Fern Mc Costigan

Wednesday, February 12, 2020

Welcome to Major League Soccer Inter Miami

The Herons of Inter Miami are finally to make their long-awaited debut in Major League Soccer this 2020, as Spice Boy David Beckham the team is about to start making history as the 25^th team in the league history to get an expansion franchise.

An announcement that reached its goal and calls Miami home were Inter’s contemporary Miami Fusion folded back in the early days of Major League Soccer, when the club folded for economic reasons.

That was a thing of the past as former Manchester United legend and great David Beckham persistence paid off after years of extensive negotiations with the authorities in the Miami Dade Counties.

The club will open its season with a temporary home Inter Miami CF Stadium located in Fort Lauderdale, Florida with a capacity of 18,000 fans, later to be used as a training facility by Inter Miami.

Then moving to Miami Freedom Park currently on construction and to be concluded in 2022, being built on 58 acres of public parks and green spaces, a venue with a seating capacity of 25,000 fans.

So far, the club has several important players signed with the team in the Expansion Draft and Superdraft, Inter Miami has a total of 28 players, the team currently in its preseason preparation under their first manager in Uruguayan Diego Alonso.

When the club was in its formative stages last season, the first order was to get their first players in three Argentinians in the center back Nicolas Figal from Olimpo, forward Julian Carranza on loan from CA Banfield and their first (DP) Matias Pellegrini from Estudiantes de la Plata.

Still, the club has made some headlines and despite the rumors placing players of the likes of Gareth Bale, Luka Modric and other big names, currently per Yahoo and other sources that David Beckham states a possible agreement with Brazilian superstar Neymar.

Currently, as negotiations are in place to geta done deal to get Mexican standout Rodolfo Pizarro from Liga MX club Monterrey for the midfielder with a 12 million price tag.

Not dependent on rumors the club scouts have been hard at work in netting important players to come to the Sunshine State and start making history with this club that I foresee a positive and successful debut in their debut season.

Back on January 24, the club announced its first manager in Diego Alonso a man that has made a successful career in his playing days and now in the helm of several teams in his native Uruguay, Paraguay, and Mexico.

The man from Uruguay comes with an impressive list of honors won both in Mexico with club Pachuca where he won the league title in 2016, CONCACAF Champions League 2016-17 and third place in FIFA Club World Cup and runner up in COPA MX.

In addition, when he managed powerhouse Liga MX Monterrey FC, he won the CONCACAF Champions League back in 2019 as well getting the club in the league postseason and reaching higher spots.

At the end for David Beckham and his group of investors will be how to make soccer as popular as American football like the Dolphins, Jaguars and Buccaneers, because baseball has not been a total hit in the Sunshine state with the Miami Marlins and Tampa Bay Rays having anemic attendances.

The question is will professional soccer fly in Miami, the question will be seen as Becks for sure he will put on a total contender on the field but can it lure fans to like the beautiful game, in the end, I forecast a seventh or eighth-place finish for the Black and Pink.

Photos Credit, Courtesy and Property of © Inter Miami Club Football 2020

Photos Credit and Property of © Copyright Major League Soccer. com 2020

Tuesday, February 11, 2020

Caleb Porter and his Columbus Crew arming a competitor

For manager Caleb Porter entering in his second year at the helm of the Crew, he would like to forget last season and focus on seasons to come with an all competitive side and looking forward too many memorable seasons.

So far, these club directives have been hard at work to build a strong team for manager Porter as you recall he defeated the Black and Gold back in 2015, when he was the manager of the Portland Timbers.

Now the man is looking forward to capturing the charm of the Columbus fans in building a winner, as this side new order of business by its new ownership is to build a new venue downtown to be open next season.

As previously stated, this club has been hard at work in getting players to build ahead of another contested season in Major League Soccer as well in the Eastern Conference considered one tough association.

With this being an expansion season, the Crew is to play against a new foe in their conference in what looks to be a strong opponent in newcomer Inter Miami that is going to be a tough opponent in their debut season.

With many new faces coming to Columbus, one that comes to our attention is the reunion of Caleb Porter with his former U of Akron alumni Darlington Nagbe coming via trade from Atlanta United and FC Cincy and former Portland Timbers striker Fanendo Adi pick off waivers.

Still, other names that for sure will uplift the Crew game and plugin many holes in much-needed areas of Porter’s starting eleven, their record signing in Argentine midfielder Lucas Zelayaran from Liga MX Tigres UANL, midfielder Derrick Etienne on loan with FC Cincy, defender Vito Wormgoor from Norway’s side Brann.

In addition of this club netting other players in goalkeeper Matt Lampson from LA Galaxy, forward Jordan Hamilton from Portuguese side Trofense, center back Axel Sjöberg from Colorado and midfielders as Home grown in Aidan Morris and Sebastian Berthalter.

For this club last season missing the playoffs in what looked like a prosing start of the season, the club entered a slump and finished in 10^th place missing the grand fete of the postseason after five consecutive appearances.

The way this cub is arming to front another contested season for Caleb Porter and company so far building a contender after his club front office supporting his project in his bid to try to bring that lost winning drive.

In the end, for the Crew, these have everything to have a decent season and possibly have a good run in the US Open Cup last won back in 2009, a competition denied to Porter in his time at Portland and with this club, he armed maybe this could be his year.

Still with the competitor on the Eastern Conference anything can happen with Inter Miami arming a strong side, anything can happen as well for the Crew to build up a strong game, but a mishap can be costly and finish below seventh place.

Photos Credit, Courtesy and Property of © Columbus Crew Soccer Club 2020

Photos Credit and Property of © Copyright Major League Soccer. com 2020

The new Chicago Fire ready to rock MLS

Forged in Fire we Stand for Chicago, states the Chicago Fire that kicks off a new season with a new identity and image alongside to play in a new venue the always celebrated Soldiers Field, looking forward to attracting a new fanbase.

So far, the club made some important moves in the offseason, primarily in keeping some of is most important players that made a difference for the Fire last season.

With Micheal Azira, Jonathan Bornstein, Brandt Bronico, Francisco Calvo, Raheem Edwards, Przemyslaw Frankowski, Jeremiah Gutjahr, Fabian Hebers, Johan Kappelhof, Kenneth Kronholm, Djordje Mihailovic, Andre Reynolds II, CJ Sapong, Gabriel Slonina, and Elliott Collier.

However, the club among one of its boldest of moves was to bring a new manager and assistants, looking forward to making an impacting a turnaround in this 2020 and making a contender for many seasons to come.

Among the first order of business was to bring a man to lead the destinies of the Fire ahead in former MLS great Raphaël Wicky and former Swiss international, along with new assistants in Frank Klopas and David Zdrilic.

In addition of the team shaking even its front office to build a new identity and image getting ne people in Georg Heitz as its sporting director, Sebastian Peltzer technical director and Ben Donache as its Director of Performance.

As they state everything, but the kitchen sink the Fire went into the task of building a true and strong competitor in the 2020 Chicago Fire looking forward from its owners to personnel to return to its old glories’ past.

So far, the Fire has reinforced one of its most vulnerable areas its defensive backfield, the arrivals of Bobby Shuttleworth and Connor Sparrow will add some depth, experience solidness to the defense of their goal’s posts.

In addition to new defenders of the likes of Venezuelan Miguel Angel Navarro, Wyatt Ormsberg and Nicols Slonina, in the midfield the arrival of former Real Madrid Alvaro Medran, Mauricio Pineda (HG) and in (DP) Slovenian forward from Anderlecht Robert Beric.

With the new think tank team the Fire assembled, these went hard at work to bring new faces to make an impact of a team and season with the current base the team had, these arranged to stay and looking forward to filling the stands of Soldier Field with a winning team.

Let’s forget last season troubles the team had in its stands with some rowdy followers as this is moving forward for a team looking to build up a new identity in its fanbase that can uplift this team as one of the most in attendance, well that’s the plan.

Still, the Chicago Fire entrusted their faith to debutante manager Raphaël Wicky coming with an impressive CV from his managerial days in his native Switzerland and in charge of the USA U-17 team.

The outlook for the Fire is that the newcomers can easily adapt to manager Wicky game plan and these embarked in a winning mode to front a contested 2020 in the Eastern Conference, still, I forecast a seventh-place finish.