Miami Fusion F.C.

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Miami Fusion
Full name Miami Fusion Football Club
Nickname(s) Fusion
Founded 1997
Dissolved 2001
Stadium Lockhart Stadium
Capacity: 20,450
Chairman Ken Horowitz
League Major League Soccer
Home colors
Away colors

Miami Fusion F.C. was a professional soccer club located in Fort Lauderdale, Florida that participated in Major League Soccer from 1998 to 2001.

History

The Fusion played in Lockhart Stadium, which was a former high school stadium converted into a soccer-specific stadium, also the home of the Fort Lauderdale Strikers from the old NASL in the 1970's and early 1980's as well as the current Fort Lauderdale Strikers.

The Miami Fusion had originally intended to play at the Orange Bowl Stadium in downtown Miami.[1] However the Fusion could not reach agreement, because the city of Miami wanted a 10-year lease and a prohibition on the Fusion relocating to another South Florida stadium.[2] Consequently, the Fusion reached agreement instead with the Broward County School Board and City of Fort Lauderdale to use Lockhart Stadium in Fort Lauderdale, which at the time was an 8,000 seat stadium used for high school football.[3][4] The Fusion renovated and expanded Lockhart Stadium to seat 20,000 spectators.[5]

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] 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.[9]

MLS announced in January 2002 that it had decided to contract the two Florida franchises, the Tampa Bay Mutiny and the Miami Fusion.[10] Both teams were withdrawn from the league, ceased operations and folded.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.[11] 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.[14] Many Miami residents are not originally from the area and don't necessarily identify with and support the 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, and which issues with the local summertime heat and rain. Finally, Horowitz identified a lack of corporate support for the team.

Honors

  • MLS Supporters' Shield
    • Winners (1):
      2001

Home stadiums

Year-by-year

Year Reg. Season Points Playoffs Open Cup
1998 4th, East 35 Lost Conference Semifinals (D.C. United 0–2) Quarterfinals
1999 4th, East 29 Lost Conference Semifinals (D.C. United 0–2) Did not enter
2000 3rd, East 41 Did not qualify Final
2001 1st, East* 53 Won Quarterfinals (Kansas City 2–1)
Lost Semifinals (San Jose 1–2)		 Round of 16

* Won MLS Supporters Shield

Team records

Lockhart Stadium

Average attendance

  • 1998: 10,284
  • 1999: 8,689
  • 2000: 7,460
  • 2001: 11,177

Average: 9,403

Notable players

Head coaches

See also

References

  1. ↑ Sports Business Daily, FUSION FLUSHED AT ORANGE BOWL? HOROWITZ DOWN ON LEASE TERMS, July 25, 1997, http://www.sportsbusinessdaily.com/Daily/Issues/1997/07/25/Facilities-Venues/FUSION-FLUSHED-AT-ORANGE-BOWL-HOROWITZ-DOWN-ON-LEASE-TERMS.aspx
  2. ↑ Sun Sentinel, Fusion Might Be Heading North To Lockhart, August 15, 1997, http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/1997-08-15/sports/9708140496_1_orange-bowl-miami-fusion-ken-horowitz
  3. ↑ Sun Sentinel, Fusion Might Be Heading North To Lockhart, August 15, 1997, http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/1997-08-15/sports/9708140496_1_orange-bowl-miami-fusion-ken-horowitz
  4. ↑ Sun Sentinel, School Board, City Ok Tentative Fusion Deal, Sep. 17, 1997, http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/1997-09-17/sports/9709160781_1_miami-fusion-new-york-marathon-school-board
  5. ↑ Sun Sentinel, Fusion's Lockhart Stadium stint paved way for new MLS venues, Oct. 8, 2012, http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/2008-10-12/sports/0810110129_1_mls-miami-fusion-rio-tinto-stadium
  6. ↑ Holmes, Stanley (November 22, 2004). "Soccer: Time To Kick It Up A Notch". Businessweek. Retrieved May 11, 2008. 
  7. ↑ New York Times, For M.L.S., the Sport's Future Is in the Eye of the Beholder, Nov. 11, 2005, http://www.nytimes.com/2005/11/11/sports/soccer/11soccer.html
  8. ↑ ESPN.com Soccernet, MLS considering weight-loss program, http://espn.go.com/soccer/s/2000/1228/977891.html
  9. ↑ Sun Sentinel, Fusion Owner Looking For Way Out, Dec. 15, 2001, http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/2001-12-15/sports/0112150073_1_five-mls-teams-ken-horowitz-fusion
  10. ↑ "Fusion and Mutiny fold". BBC News. Jan 9, 2002. Retrieved May 2, 2010. 
  11. ↑ ESPN.com Soccernet, MLS considering weight-loss program, http://espn.go.com/soccer/s/2000/1228/977891.html
  12. ↑ Sports Illustrated, Garber, Horowitz discuss MLS contraction, Jan. 9, 2002, http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/soccer/us/news/2002/01/09/mls_quotes/
  13. ↑ SoccerTimes.com, MLS fans in several cities wait nervously for contraction decision, Dec. 27, 2001, http://www.soccertimes.com/wagman/2001/dec27.htm
  14. ↑ Sports Illustrated, Garber, Horowitz discuss MLS contraction, Jan. 9, 2002, http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/soccer/us/news/2002/01/09/mls_quotes/

External links

The Club
  • History
  • Players
  • Head coaches
  • All articles
Stadiums
Culture
  • MLS contraction
Rivalries
Key Personnel
Owner
Kenneth Horowitz
Honors (1)
Supporters' Shield (1)
Seasons (4)
  • 1998
  • 1999
  • 2000
  • 2001
Expansion
Competition
Associated competitions
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