Are you ready for some futbol?

SoccerPrime · 02-23-2005, 06:26 AM

Funny, none of my Mexican friends who are into soccer care about MLS or Chivas coming into it. I think the whole idea of Chivas helping MLS capture the Hispanic market is humorous at best. Maybe some LA Mexican crowd, but I doubt it will be a national phenomena.

Jose Luis Luviano · 02-23-2005, 09:18 AM

This is kind-of off topic.

But aren't there a lot of soccer-loving Jamaicans, Haitians, Hondurans & Caribean Islanders in Miami?

Miami's problem was, if what I read is correct, their owner; not Beisbol-loving Cubans, Boricuas, Dominicans, etc?

Arelius · 02-23-2005, 09:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SoccerPrime

Funny, none of my Mexican friends who are into soccer care about MLS or Chivas coming into it. I think the whole idea of Chivas helping MLS capture the Hispanic market is humorous at best. Maybe some LA Mexican crowd, but I doubt it will be a national phenomena.

I didn’t say national phenomena. I said an general increase in the average attendance (kind of like Adu and this season).

Rover · 02-23-2005, 09:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jose Luis Luviano

This is kind-of off topic.

But aren't there a lot of soccer-loving Jamaicans, Haitians, Hondurans & Caribean Islanders in Miami?

Miami's problem was, if what I read is correct, their owner; not Beisbol-loving Cubans, Boricuas, Dominicans, etc?

Lots of problems in Miami, ownership included, but if you go back and look at Doug Logan's (remember him?) intent in expanding into South Florida, he was targeting the local "Hispanic market" (the quotes are because I'm not comfortable with a term that puts people in a box). They started off with an incorrect premise, and yes, it seriously hurt their attendance.

Of course, except for the Dolphins, no sport has exactly prospered in South Florida, baseball included (I'm talking attendance here--I know the Marlins have won it all). But MLS seriously miscalculated with Fusion FC, and much of that miscalculation was missing the mark in putting their hopes in ethnic identification.

My advice to MLS--remember that soccer fans are soccer fans. Reach them however you can, but don't fall for easy stereotypes.

The point is that expectations must be based on reality. As we like to say in the military, hope is not a strategy.

SoccerPrime · 02-23-2005, 10:10 AM

As a Florida resident, let me say that you cannot target the hispanic community in Miami and expect results when considering soccer. Cubans and Puerto Ricans (generally) do not care about soccer. Not neary as much as baseball and basketball.
Why do you think that Cuba wins the gold in Olympic baseball and Puerto Rico can beat up on the US MNT in Olympic basketball but both islands barely have a World Cup qualifying squad?
The Miami Fusion failed because of poor ownership (or the lack of ownership to be there for the long haul). Their attendance was good, decent by Revs, Quakes and Wizs standards.

Rover · 02-23-2005, 10:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SoccerPrime

As a Florida resident, let me say that you cannot target the hispanic community in Miami and expect results when considering soccer. Cubans and Puerto Ricans (generally) do not care about soccer. Not neary as much as baseball and basketball.
Why do you think that Cuba wins the gold in Olympic baseball and Puerto Rico can beat up on the US MNT in Olympic basketball but both islands barely have a World Cup qualifying squad?
The Miami Fusion failed because of poor ownership (or the lack of ownership to be there for the long haul). Their attendance was good, decent by Revs, Quakes and Wizs standards.

Good points. Of course, Rev/Smurf/Wiz standards for attendance aren't high, and Fusion FC had a (sort of) soccer specific stadium. OK, it was a prettied up high school football stadium. But it was a nice little place to play and the team was actually quite good, especially their last year won the Supporters' Shield). So I'd still say their failure went well beyond the "ownership" problem. South Florida was not a good expansion target, and was chosen for the wrong reasons.

Speaking of expansion . . . well, that's a new thread.

SoccerPrime · 02-23-2005, 10:38 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rover

Good points. Of course, Rev/Smurf/Wiz standards for attendance aren't high, and Fusion FC had a (sort of) soccer specific stadium. OK, it was a prettied up high school football stadium. But it was a nice little place to play and the team was actually quite good, especially their last year won the Supporters' Shield). So I'd still say their failure went well beyond the "ownership" problem. South Florida was not a good expansion target, and was chosen for the wrong reasons.

Speaking of expansion . . . well, that's a new thread.

Rover, you are wrong. Miami had average MLS attendance. The only thing that was wrong was that the owner Horowitz decided that there was no money in MLS. Plain and simple. MLS got rid of Miami because it had no committed ownership, same as Tampa Bay Muntiny. Mutiny were even worse since they were a team placed there by MLS with no local ownership plan, Easy to target them for elimination.

Rant off.

If we want to go further with a MLS History thread, lets start one. We are off-topic now...

Rover · 02-23-2005, 03:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SoccerPrime

Rover, you are wrong. Miami had average MLS attendance. The only thing that was wrong was that the owner Horowitz decided that there was no money in MLS. Plain and simple. MLS got rid of Miami because it had no committed ownership, same as Tampa Bay Muntiny. Mutiny were even worse since they were a team placed there by MLS with no local ownership plan, Easy to target them for elimination.

Rant off.

If we want to go further with a MLS History thread, lets start one. We are off-topic now...

OK, new thread started.

Arelius · 03-11-2005, 09:32 AM

Previously Arelius: "Excellent point, however, most Mexicans have two clubs they support; their #1 club and (secondarily) Chivas (because it only uses Mexicans – never foreign talent). If the only “Mexican” club that is in the MLS is Chivas, most Mexicans will support them. Now, if Club America were a part of MLS, then many of the Mexicans here would support them instead."

Like I said...

"Mexican fans prefer Club America, Chivas"

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2005/soccer/wires/03/11/2050.ap.la.spt.soc.mexico.favorite.team.0228/index.html

Rover · 03-11-2005, 10:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Arelius

Like I said...

"Mexican fans prefer Club America, Chivas"

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2005/soccer/wires/03/11/2050.ap.la.spt.soc.mexico.favorite.team.0228/index.html

Interesting results. Clearly, CA and CDG have large followings.

Even so, based on the poll, nearly 60% of Mexican fans support someone other than CA or CDG. And even with great support nationwide, either team can depend on 75-80% to not support them. Plenty of other teams have good support. I admit it's only anecdotal, but around SoCal I see plenty of Cruz Azul, Necaxa, and Pumas jerseys, among others. I doubt those folks are ready to throw in with CA and CDG right away.

As a Dallas Cowboys fan from birth (I'm originally from Texas, so go ahead and take your shots), I'm aware of this phenomenon. Over the years, the Cowboys have had great nationwide support. But most NFL fans hate the Cowboys with a passion. Those loyalties are not easy to change.

None of this is scientific, of course. We simply cannot extrapolate fan behavior based on this poll since we don't know if fans here in the USA will warm up to "branded" teams in the long run.

I'm only surprised by one thing from the poll--that CA is the most popular club (allowing for margin of error), and has virtual nationwide support. I knew they were well supported, but not #1.

Good find--thanks for posting.