and attract more fans and let everyone see that MLS is serious. When you have things like the All Star game, I know its only a friendly, but again, it is a chance to show that you can compete. It is down to everyone, to Real Salt Lake, to Dallas to all the organizations in the league to make the league better, not only what you could call the ‘usual suspects’

Be sure to follow Reuters Soccer Blog on facebook http://www.facebook.com/reuterssoccer 

Flight 19
Flight 19 is a Fort Lauderdale and Broward County based supporters group dedicated to passionately supporting our local professional club team, the Fort Lauderdale Strikers, as well as South Florida soccer in general.

The group was conceived in 2010 by a handful of Miami Ultras members, as part of the broader South Florida United effort, to stir up support for local soccer in the Fort Lauderdale area, coinciding with the return of the legendary Strikers and North American Soccer League in 2011.

The group is named in honor of the flight of 5 TBM Avenger torpedo bombers that took off from Naval Air Station Fort Lauderdale(now Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood Airport) in December of 1945, disappearing in perhaps the most famous incident associated with the Bermuda Triangle. Our crest is based on the roundel insignia found on WWII era US Military Aircraft, the original NASL style soccer ball and the triangular shape of the Bermuda Triangle. The story of Flight 19 is part of the history of Fort Lauderdale, and considering the home of the Strikers, Lockhart Stadium, is situated on land that was once part of an airport built to train WWII Naval pilots, it is a fitting name to represent our efforts to honor Fort Lauderdale and our rich history.

Be sure to check out and join Flight 19 and follow them on Facebook and Twitter.