Miami Fusion

Last updated

Miami Fusion F.C.
Miami Fusion (1997-2001) logo.svg
Full nameMiami Fusion Football Club
Nickname(s)Fusion
FoundedApril 9, 1997;27 years ago (1997-04-09)
DissolvedJanuary 8, 2002;23 years ago (2002-01-08)
ChairmanKen Horowitz
League Major League Soccer

Miami Fusion F.C. was an American professional soccer club based in the Miami metropolitan area. The club competed in Major League Soccer (MLS) as a member of the Eastern Conference. The team played from 1998 to 2001. Announced in 1997 as one of the league's first two expansion teams, their best season was 2001, when they won the Supporters' Shield with the best regular season finish. In 2002, after four years of lackluster ticket sales and revenues, MLS contracted the Fusion along with its other Florida-based team, the Tampa Bay Mutiny. The Fusion played their home games at Lockhart Stadium.

Contents

History

Early history

Major League Soccer announced a South Florida team in 1998 as one of its first two expansions, along with the Chicago Fire. [1] : 47  Miami businessman Ken Horowitz served as owner, the first new investor to join Major League Soccer since its founding in 1995. [1] : 64  The team's name, the Miami Fusion, was announced on July 8, 1997, at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in New York City ahead of the MLS All-Star Game. [2] [3] The Fusion debuted in the 1998 MLS season, playing in the renovated Lockhart Stadium, considered a forerunner to the league's later soccer-specific stadiums. [1] : xv  [4]

The Fusion started their inaugural season strong. Led by star midfielder Carter Stephens, the Fusion drew 20,450 to their first game at Lockhart Stadium against D.C. United, showing off the possibilities of a more intimate venue designed especially for soccer. [1] : 60  Another 3,000 were turned away by police. [5] However, interest waned through the year along with the team's middling performance on the field. The Fusion replaced head coach Carlos "Cacho" Cordoba with Ivo Wortmann after game 19, and the team managed a playoff spot, losing to D.C. By the end of the year their average attendance had dropped to 10,284. [1] : 64 

The Fusion continued to struggle both on and off the field for the next two years. After years of disagreement, the commissioner "reassigned" Carlos Valderrama back to Tampa Bay in 1999, and the team replaced head coach Ivo Wortmann with Ray Hudson mid-season in 2000. [1] : 71–72, 88  The team made a dramatic improvement in the 2001 season, winning the Supporters' Shield with the best regular season performance, taking the Eastern Conference, and advancing to the league semifinals. [1] : 120–121, 126  Attendance improved as well, but remained fourth worst in the league with an average of 11,177. In the front office, owner Ken Horowitz struggled with finances. He, along with Robert Kraft of the New England Revolution and Stuart Subotnick of the New York/New Jersey MetroStars, formed a faction among MLS owners who wanted to keep spending down, as opposed to Lamar Hunt and Philip Anschutz who wished to invest in long-term development. Despite the team's improvements, by the end of the 2001 season they had the league's lowest season ticket sales and the lowest revenues from sponsors. [1] : 129–130 

Demise

Major League Soccer had reportedly lost an estimated $250 million during its first five years. [6] [7] The league's poor financial condition forced MLS to stop the bleeding. During the winter break between the 2000 and 2001 seasons, reports began circulating that MLS was considering trimming the league from 12 teams back to 10 teams. [8] The team considered several measures to improve attendance and popularity, including changing their name to the South Florida Fusion to advertise to a wider geographical area. [9] Rumors began circulating that the league might pull the plug on the Fusion, even though the Fusion had a low-cost stadium lease, and an improved performance in 2001 with increased fan attendance. [10]

MLS announced in January 2002 that it had decided to contract the two Florida franchises, the Fusion and the Tampa Bay Mutiny. [11] Both teams were withdrawn from the league, ceased operations and folded. Major League Soccer's contraction reduced the league from 12 to 10 teams. The league had chosen to fold the Miami Fusion, in part because the Fusion's ownership reportedly lacked financial resources, had been trying to run the Fusion on a bare-minimum budget, and had asked the league to pay some of the club's expenses. [8] Commissioner Garber stated that the Fusion had the lowest revenue in the league, due to fewer season tickets and almost no revenue from corporate sponsorships. [12]

Miami ownership had reportedly experienced $15 million in operating losses since Miami joined the league. [13] The Fusion's owner, Ken Horowitz, described several difficulties with operating an MLS soccer franchise in South Florida. [12] Many Miami residents were not originally from the area and didn't identify with and support local sports teams. Additionally, the MLS season is in the summer, which is different from the youth soccer season, making it difficult to draw youth soccer teams to attend Fusion matches. There were also issues with local summertime heat and rain. Finally, Horowitz identified a lack of corporate support for the team.

On April 2, 2015, a new club with the name Miami Fusion FC joined the fourth-tier National Premier Soccer League. [14] The club folded in 2018.

MLS returned to the South Florida area in 2018, when Inter Miami CF was announced. On January 29, 2018, the Miami Beckham United group, four years after the ownership's original announcement of pursuing a team, was awarded the twenty-fifth MLS franchise and launched in the 2020 season, playing on the site of Lockhart Stadium at the new DRV PNK Stadium. Former Fusion coach Ray Hudson would go on to work as a color commentator for Inter Miami, while former Fusion player Chris Henderson is the club's current Sporting Director. [15] [16]

Stadium

Lockhart Stadium 2008-0424-FL-LockhartStadium.jpg
Lockhart Stadium

The Fusion played their home games at Fort Lauderdale's Lockhart Stadium. They had originally intended to play at the Miami Orange Bowl in downtown Miami, but could not reach an agreement with the city of Miami, as the city wanted a 10-year lease and a prohibition on the team relocating to another South Florida stadium. [17] [18] Subsequently, the Fusion reached an agreement with the Broward County School Board and the city of Fort Lauderdale to use Lockhart Stadium. [18] [19]

Originally constructed as a high school football and track stadium in 1959, Lockhart had hosted the Fort Lauderdale Strikers of the original North American Soccer League from 1977 to 1983, as well as other soccer games. [20] Fusion owner Ken Horowitz spearheaded a $5 million renovation that converted Lockhart into a 20,000-seat soccer-specific stadium. [4] [20] The new stadium was the first of its kind in Major League Soccer; at the time all other teams played in much larger football stadiums. This innovation set a trend for similar facilities throughout the league that continues today. [4]

The stadium site was redeveloped in 2019 and 2020 with the construction of DRV PNK Stadium for Major League Soccer club Inter Miami CF. [21]

Honors

Year-by-year

Season League [22] Position Playoffs USOC Average
attendance [a] 		Top goalscorer(s) [b]
PldWLDGFGAGDPts PPG Conf.OverallName(s)Goals
1998 321517– [c] 4668–22351.094th8th QF QF 10,284 [24] Flag of Colombia.svg Diego Serna 11
1999 321319– [c] 4259–17290.914th9th QF DNE8,689 [25] Flag of Colombia.svg Diego Serna 10
2000 3212155 [d] 5456−2411.283rd9thDNQ RU 7,460 [26] Flag of Colombia.svg Diego Serna 16
2001 [e] 261655 [d] 5736+21532.041st1st SF Ro16 11,177 [26] Flag of Honduras.svg Alex Pineda Chacón 19♦ [f]
Total122565610199219–201581.30W (1)W (1)SF (1)RU (1)– Flag of Colombia.svg Diego Serna 52 [30]

Team records

Head coaches

NameCountryHiredFired
Carlos Córdoba Flag of Argentina.svg November 4, 1997 [31] July 24, 1998
Ivo Wortmann Flag of Brazil.svg July 25, 1998May 8, 2000
Ray Hudson Flag of England.svg May 8, 2000 [32] January 8, 2002

See also

Notes

  1. ↑ Average attendance include statistics from league matches only.
  2. ↑ Top goalscorer(s) includes all goals scored in League, MLS Cup playoffs, U.S. Open Cup, CONCACAF Champions League, FIFA Club World Cup, and other competitive continental matches.
  3. 1 2 Before the 2000 Major League Soccer season, matches would be settled in a penalty shootout rather than end in a draw. [23]
  4. 1 2 From 2000 to 2004, MLS discouraged draws by playing up to two 5-minute periods of golden goal overtime for tied games. [23]
  5. ↑ The final ten games of the 2001 MLS regular season were cancelled in the wake of the September 11 attacks, which included Miami's games against DC United and the NY/NJ MetroStars. [27] [28]
  6. ↑ Chacón won the MLS Golden Boot (47 points) [29]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tampa Bay Mutiny</span> Soccer club

The Tampa Bay Mutiny were an American professional soccer team based in Tampa, Florida. The club competed in Major League Soccer (MLS) as a member of the Eastern Conference. The Mutiny were a charter member of MLS, playing from 1996 to 2001. The team played its home games at Tampa Stadium and then at Raymond James Stadium.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lockhart Stadium</span> Demolished soccer stadium in Fort Lauderdale, Florida

Lockhart Stadium was a stadium used mostly for soccer in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, United States. It was used in a variety of sports, particularly soccer and American football.

The 1998 Major League Soccer College Draft was held in Fort Lauderdale, Florida on January 31 and February 1, 1998. The College Draft was followed by the 1998 MLS Supplemental Draft.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fort Lauderdale Strikers (1977–1983)</span> American soccer team (1977–1983)

The Fort Lauderdale Strikers were a professional soccer team based in the Miami metropolitan area. They competed in the North American Soccer League (NASL) from 1977 to 1983. They played their home matches at Lockhart Stadium.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Thomas Rongen</span> Dutch-American football coach (born 1956)

Thomas Eddy Rongen is a Dutch-American football coach who has spent the majority of his playing and coaching career in the United States. In December 2016, he was named Chief Scout of the United States men's national soccer team. Rongen won the MLS Coach of the Year award in MLS's inaugural season in 1996, leading the Tampa Bay Mutiny to the best regular-season record. His stint managing the American Samoa national team was covered in the 2014 documentary Next Goal Wins, and the 2023 biographical comedy-drama also called Next Goal Wins.

The 2001 Major League Soccer season was the sixth season of Major League Soccer. It was also the 89th season of FIFA-sanctioned soccer in the United States, and the 23rd with a national first-division league.

The 1998 Major League Soccer season was the third season of Major League Soccer. It was also the 86th season of FIFA-sanctioned soccer in the United States, and the 20th with a national first-division league.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fort Lauderdale Strikers (2006–2016)</span> Soccer club

The Fort Lauderdale Strikers were an American professional soccer team based in Fort Lauderdale, Florida founded in 2006, that last played in the North American Soccer League (NASL), the second tier of the American soccer pyramid in 2016. The majority of their home games were played in Lockhart Stadium. The Strikers were named after the original Strikers, who played in the old North American Soccer League from 1977 to 1983.

Pompano Beach Municipal Stadium was a stadium in Pompano Beach, Florida primarily used for professional and amateur baseball from 1957 until its demolition in 2008. The ballpark was dedicated on March 22, 1957, and held 4,500 people. The stadium was the home of the Washington Senators and Texas Rangers at spring training from 1961 until 1986, multiple minor league clubs, and the Pompano Beach High School baseball team.

The Fort Lauderdale Strikers were an American soccer team established in 1988 as part of the third American Soccer League. In 1990, it moved to the American Professional Soccer League where it spent five seasons before folding in 1994. The Strikers won the 1989 ASL championship, as well as the 1989 National Pro Soccer Championship.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sports in Florida</span>

The U.S. state of Florida has three National Football League teams, two Major League Baseball teams, two National Basketball Association teams, two National Hockey League teams, two Major League Soccer teams and 13 NCAA Division I college teams.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fort Lauderdale–Tampa Bay rivalry</span> Club soccer rivalry in Florida

The Fort Lauderdale–Tampa Bay rivalry, also known as the Florida Derby, refers to the suspended soccer rivalry that most recently involved the Fort Lauderdale Strikers and the Tampa Bay Rowdies, both of whom played in the North American Soccer League through the 2016 season. Over the years the rivalry has spanned more than one hundred matches across eight soccer leagues and several tournaments, and involved nine different teams from the two regions of Florida. At times it has involved players, coaches, management and fans. Even the press has fanned the rivalry's flames at times. From 2010 through 2014, the winner of the regular season series automatically won the Coastal Cup as well. The status of the rivalry beyond 2016 remains unclear because the Rowdies have since joined the United Soccer League, while the Strikers ongoing ownership and legal battles of 2016 and 2017 have left them defunct.

Since its creation in 1996, Major League Soccer, the highest level of professional soccer in the United States, has had three teams cease operations—the Tampa Bay Mutiny, the Miami Fusion, and Chivas USA. The two Florida-based teams ceased playing after the 2001 season as a result of the league's financial situation, and Chivas USA folded after the 2014 season with plans to rebrand and move to a stadium in downtown Los Angeles. All three situations involved league ownership of the clubs and executive decisions to maintain the viability and competitiveness of the league.

The 2001 Miami Fusion season was the fourth and final season of the Miami Fusion's existence. They competed in Major League Soccer and played their home matches at Lockhart Stadium in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. They won the club's first and only trophy by securing the Supporters' Shield as the team with the best regular season record. Outside of MLS, they competed in the U.S. Open Cup where they were eliminated by Columbus Crew in the Third Round. Due to financial problems, the club folded in January 2002.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Inter Miami CF</span> American professional soccer club based in Miami metropolitan area

Club Internacional de Fútbol Miami, better known as Inter Miami CF or simply Inter Miami, is an American professional soccer club based in the Miami metropolitan area. The club competes in Major League Soccer (MLS) as a member of the Eastern Conference. Inter Miami plays their home matches at Chase Stadium, with plans to move to Miami Freedom Park in 2026.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sports in Miami</span> Overview of sports in Miami

The Greater Miami area is home to five major league sports teams — the Miami Dolphins of the National Football League, the Miami Heat of the National Basketball Association, the Miami Marlins of Major League Baseball, the Florida Panthers of the National Hockey League and Inter Miami CF of Major League Soccer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chase Stadium</span> Soccer stadium in Fort Lauderdale, Florida

Chase Stadium is a soccer-specific stadium in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, United States. Built on the site of the former Lockhart Stadium, the 21,550-seat stadium is the home pitch of Inter Miami CF of Major League Soccer (MLS) and its MLS Next Pro reserve side Inter Miami CF II. Chase Stadium opened in 2020 as an interim venue for Inter Miami CF until the completion of the Miami Freedom Park stadium.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Inter Miami CF II</span> American professional soccer club

Inter Miami Club de Fútbol II, commonly known as Inter Miami CF II, is an American professional soccer club based in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, that plays in the MLS Next Pro, the third-tier of American soccer. The club was established on February 1, 2020 as Fort Lauderdale CF, before changing to their current name in 2022 and is the reserve team of Major League Soccer club Inter Miami CF.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Dure, Beau (2010). Long-Range Goals: The Success Story of Major League Soccer. Potomac Books. ISBN   978-1597975094. Archived from the original on September 4, 2023. Retrieved March 17, 2014.
  2. ↑ "What a kick: a Miami-style name for team". The Miami Herald . July 9, 1997. p. 1A. Archived from the original on August 25, 2022. Retrieved August 24, 2022– via Newspapers.com.
  3. ↑ Kaufman, Michelle (July 9, 1997). "MLS team lights fuse". The Miami Herald. p. 1C. Archived from the original on August 25, 2022. Retrieved August 24, 2022– via Newspapers.com.
  4. 1 2 3 Rusnak, Jeff (October 8, 2012). "Fusion's Lockhart Stadium stint paved way for new MLS venues" Archived June 22, 2014, at the Wayback Machine . Sun-Sentinel . Retrieved March 13, 2014.
  5. ↑ Goff, Steven (March 16, 1998). "United Sees Opening, Spoils Day for Fusion". The Washington Post. p. D1. Archived from the original on November 3, 2020. Retrieved May 2, 2020.
  6. ↑ Holmes, Stanley (November 22, 2004). "Soccer: Time To Kick It Up A Notch". Businessweek. Archived from the original on December 6, 2008. Retrieved May 11, 2008.
  7. ↑ Eligon, John (November 11, 2005). "For M.L.S., the Sport's Future Is in the Eye of the Beholder". The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331. Archived from the original on July 29, 2022. Retrieved July 29, 2022.
  8. 1 2 "MLS considering weight-loss program". ESPN.com. Archived from the original on June 13, 2021. Retrieved July 29, 2022.
  9. ↑ Fonteboa, Pedro F. (October 20, 2000). "Fusion considers name change to attract fans". Miami Herald. p. 3D. Archived from the original on January 10, 2024. Retrieved January 9, 2024– via Newspapers.com.
  10. ↑ Rusnak, Jeff (December 15, 2001). "Fusion Owner Looking For Way Out". Archived from the original on July 9, 2015.
  11. ↑ "Fusion and Mutiny fold". BBC News. January 9, 2002. Archived from the original on June 9, 2020. Retrieved May 2, 2010.
  12. 1 2 "Garber, Horowitz discuss MLS contraction". CNNSI.com. CNN/Sports Illustrated. January 9, 2002. Archived from the original on February 8, 2002.
  13. ↑ Wagman, Robert (December 27, 2001). "MLS fans in several cities wait nervously for contraction decision". SoccerTimes. Archived from the original on September 24, 2015.
  14. ↑ "Miami Fusion FC Joins the NPSL". nationalpremiersoccerleague.com. National Premier Soccer League. April 2, 2015. Archived from the original on April 5, 2015. Retrieved April 5, 2015.
  15. ↑ "It's official: Major League Soccer awards expansion team to Miami". MLSSoccer.com. January 29, 2018. Archived from the original on March 3, 2018. Retrieved January 31, 2018.
  16. ↑ "MLS announces David Beckham's expansion team in Miami". ESPN. January 29, 2018. Archived from the original on February 28, 2018. Retrieved September 12, 2018.
  17. ↑ "Fusion Flushed at Orange Bowl? Horowitz Down on Lease Terms". Sports Business Daily. July 25, 1997. Archived from the original on March 17, 2014. Retrieved March 18, 2014.
  18. 1 2 Rusnak, Jeff (August 15, 1997). "Fusion Might Be Heading North To Lockhart". Sun-Sentinel . Archived from the original on March 17, 2014. Retrieved March 18, 2014.
  19. ↑ Rusnak, Jeff (September 17, 1997). "School Board, City Ok Tentative Fusion Deal". Sun-Sentinel . Archived from the original on March 17, 2014. Retrieved March 18, 2014.
  20. 1 2 Thuma, Cynthia (2007). Sport Lauderdale. The History Press. p. 11. ISBN   978-1596291454 . Retrieved March 17, 2014.
  21. ↑ "Demolition Of Fort Lauderdale's Lockhart Underway". WFOR-TV. May 8, 2019. Archived from the original on November 19, 2019. Retrieved December 21, 2020.
  22. ↑ "2024 Fact and Record Book". Major League Soccer. February 2024. p. 31. Archived from the original on March 15, 2024. Retrieved March 15, 2024.
  23. 1 2 Maurer, Pablo (May 7, 2020). "The rise and fall of MLS's 35-yard shootout — and why it should be brought back". The Athletic. Retrieved March 17, 2024.
  24. ↑ "1998 Full Season Stats". Major League Soccer. Archived from the original on January 9, 2014. Retrieved May 25, 2011.
  25. ↑ "1999 Full Season Stats". Major League Soccer. Archived from the original on January 8, 2014. Retrieved May 25, 2011.
  26. 1 2 "Miami Fusion FC Stats and History". FBREF. Retrieved March 16, 2024.
  27. ↑ Dell'Apa, Frank (September 14, 2001). "MLS to omit final games of regular season". The Boston Globe. Retrieved March 16, 2024.
  28. ↑ "MLS cancels remainder of regular season". USA Today. Associated Press. September 13, 2001. Archived from the original on October 19, 2015. Retrieved July 27, 2015.
  29. ↑ MLS Communications (January 1, 2022). "MLS Golden Boot winners". MLS. Archived from the original on October 18, 2023. Retrieved March 16, 2024.
  30. ↑ Guiterrez, Paul (August 20, 2003). "The Late Show". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved March 16, 2024.
  31. ↑ "Cordoba Named First Fusion Coach". Sun-Sentinel. November 5, 1997. Archived from the original on July 1, 2021. Retrieved March 24, 2022.
  32. ↑ "Hudson replaces Wortmann as Miami coach". UPI. May 8, 2000. Archived from the original on March 24, 2022. Retrieved March 24, 2022.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.