Miami FC vs Barry University play for Haiti Relief, Jersey Unveiling and more...

The Miami FC Blues continue their pre-season this week when they play against Barry University with all proceeds going to Haiti Relief. The game will be on Saturday, March 20th. Admission to the game requires a cash or soccer gear donation. The game starts at 7pm at Barry University’s campus. So far the Blues have won 2 games and their only loss coming against the New York Red Bulls. Full details of the game from the Barry University site can be read HERE

Miami FC will also unveil their new 2010 uniforms on Thursday March 25, 2010 from 6 pm until 9 pm at America's Backyard located at 100 SW 3rd Avenue in Fort Lauderdale, FL 33312 just behind Revolution off of Broward Blvd. For directions call 954-449-1030. You will get to meet the players and spend some time with staff. Click on the flyer above for more details!

JP Rodrigues is wrapping things up with the Milwaukee Wave of the MISL (Major Indoor Soccer League) before he joins the Blues for pre-season and we are glad to see he is in great form after playing the last regular game of the season and scoring two goals. The Wave clinched the MISL regular season title on Sunday with a 17-12 victory over La Raza of Monterrey. JP's last two games will be for the Championship against the Philadelphia Kixx in a Home and Away format to determine the Champion. We wish JP good luck and are ready for him to add on to an already strong Miami FC back line.
Check out the video of JP's two goals; the first is right off the bat and the second at about 1:52.

Miami FC Internet Fan Guide

We rapidly approach the start of the season and many South Florida Soccer fans keep asking me for information about the team, the players, the stadium, etc.

Well, I decided to put together this list of everything Miami FC related. Links from the actual news media to blogs to discussion groups. If I missed any please let me know. I'm grouping them up and will have permanent links to all of them on the right hand side of this blog.

Where do we start? The actual team site of course!
Miami FC Official site

But if you want an up to the minute update follow them on Twitter at:
www.twitter.com/miamifc

Official News Papers

Miami Herald
Coverage of Soccer has been done for years by Michelle Kaufman. I've followed her since the Miami Fusion days. Adam Beasley also contributes and together they also run the blog Total Futbol I follow Adam's twitter and so can you at http://twitter.com/AdamHBeasley But beware, he sometimes twitters other sports info.

Sun Sentinel
Talk about following since the Miami Fusion days... I also remember Jeff Rusnack from back in the day and he continues to write about Soccer over at the Sentinel. Now that the Blues will be playing up in Broward I imagine he will cover the team much more.

BLOGS
Blogs have become more soccer friendly as of late; sometimes replacing regular news media. I guess its a sign of the times. Here are some good sites that I follow and so should you.

Miami Soccer Fan
For fans by the fans and it's true. "El Presidente" Pieter Brown of the Miami Ultras leads a rag tag group of soccer crazy fans who write about anything Soccer related in South Florida and just about anyone can contribute. They even have a Miami Soccer Fan in Spanish! See it HERE

Simply Football
Once upon a time they were called Mad about Football. Juan Arango leads the way covering everything and I mean everything soccer related. I don't know how he does it but he finds the time to write about the Blues too. You can also read his work over at the Miami Soccer Examiner His twitter http://twitter.com/SimplyFutbol

Behind the Blues
The official blog of Miami FC is a brand spanking new site. They say many of the front office staff will contribute. We still have to see what they can give us but be sure to check it out.

Miami FC 2
If you want to see pictures of the games this is the site for you! Victor Palkaninec is a long time South Florida Soccer Fan. He's basically the official Miami FC photographer and you can be sure to see pictures and read about the games every week.

Discussion Boards
Soflastrikers.com forum
Also run by Victor Palkaninec these boards have been around since the Fusion days and is now dedicated to the Miami FC Blues and other South Florida soccer related themes. Be sure to join it!

Big Soccer Miami FC Forum
I really shouldn't be advertising Big Soccer especially after they gave Burrito a red card banning him from ever commenting there for life. They just couldn't handle Burrito's style. Pretty harsh, but they have a good Miami FC section.

FAN SITES
Miami FC Has 2 supporters groups that from what I hear will be uniting or at least be sitting next to each other this year. Please be sure to look them up and join their ranks!

Southern Legion
President Sean Gibb leads this group that has a special latin style. Join them on facebook where they have 142 members

Miami Ultras
They run the Miami Soccer Fan site and are also an Official Brigade of Sam's Army (Team USA supporters) The Ultras have a special season ticket offer, so JOIN them for free and take advantage of the deal!

Player Sites
Under this category is anything related to Miami FC players such as fan clubs, blogs, etc. I was only able to find one.
Show Me Ur Soccer Ball
Miami FC fan favorite Jarryd "The Hammer" Goldberg's blog consists of taking a picture of a soccer ball in a really cool spot wherever you live or visit. He already has some cool pictures up but fans can contribute by sending pictures. Go check it out and send him your pictures to Showmeursoccerball@gmail.com

Last but not least you can follow this humble little blog Football in Miami and Beyond. We now have 5 official contributors ranging from the guru of South Florida soccer history Robert Scorca to the infamous quesadilla eating dog Burrito. You can also follow us on our twitter http://twitter.com/footballsoccerm

NY Red Bulls vs Miami FC this Friday at 11 AM and more news...

The Blues will face the New York Red Bulls this Friday, March 12, 2010 at 11AM at Lockhart Stadium! Make note of the change

The Red Bulls have released their full roster which includes Colombian star Juan Pablo Angel, Americans Chris Albright and Mike Petke, Costa Rican Roy Miller, Jamaican Dane Richards and many more.

The Miami FC Blues have so far confirmed the following players on this years roster:
D-Mike Randolph
D-Chris Gbandi
M-Jarryd Goldberg
D-JP Rodrigues
F-Bryan Perez
D-Kyle Veris
D-Cristiano Dias
F-Edward Santeliz
D-Zach Kirby
More signings to be confirmed. Some of the above players may not be at the game.

A few good links to read:
The AC St Louis Fanatic has a piece called "Miami FC looking toward the future". Dave Trotter was able to speak with Miami FC President Aaron Davidson, Miami FC’s General Manger Luiz Muzzi and US Soccer legend and Miami FC’s Director of Soccer Fernando Clavijo. Do check it out HERE

The Potomac Soccer Wire has a great interview with NASL's Kartik Krishnaiyer

Yes, I’ve said some incendiary things about the federation and about their youth structure, more than anything – player development,” he admitted with a sheepish smile. “But hopefully those can be seen as constructive critiques going forward. We can help as a league, help MLS, help U.S. Soccer and U.S. Youth Soccer going forward…We’re going to work with MLS. We’re going to enhance and complement the good work MLS has done for 15 years.

To read more go HERE

On the other side of the USSF Div 2 we have a piece over at Inside Minnesota Soccer. Brian Quarstad interviews USL President Tim Holt.

We are fully committed to apply for sanctioning as a USSF Division II Men’s Professional League for the 2011 season. Currently, USSF is going through an internal process of reviewing their standards for leagues/teams at this level. Once this is complete, the league application process will commence and we intend to be prepared to submit an application compliant with these revised standards.

The rest of the Interview can be read HERE

Miami FC to face the NY Red Bulls and other Preseason games announced

The Blues are getting ready for this season in full stride and will meet the NY Red Bulls. But first check them out at FIU Stadium tomorrow Saturday at 10 am Check it out!

Official Press Release:

Miami FC Announces Two Preseason Games
The Blues confirm preseason matches with FIU and the New York Redbulls

MIAMI, March 4, 2010- Miami FC made its way back to the pitch, beginning its preseason with practices on Wednesday, March 3 at the Holiday Inn’s soccer complex in Sunrise. A preseason matchup with Florida International University’s men’s soccer team is slated for Saturday, March 6 at 10 a.m. at the FIU soccer stadium. The Blues will also face the New York Red Bulls on Friday, March 12, 2010.

The Blues’ match against FIU’s men’s soccer team will be free to the public. This will be the first of numerous matches to be held between now and the season opener in April 10 against the Rochester Rhinos at Lockhart Stadium in Ft. Lauderdale at 7:30 p.m.

The team will also take on the New York Red Bulls of Major League Soccer in a scrimmage at the Holiday Inn in Sunrise on Friday, March 12 at 11 a.m. The event is also free and open to the public.

The rest of the preseason schedule is still in the process of being completed and will be announced in the days to come.

Miami FC Blog

Miami FC also continues to make strides in making its fans feel like they are part of all the action with the introduction of the official team blog.

The blog, Behind the Blues, will feature posts by different members from different areas of the organization, from management to the athletes, to give fans an in-depth look at Miami FC throughout the course of the season. To check out the newest Miami FC blog click here.
Miami FC will open the 2010 season on April 10 at 7:30PM at Lockhart Stadium against the visiting Rochester Rhinos.

For real time updates, don’t forget to follow Miami FC on twitter www.twitter.com/miamifc.

ABOUT MIAMI FC

Miami FC, South Florida's only professional soccer team, is currently in its fifth season. For the 2010 season, the Blues will play in a second division league established and administered by the United States Soccer Federation. The league will feature two conferences with Miami playing in the NASL Conference. The team is owned by Traffic Sports USA, the North American subsidiary of The Traffic Group, the leading soccer event management company in the Americas with headquarters in Brazil, and offices in the U.S. and Europe. The organization is committed to the advancement of soccer in South Florida at the youth, amateur and professional levels.

ABOUT THE NASL
The North American Soccer League (NASL) was established in November 2009, and will be submitting an application with the U.S. Soccer Federation to become a sanctioned league in 2011. The NASL’s nine member teams – Carolina RailHawks, Crystal Palace Baltimore, Miami FC, NSC Minnesota Stars, Montreal Impact, Rochester Rhinos, AC St. Louis, FC Tampa Bay Rowdies and Vancouver Whitecaps FC – will all compete in the 2010 USSF D-2 Professional League, a second division league established and administered by the United States Soccer Federation. In 2011, the NASL will be joined by teams in Atlanta and Edmonton. The NASL and its member teams are committed to building on their long tradition of providing a high level of soccer to fans across the United States and Canada in 2010 and beyond.

Orlando USL Team? Questionable owner? Schulz Academy holding tryouts and more.

The Orlando Sentinel Blog, "The Other Football" is reporting that the United Soccer Leagues (USL) will announce a New Orlando Soccer team for next year. We might be looking at a new 3 way rivalry with the Rowdies and Miami FC.

Sources have told us the proposed investor is Steve Donner. He helped bring pro-soccer (The Rhinos) and lacrosse to Rochester. He was also influential in the construction of two of Rochester’s most significant sports facilities; the ESL Sports Centre and PAETEC Park.

Irregularities have been mentioned in a recent article by Jeff Di Verronica concerning the deals made with the Stadium. Our sources indicate Donner left owing the Rhinos something in the millions, not mentioning fees owed to USSF and USL from 2002 to 2007 that apparently USL is ready to look the other way on. Perhaps because of Donner's interest in a USL team in his now home town Orlando, Florida. I'm sure we'll get more information on this in the days to come.

Fort Lauderdale Schulz Academy PDL-Team will be holding tryouts and here is the schedule:
Sat, 6 March 2010, 12:30-2:30pm (field 1)
Sat, 3 April 2010, 4-6pm (field 3)
Mon, 5 April 2010, 4-6pm (field 3)
Sat, 17 April 2010, 4-6pm (field 4)
All tryouts are at Central Broward Regional Park in Fort Lauderdale (Sunrise and US-441)
If interested you'll need to bring your soccer gear, a copy of your birth certificate and a picture.

Here is the Schulz Academy PDL 2010 SCHEDULE
Friday, May 7 Bradenton (Open Cup) Away
Sunday, May 16 Central Florida Home
Friday, May 21 Nashville (Open Cup) A
Sunday, May 23 Atlanta A
Saturday, May 29 Atlanta H
Monday, May 31 Central Florida (Open Cup) H
Saturday, June 5 New Orleans H
Thursday, June 17 Bradenton H
Sunday, June 20 Panama H
Friday, June 25 Baton Rouge H
Friday, July 4 Central Florida A
Thursday, July 15 Mississippi A
Saturday, July 17 Baton Rouge A
Wednesday, July 21 Bradenton A
Friday, July 23 Panama A
Sunday, July 25 Nashville H

Miami FC continues to build their team we have so far confirmed the following players:

D-Mike Randolph
D-Chris Gbandi
D-Cristiano Dias
M-Jarryd Goldberg
D-JP Rodrigues
F-Bryan Perez
D-Kyle Veris
D-Zach Kirby

We know of a few more players but the Blues have not announced them yet. Word has it Miami FC is now practicing at the Holiday Inn Hotel on University Dr in Sunrise.
There is a rumor that Miami FC will play FIU's soccer team this Saturday morning at FIU. For more details go to http://www.miamifc.com/


UPDATE: 3:00 PM
USL-1 pro soccer headed to Orlando in 2011 as announced by USL

The future of professional soccer in Central Florida began to take shape with the announcement of a new United Soccer Leagues (USL) First Division franchise in Orlando. The Orlando Titans will serve as the principal owner and operator of the franchise, and will also be responsible for securing local minority investors.

It looks like USL will not let NASL take over the 2nd Division of U.S. Soccer without a fight! While NASL moves forward with Edmonton,(...and a few other markets to be announced from what I'm told) USL announces Steve Donner's Orlando Titans will operate the new team.

“We’re most excited about the quality of ownership joining USL in the Orlando Titans and Steve Donner." -Papadakis

Quality? Would be nice to see what the current Rhino ownership thinks about this...

***Jeff Di Veronica just put out this little gem called ‘Teflon’ Donner does it again; ex-Rhino owner prez of new Orlando soccer team

Last year Donner also launched a pro lacrosse franchise in Orlando. Sounds all eerily similar, doesn’t it?

By the numbers:
9 great years with the Rhinos
3 bad years with the Rhinos
1 tarnished franchise thanks, in part, to his mismanagement

Interesting stuff! Full Story HERE
To be continued...

ONE, The Story of a Goal at the Miami International Film Festival

The Soccer movie of the month will not be displayed on the blog itself like the last few times. You'll have to buy a ticket and watch it at a theater and I'll tell you where.
As some of you might know the Miami International Film Festival (MIFF) is going on right now and for those that don't know what I'm talking about:

It's a world-class platform for film and filmmakers promoting Miami as an educational and international film destination. The Festival presents the best of emerging and established film to the local and international community within an educational framework.

For us Soccer fans I will have to recommend ONE, The Story of a Goal (UNO, La Historia de un Gol) by director Carlos Moreno and Gerardo Muyshondt. Run time is 102 minute in Spanish with English subtitles
Here is a synopsis:

In the early 1980s, El Salvador was experiencing the beginning of what would be a harsh 12-year-long civil war. It was also in this time that a group of Salvadoran fútbol players emerged to unite their entire nation with their game. This tiny Central American country’s national team achieved an unforgettable qualification to the 1982 World Cup in Spain, where against the world's strongest soccer lineup they would try to score their first World Cup goal ever. With a homeland ripped apart by conflict and maligned in the international press as a haven for guns and guerrillas, their team’s selection provided hope for all Salvadorans. However, they were defeated by Hungary 10-1 in the first match, and in this game, history’s worst World Cup defeat ever, El Salvador scored their only goal ever in this type of competition. This insightful and honest film recounts a David-and-Goliath story of great hope and terrible disappointment.

You can see this movie at 7:45 PM on Thursday, March 11 at the Regal South Beach 9 or at 9:30 PM on Friday, March 12 at the Tower Theater 2 for more information go HERE

New Miami FC Players, Stadium info and Zidane tells Materazzi no way I'll say sorry! by Burrito

Hola Amigos! Burrito hear Miami FC have signed muchos players and all South Florida Futbol fans will soon hear more from Burrito's Compadre Ignacio"El Nacho" Rodriguez who will tell the worlds why Miami FC will be USSF Div 2 Champions this season! Be sure to check el Twitter de Miami FC! It is http://twitter.com/Miamifc or go to http://www.miamifc.com/ for details in the coming days.

Todays Nacho announce 3 defenders:

Cristiano "Kaká" Dias
Cristiano Dias has been a part of the Miami FC family since 2007. Always a stalwart for the Miami FC backline, "Kaká" has become one of the team's fan favorites with his physical play and his desire to win. Paired with Zach Kirby last season, the defensive duo formed one of the most solid backlines in the league. The 6'3 Brazilian defender has had over 60 appearances for the Blues.

Mike Randolph
Randolph began his career with the Portland Timbers in 2006, where he played 25 matches and was a finalist for the USL-1 Rookie of the Year. Soon after, Randolph was signed by the L.A Galaxy where he played two years and had 39 appearances. Randolph has also been called up to the United States U-23 squad.

Chris Gbandi
After a stellar career at the University of Connecticut, Gbandi was drafted by the Dallas Burn with the first overall pick of the 2002 MLS SuperDraft. He made 111 appearances and scored three goals, including the last goal by a Dallas Burn player at the Cotton Bowl. He recently spent a year with FK Haugesund of the Norwegian First Division.

Read press release HERE
Miami FC now have new coach and it is Victor Pastora! Read about him HERE Burrito don't know Victor muy bien pero Burrito wish Victor lucks and will send him quesadilla in the morning!

Burrito also hear Lockhearts Stadiums will be official home of the Blues this year. This is great news for Burrito cause it like one big bathroom, with fresh cut lawns and no turf like at FIU stadium, yuck! Many Fans say they worry about article written by Jeff Rusnack on Sun Sentinel Read HERE. Concern come from re-naming the Blues to Strikers. It not the name that make Miami Fans nervous, it is the idea that team will be named "Ft Lauderdale" Strikers.
Burrito want to tell fans that Burrito's sources say team name will be Strikers and may not necesarililiy have a city name to it. Burrito want to tell fans that it no matter what they call the team. If you are true fan of futbol like Burrito is then you must support this team even if they call them the Sunrise Bunny Rabbits!
But for now our battle cry is Vamos Miami! Let's go Blues!

You want Miami FC Season Ticket info? Call the Commercial Director, Tommy Knapp at (954)829-9213 and get your tickets!

You guys read that Zinedine Zidane says to Italian Marco Materazzi hell no I wont say sorry?

More than once they insulted my mother and I never responded, but there ... and it happened. And to apologise for this - if it was Kaka, a regular guy, a good guy, of course I would have apologised, but to this one...

Read More HERE
Here is video of Zidane's greatest head butt hits! Yeeeeehaaaa! Hasta los huevos amigos!