Beckham's biggest challenge: Bringing soccer back to Miami

By Ryan Tolmich

For years, conventional wisdom surrounding Major League Soccer has stated that some things simply would never be. Soccer would never be able to pack stadiums, soccer-specific or otherwise. Big-name stars would never want to leave Europe behind for America. This sport, one beloved by millions all over the world, would never be more than niche at best or a fad at worst.

Conventional wisdom also stated that professional soccer could never succeed in Miami. It had been tried several times before, most notoriously with the ill-fated Miami Fusion from 1998 to 2001. In a town as fickle as Miami and in a league that has famously struggled for relevancy in big markets, there was reason to believe that those doubts about soccer were something much, much more. There was plenty of evidence that those doubts were actually facts.

But David Beckham doesn't deal with doubts and, in recent years, MLS hasn't believed in reeling in ambition in the face of that conventional wisdom. Those aspirations combined with Beckham's star power have brought soccer back to Miami despite the obstacles, and all involved believe that this time will be much, much different.

"Obviously I had a long career in the game and a pretty successful career in the game which I'm very proud of, but, as a person, as a professional, I always loved a challenge," Beckham said. "I always loved a challenge in playing, in business and in life in general. I always knew this was going to be a challenge, but I didn't realize how big of a challenge it was going to be."

He added: "It's been a long journey, but I always knew that it would be worth it from Day 1. People used to turn around and say to me, 'Why Miami?', and I was like, 'Really? is that a serious question?'"

To understand what the return to Miami means for the sport in the U.S., you must understand the league's history with the city. It's a history littered with failures and miscalculations.

In 1998, with MLS entering its third season, soccer came to Miami as part of the league's first-ever expansion process. The Fusion, playing in the league's first-ever soccer-specific stadium in nearby Fort Lauderdale, were meant to change the game. The league saw Miami for what it was and could be. It's a haven of Hispanic culture, a destination city for European travellers and a historic location in American society. In many ways, it was the perfect soccer city.

Except it wasn't.

Led by Colombian legend Carlos Valderrama, the Fusion drew 20,450 for their first game but, by season's end, that attendance averaged out at around 10,000 a game. In year two, the club dumped Valderrama as attendances dipped once again.

By 2001, the club was struggling financially, as was MLS. The league had lost an estimated $250 million during its first five years and MLS commissioner Don Garber decided amputation was the only way to truly stop the bleeding. After finishing first in the East with a team featuring future MLS stars like Nick Rimando, Kyle Beckerman and Pablo Mastroeni, the Fusion joined the Tampa Bay Munity in contraction as both teams ceased operations.

At that point, MLS was on life-support, and it was clear that the league was not mature enough to handle the challenges of Miami. Other franchises playing in Miami, the NBA's Heat, the NFL's Dolphins and the MLB's Marlins, have struggled for relevancy in a city has proven fickle no matter the sport. The Fusion, playing outside the city's boundaries in a league that many deemed inferior, never had a chance.

"I think the league was in a different spot at that time," said Garber. "It had so many challenges that our ability to go into a market that would be considered by most in the business a difficult sports market, we didn't have the strength and we didn't have the capacity and we didn't have the momentum and we didn't have the energy to really overcome big obstacles and Miami. Unfortunately at that time, it was a big obstacle.

"Atlanta is another good example, if we went into Atlanta at that time, we would not have Atlanta United. Frankly, I don't think we would have had it even if Arthur Blank was the owner. The country just wasn't ready. "

He added: "So that sort of teaches us, you know? Sometimes you'll learn from the mistakes you made. You have to have the courage to buck up, suck it up, make tough choices, and then be sure you don't make the same mistakes again."

In the months and years that followed the announcement that Beckham would bring soccer back to Miami, it appeared the league hadn't learned from those mistakes. The Miami market was once again proving difficult, this time before a team had even kicked a ball.

On February 5, 2014, Garber announced that Beckham had been awarded an expansion franchise in Miami, fulfilling the former midfielder's contractual write-in that allowed him to purchase a franchise for a reduced fee. The team would need to secure a stadium location, though. Awarding a franchise was easy, but that stadium turned out to be the hard part.

Proposal after proposal fell through. Stadium plans were repeatedly shut down by politicians. One plan featured the club playing on an artificial island near downtown. One featured a stadium near Marlins Park, home of the city's baseball team. The team also reportedly considered Riccardo Silva Stadium, a venue named after the owner of Miami FC, a lower division club that once employed Alessandro Nesta and has repeatedly brought MLS and U.S. Soccer to court over the country's lack of promotion and relegation.

"Everything that we tried to do to get this franchise up and running was a challenge," Beckham said. "It wasn't one thing from finding the land, picking what kind of stadium that we wanted, what kind of players we want, even down to what tiles we have in the showers. Everything was a challenge. I wasn't going to give up. I was never going to give up in any way. There were moments where I looked and thought that this might not happen. There were definitely moments like that.