David Beckham's Miami MLS dream receives major set back as Manchester United legend is hit with two lawsuits

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https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-6661879/David-Beckham-hit-two-lawsuit-Inter-Miami-MLS-dream-sees-setback.html

David Beckham's Miami MLS dream receives major set back as Manchester United legend is hit with two lawsuits

David Beckham's Miami MLS dream has suffered a major setback this week

The Manchester United legend has been hit with legal action over his plans

One lawsuit concerns land usage while the other relates to personnel identity

Both legals matters cast doubts over whether Inter Miami will be ready in time

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https://www.local10.com/news/local/miami/city-faces-another-lawsuit-over-david-beckham-s-stadium

MIAMI

City faces another lawsuit over David Beckham's stadium

Lawsuit claims city officials didn't play by the rules

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https://www.law.com/dailybusinessreview/2019/01/18/miami-sued-again-over-david-beckham-soccer-stadium-plan/?slreturn=20190106204432

Miami Sued — Again — Over David Beckham Soccer Stadium Plan

The lawsuit claims city officials and residents were misled about the ownership of Miami Freedom Park, which seeks to lease a public golf course for a Major League Soccer stadium and other development.

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https://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/community/miami-dade/article224950735.html

Miami’s pursuit of an MLS soccer stadium for Beckham team faces a new lawsuit

Jorge Mas, a partner with David Beckham in his effort to launch a Miami Major League Soccer franchise, released images of a proposed soccer complex near Miami International Airport in July 2018. By Miami Freedom LLC

Two lawsuits filed by a Miami attorney aim to derail the effort to redevelop a city-owned golf course into a stadium and commercial complex for David Beckham’s planned Major League Soccer team.

One suit, filed late Tuesday, raises questions about whether the city correctly described the land that would be leased for construction of the complex. The allegations could throw another legal wrench in the gears of those who want to quickly craft a lease and seek approval from Miami commissioners — gears that had already been jammed by an earlier ethics complaint.

Another suit, filed last week and reported by the Daily Business Review, focuses on issues related to laws requiring Beckham and all his associates and lobbyists to disclose the ownership of the corporation they are representing — issues that came to light as a result of an ethics complaint filed by Miami attorney David Winker.

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https://www.bizjournals.com/southflorida/news/2019/01/22/lawsuit-seeks-to-nullify-beckham-stadium.html

Lawsuit seeks to nullify Beckham stadium resolution

The lawsuit alleges that referendum was misleading to voters.

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https://www.bizjournals.com/southflorida/news/2019/02/06/fort-lauderdale-to-consider-plan-beckham-plan.html

Fort Lauderdale to consider plan by Beckham, soccer rival for Lockhart site

Two groups are competing to build a soccer facility in Fort Lauderdale, and more could join the bidding.

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https://www.sun-sentinel.com/local/broward/fort-lauderdale/fl-sb-water-park-lauderdale-20180904-story.html

Plan for Wet 'n' Wild water park in Fort Lauderdale goes down the tubes

September 4, 2018, 9:00 PM

South Florida has been waiting years to see plans for a major new water park come to fruition. But the Wet ’n’ Wild that was promised in Fort Lauderdale is not coming.

After many twists and turns, ascents and plunges, the deal with Premier Parks LLC, owner of Rapids Water Park in Riviera Beach, is dead.

The company had sued Fort Lauderdale and was able to wrest a water park deal from competitor Schlitterbahn. The Premier Parks deal was to be voted on Tuesday night. It would have been built on city land north of Commercial Boulevard near Fort Lauderdale Executive Airport (FXE).

But the CEO of Premier, Kieran Burke, called the city on Thursday to pull out, an internal city email says.

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https://www.miaminewtimes.com/arts/fado-closed-leaving-miami-soccer-fans-searching-for-a-new-home-11066427

Where Will Miami Soccer Fans Go Now That Fado Is Closed?

After the confetti-filled launch of Miami’s MLS franchise, Inter Miami CF, at the Adrienne Arsht Center in 2018, team co-owner and soccer icon David Beckham changed out of his snazzy suit and tie and headed to Fado. Beckham wanted to celebrate with the then-unnamed team's supporters club, Southern Legion, and there was no better place to do that in Miami than the Mary Brickell Village bar. Fado had long been soccer's Miami home and was supposed to be Southern Legion's hub too when Becks' team debuts in 2020 — until the bar abruptly closed last month.

In an email to New Times, Ellen Peacock, senior marketing manager for the national Irish pub franchise, pointed to the neighborhood’s changing landscape and disruptive construction as reasons for the closure. She added there aren't any plans to open another Fado location in Miami.

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https://www.lagconfidential.com/2019/2/6/18214490/la-galaxy-to-erect-david-beckham-statue

LA Galaxy to erect David Beckham statue

Season ticket holders received a big clue in the mail

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https://www.bizjournals.com/nashville/news/2019/02/06/the-boss-soccer-or-football-ian-ayre-likes-both.html

The Boss: ‘Soccer’ or ‘football’? Ian Ayre likes both

Get to know Nashville MLS CEO Ian Ayre.

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https://www.wsoctv.com/news/local/panthers-owner-david-tepper-charities-donate-supplies-for-hundreds-of-cms-classrooms/915195041

Panthers' owner hints at stadium upgrades, possible plans for MLS, Final Four

CHARLOTTE, N.C. - For more than a year Channel 9 has pressed for answers about the future of Bank of America Stadium.

Carolina Panthers owner David Tepper dropped another hint Tuesday night about what he may be thinking.

Tepper may be leaning toward stadium renovations rather than building a new one.

Plans to bring Major League Soccer to Charlotte?

Transforming Bank of America Stadium into a soccer field with hopes of landing a Major League Soccer team is an idea has garnered a lot of support, and now the Panthers want input from the public.

Advocates say there's no doubt that bringing an MLS team to Charlotte would get the Queen City noticed by a new global crowd. The big question though is what changes would be required at the stadium and who would pay for them?

[READ MORE: Advocates push for professional soccer team in Queen City]

The Panthers will host a focus group on Wednesday night to discuss bringing MLS to Bank of America Stadium. Fans will be able to give their thoughts on potential new stadium seating options that could be created through renovations.

[Councilman: Support from new Panthers owner could reignite push for pro soccer]

The commissioner of MLS identified Charlotte as a possible site for an expansion team last summer, saying he was intrigued by all the interest he was getting from Tepper.

If MLS requires a new or renovated stadium, Mitchell said Charlotte should help. He questioned whether it'd be possible to carve out money for renovations from the city's tourism fund.

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https://mlsmultiplex.com/2019/02/06/mls-strong-media-team-important/

MLS: Why having a strong media team is actually important

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https://www.tennessean.com/story/opinion/2019/02/06/nashville-mls-team-and-state-fair-need-different-locales-opinion/2744735002/

MLS soccer and the Tennessee State Fair cannot coexist at The Fairgrounds. Nashville needs to find a home for both. | Opinion

Nashville can continue to host the Tennessee State Fair and a Major League Soccer team, but The Fairgrounds can't do it all.

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https://www.thesports.biz/mls-clubs-show-strength/

Soccer In The US Continues To Grow, Fueled By MLS Expansion And Future World Cup

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https://www.reddit.com/r/TampaBayRowdies/comments/ans8wd/rowdies_welcome_macklin_robinson_to_2019_roster/

Rowdies Welcome Macklin Robinson To 2019 Roster

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https://www.rowdiessoccer.com/news_article/show/992402

ROWDIES WELCOME MACKLIN ROBINSON TO 2019 ROSTER

https://the18.com/soccer-entertainment/highest-attended-soccer-matches-us-history

Highest Attended Soccer Matches In U.S. History

AN EXHAUSTIVE LIST OF THE HIGHEST ATTENDED SOCCER MATCHES IN THE UNITED STATES.

Atlanta United set all sorts of Major League Soccer attendance records in its second year in the league, from highest average attendance to biggest MLS Cup crowd. It was impressive to see more fans at the 2018 MLS Cup final in December than the Super Bowl at the same stadium two months later. But how does Atlanta stack up to the highest attended soccer matches in U.S. history?

When it comes to the highest attended soccer matches in the United States, MLS is far down the list. The largest crowd to see an MLS standalone match — as in, not an exhibition and not a part of a doubleheader — was Atlanta United’s 2-0 win over the Portland Timbers in the 2018 MLS Cup. In December 2018, 73,019 fans showed up at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta for that match, about 3,000 more than watched the Super Bowl in Atlanta in 2019.

But that ranks as the 69th highest attended soccer match in U.S. history, though it fares well against other attendance records in U.S. sports.

The biggest crowd for any MLS match was the 92,516 that showed up at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum to see the New England Revolution play Chivas USA. But that was the undercard for a friendly between Barcelona and Chivas Guadalajara. The biggest crowd for a match involving an MLS team was the LA Galaxy’s International Champions Cup match against Barcelona in 2015, with 93,226 fans at the Rose Bowl.

The largest attendance for a match in a meaningful competition in the U.S. came in 1984 during the Olympics. The Gold Medal match between Brazil and France was seen by 101,254 fans at the Rose Bowl.

The biggest crowd for a USMNT match belongs to two matches at the 1994 World Cup, with group-stage matches against Colombia and Romania both drawing 93,869 fans to the Rose Bowl.

The record crowd for a USWNT match was in 1999 as 90,185 saw the U.S. beat China on penalty kicks in the Women’s World Cup final. That match was a doubleheader, as the third-place match between Norway and Brazil was played earlier in the day.

But none of those are the highest attended soccer match in US history. That belongs to a 2014 International Champions Cup match between Manchester United and Real Madrid. That summer, 109,318 fans filed through the gates at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor, Michigan, to watch a glorified friendly.

Below is a full list of the highest attended soccer matches in the United States, including every game that was drew more than 70,000. Note, doubleheaders are listed as one game.

Highest Attended Soccer Matches In U.S. History

62. 74,901
New York Cosmos vs. Tampa Bay Rowdies, 1978 NASL Soccer Bowl, Giants Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey

85. 70,042
Tampa Bay Rowdies at New York Cosmos, 1979 NASL, Giants Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey