Most pundits agree that Miami is odds-on favorites to get a Major League Soccer team in 2010 or 2011. After all, with a name like Barcelona tied to the club, how could MLS refuse? While the vast majority of articles about the expansion bid have been positive, I wanted to get a few things off my [... Click to continue reading...

Cue the Thierry Henry/Lionel Messi/Samuel Eto'o to MLS rumors. FC Barcelona is looking for a piece of the MLS action. "The idea is to set up an investee company involving FC Barcelona and a Bolivian entrepreneur living in Miami, Marcelo Claure, who is the chief of an investment group featuring Americans and citizens [. Click to continue reading...

The Miami Herald reports that FC barcelona president Joan Laporta is in the USA to submit a formal bid Wednesday to bring professional soccer back to the Miami, FL area.  South Florida is a contender for one of the Major League Soccer (MLS) expansion franchises for the league's 2011 season. South Florida's last MLS, the Miami [. Click to continue reading...

Overseas interest in Colorado Rapids midfielder Pablo Mastroeni is at an all-time high right now, with two possible countries emerging as his most likely destination for next year: Spain and Italy.Mastroeni has always spoken of his desire to ply his trade in Europe before he calls it a career. Italian club Cagliari has expressed interest in the US international midfielder in the past, as have several Serie B clubs, but the newest teams to enter the hunt are reportedly Spain's Malaga and Real Betis. Click to continue reading...

If you're a fan of GolTV than you are a fan of Ray Hudson. The former Newcastle United player and D.C. United and Miami Fusion manager has become the most colorful commentator on the beautiful game in the U.S. and... Click to continue reading...

As United gets ready to face their next opponent in the inaugural CONCACAF Champions League, here's some information about the Honduran champion, CD Marathon. The team is on their way to Honduras today and will face Marathon on Wednesday. Following a home loss to Saprissa last week, the Black-and-Red will look to earn crucial road points against a tough opponent. Click to continue reading...

Spanish giants FC Barcelona have held preliminary talks with the MLS about creating a sister team in Miami. Florida had a MLS team when the Miami Fusion (which played in Fort Lauderdale) played from 1997 to 2001, but had to disband due to poor attendance.  Now this "Barcelona USA" doesn't mean that Lionel Messi or Xavi Hernandez are about to take over the MLS, but there is a chance that the Click to continue reading...

Stuart Holden will not be able to watch team mates Brian Ching and Dwayne DeRosario in qualifying tonight because he's playing at the same time/photo from MLSNET

Major League Soccer is one of the strangest football leagues in the world. While some European oriented fans ridicule MLS for the time of year it is played those of us who understand world football and weather patterns do not really understand how MLS can be played when these people's beloved English Premier League is played.

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According to several reliable sources, oft-injured American defender Cory Gibbs is looking to make a return to Major League Soccer in the next couple of weeks.

Should the one-time MLS defender return, he would be made available through an allocation process similar to the recent Brian McBride situation, meaning the Los Angeles Galaxy would have first crack at signing the 28-year-old center-back, as they sit at the top of the allocation order. Click to continue reading...

If you ask an average American what words he or she associates with soccer, chances are that the first one uttered will be 'hooligans.' It's a word that has long tarnished mainstream America's view of the sport, but it's always been perceived as "The English Disease." That perception, however, will change if incidents such as the [. Click to continue reading...

Florida has traditionally been where old people and MLS franchises have gone to die. Since MLS contracted its two Florida franchises in 2002, the Miami Fusion and Tamp Bay Mutiny, many have expressed the view that soccer is done for a while in that state. After all, the two teams both ranked in the bottom three for all-time attendance at the time of their demises. Click to continue reading...

Two of these DC signings have already been waived/photo from MLSNET.com

At the conclusion of a successful 2007 season which saw MLS' attendance at it highest level since the inaugural season of 1996 and media coverage beyond once imaginable levels, the league opted to increase the number of international squad spots to eight from the previous four senior and three youth internationals.

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Earlier this week I wrote an opinion piece about how the experience of watching football matches on TV are oftentimes better than seeing the games in person. Well, I want to take that back. That's because watching a match on TV in a pub is better than both watching matches at home and in person, [.. Click to continue reading...

The Fort Lauderdale based Miami Fusion played in MLS from 1998 thru 2001. The club were finalsits in the 2000 Open Cup and won the 2001 Supporters Shield. In this very special episode of the podcast we look back at the Fusion with longtime South Florida Sun Sentinel columnist Jeff Rusnak.

Before we get to the interview with Jeff Rusnak we have several short clips with former Fusion players including Jeff Cassar, Nick Rimando, Garth Lagerway, Andy Williams, Kyle Beckerman and Pablo Mastroeni about their memories of the clubs, the fans and of the South Florida community. Click to continue reading...

A retrospective of the Miami Fusion's history in MLS from 1998 to 2001 will be released in the upcoming weeks. If you have memories of the Fusion, please contact me at kartik@majorleaguesoccertalk.com or kartik@csrnusa.com . Click to continue reading...

The idea of moving back into Florida might make a few MLS fans a bit squeamish as it didn't go so well the first time around, but if a few votes workout, it might just happen.

The City of Miami is looking into funding a new soccer and baseball stadium on the current sight of the historic Orange Bowl (which will be torn down) as part of a multibillion-dollar proposal put forth by Mayor Manny Diaz. Click to continue reading...