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File this under "More BarcaUSA rumors".
Perhaps it is due to the fact that there has been all kinds of soccer news going on, US Open Cup Championship, CONCACAF Champions League, European Leagues etc that this story has gone for the most part un-noticed. Or perhaps it is because it has mainly been making the rounds in Spanish language media such as Univision and ESPN Deportes but this story could be the biggest of today.
Here is an excerpt courtesy of Univision:
"BARCELONA - El presidente del equipo de futbol Barcelona, Joan Laporta, viajó a Estados Unidos, para entrevistarse con empresarios estadounidenses y de la Major League Soccer (MLS), para crear el proyecto de una franquicia del club blaugrana.
Laporta se reunirá con empresarios
Laporta se trasladó a Miami en donde sostendrá una reunión con empresarios norteamericanos, quienes tienen el proyecto de crear un club profesional bajo el nombre Barcelona USA, el cual participe en la liga profesional local.
Pese a que el proyecto se encuentra en su etapa inicial, Laporta ve con buenos ojos la expansión del conjunto español al mercado de Estados Unidos, el cual se han ganado poco a poco con las tres giras de pretemporada en territorio americano."
Translation:
"Barcelona - The president of soccer team Barcelona, Joan Laporta travelled to the United States, to meet with American businessmen and the Major League Soccer (MLS), the project to create a franchise of the club Blaugrana.
Laporta se reunirá con empresarios Laporta will meet with businessmen
Laporta se trasladó a Miami en donde sostendrá una reunión con empresarios norteamericanos, quienes tienen el proyecto de crear un club profesional bajo el nombre Barcelona USA, el cual participe en la liga profesional local. Laporta moved to Miami where they will hold a meeting with American businessmen, who have a project to create a club professional under the name Barcelona USA, which participates in the local professional league.
Pese a que el proyecto se encuentra en su etapa inicial, Laporta ve con buenos ojos la expansión del conjunto español al mercado de Estados Unidos, el cual se han ganado poco a poco con las tres giras de pretemporada en territorio americano. Although the project is in its initial stage, Laporta welcomed the expansion of joint Spanish to the U.S. market, which have gained gradually with the three preseason tours in American territory. "
NO. NO. STOP. THIS WILL MAKE MLS A JOKE OF A LEAGUE. CHIVAS USA WAS BAD ENOUGH. THIS IS WORSE. NAME YOUR OWN DAMN TEAM MIAMI. If you get one.
Cannot they just call themselves Miami and have Barca's colors and a partnership. Why does it have to be Barca USA?
This is somewhat unrelated, but.....
I better not hear anyone say anything ever again about relocating the Wizards. All of Dallas (other than the 800 fans that showed up) as well as any MLS fan has to be embarassed by the emptiness of the stadium...(there is no way there were even 1,000). The CAB has never been even close to that empty.
Barcelona USA is a bad name. Why dont they just keep the "Miami Fusion" name and where the barca colors.
So, with Portland and St. Louis still in play along with the noisy Miami "bid," where do those shoe-ins Vancouver and Montreal now stand? I thought that our American league "needed" them.
Why doesn't MLS look at expanding the roster size and salary cap instead of the league?
Give the teams a chance to compete on the international stage.
I think they should move the KC Wiz out of KC. Thier attendance is embarassing nd their fan culture is weak.
HAhahaha, just fuckin' with you "anonymous"
First of all....great job mlsr for the exciting and awesome news these past couple of days....
and...this Might be a good idea, not a bad one...it might work, but just leave miami alone :D
I think this can be done tastefully, but it could look like a ugly Barca knock-off. Chivas, ugly. Real, OK. Arsenal in CO, best.
What I'm suprised by is Barca looking at Miami, not NY.
Maybeye New Yorkers are too good for a Barca knock-off.
OH GOOD. 600 people showed up to the most recent Marlins home game...and the Marlins are a decent baseball team. Miami doesn't deserve another chance, they don't support their teams.
If we're talking Florida, I'll be biased and say there should be a return to Tampa, but as the south goes ATL makes the most sense.
Come on Barcelona we want MLS. Miami soccer fans will welcome you with open arms. Do keep the name of Miami Fusion. Barca/Miami Fusion?
Blake,
The Rowdies are returning to Tampa in 10' as a USL club. A $50 Million franchise fee is an unreasonable sum for a lot of investors.
Barcelona we want MLS in Miami
Cannot they just bring back the Fusion name and let Barca run the team? Barca USA makes this league look like a minor one, just like Chivas USA does!
Why BarcelonaUSA?
Because why would a superclub invest in MLS to further their brand globally without branding the team in their name/colors.
A Barca owned Miami Fusion or Miami FC does nothing for Barca.
Duh.
Keep your money Barca and stay out of our league with you bs "BarcaUSA" knockoff
I'd rather have no team in Miami than some crap like that
GREAT NEWS!!!! FOR THE FANS IN MIAMI.
I WISH YOU THE BEST.
FROM A ST. LOUIS FAN.
not everyone in miami likes barcelona. so why would you name the team barca usa? thats just lame. fusion is terrible as well. sounds good to 8 year olds i guess. lets be original here. why not fc miami? stop naming teams after actions!
fusion just reminds me of poor mid 90's marketing.
or of an injured soccer hating golf pro who sells razors.
I am from Barcelona and a Barca fan. Like Chivas US, a Barcelona US team is not a good idea. The MLS has to be an independent league.
Moronic. We still need to get rid of Chivas USA. Stop adding these Mickey Mouse Little League Teams!!! No Barca USA. If you wanna have a team and make them wear your colors that's one thing. But name them MIAMI FC and let them be their own entity. Damn!
MLS IN MIAMI...(NOT IN FT.LAUDERDALE LIKE THE "MIAMI" FUSION WERE)...IS SOMETHING THAT NEEDS TO HAPPEN.
Tampa Bay is far more deserving of an MLS franchise than Miami (yes I know "deserving" has nothing to do with it: it's all about money). Check the history, check the attendance figures, both NASL and MLS. The Rowdies are returning, they will play in USL in 2010. Logically this is a step towards a return of Tampa Bay to MLS, when the investors are there. Go Rowdies!
As for the Barcelona USA idea, I agree, the team name needs to have Miami in it. But let the Fusion name die; there's nothing special about it. Instead, have FC Barcelona team up with the Traffic Group, the South American company who own the USL team, Miami FC. That way you get a stronger ownership group, including people who already have some experience operating in the Miami area.
What to call the team? Simple: combine the names "Miami FC" and "FC Barcelona": you get "Miami FC Barcelona". FC Barcelona gets to advertise their name, Miami gets to keep its city identity.
Use the same blue and maroon stripes that Barca uses for team jerseys, but alter the Barca shield to stress the local identity: change the initials from FCB to MFCB, change the English St. George cross flag in the upper left of the shield to the Florida state flag (white with red St. Andrew's cross and state seal in center), and change the red and yellow Catalan stripes in the upper right corner of the shield to the Miami city flag (orange, white, and green horizontal tricolor with city seal in center). Leave the rest of the Barca shield unchanged. That way you get a melding of the FC Barcelona and Miami identities, and everyone is happy.
Come on Barcelona beautiful Miami is ready for MLS.
How about we call them Miami Florida Barcelona Spain Football Club.. USA.
MFBSFC-USA I'll bet that'd sell some tickets. If theyre based in miami call them miami. not barca. Then we could find a non profit organization to sponsor them and make another mls team completley unoriginal.
FC MIAMI!
Barcelona/Miami FC make it happen.