Here’s why 27 local politicians urged U.S. Soccer to allow more games in South Florida
Twenty-seven South Florida elected officials – including 13 city mayors — have sent letters to the U.S. Soccer Federation urging them to support regular-season international matches in the area.
Twice in the past 18 months, proposed matches between La Liga teams at Hard Rock Stadium have been denied by the Spanish soccer federation and U.S. Soccer because they ruled that regular-season matches should be played on Spanish home soil. International friendlies and offseason club games have been allowed, but not regular-season league games.
FC Barcelona wanted to play a La Liga match against Girona in Miami, and a proposed match between Atletico Madrid and Villarreal was canceled.
Relevent Sports, the soccer promotion company owned by Miami Dolphins owner Stephen Ross, has been urging officials on both continents to approve the matches. Local politicians offered support.
“As the mayor of Miami Gardens, which is home to Hard Rock Stadium, I have a firsthand appreciation for the opportunities afforded by first-rate events,” wrote Miami Gardens mayor Oliver Gilbert III. “I ask that your organization demonstrate its commitment to soccer’s growth and consider the impacts of its decisions on our local economies.”
Sunrise Mayor Michael J. Ryan wrote that the NFL, NBA, and NCAA have all “sanctioned league games in other countries,” and asserted that “should prioritize the sport’s growth and development here at home through top-level play.”
Fort Lauderdale mayor Dean J. Trantalis wrote that “proposed matches that [U.S. Soccer] has blocked would have injected nearly $50 million more into” the South Florida economy.
Miami-Dade commissioner Xavier Suarez, the former mayor, wrote: “Supporting and permitting more top-tier soccer competitions in Miami-Dade County would elevate the sport’s profile across the country and contribute to our community’s economic success. Therefore, I ask that U.S. Soccer reconsider its resistance to international soccer matches proposed to take place in South Florida.”