LAFC experienced success rather quickly. Here’s how Inter Miami can replicate that.
If there’s one club that Inter Miami should strive to replicate, it should be Los Angeles FC.
No organization, save for Atlanta United, has experienced more early success as an expansion team in the MLS. In just their second season, LAFC had the best record in the MLS and came just one game short of a championship berth.
For a city that’s had its fair share of disappointing finishes, having a competitive football club would be a welcomed addition. So just how would they do it? Magic Johnson, part owner of LAFC, emphasized one area: leadership.
“It starts with ownership,” Johnson said Thursday at the Simply Games, “[David] Beckham — he knows what he’s doing.”
As Johnson alluded to, Inter Miami has the leadership area covered. But that represents only a small part of its success.
“The fans have to go out and support the team,” Johnson continued. “... We only won one to nothing so you know that you got a good team, so now go support them.
If TV ratings are any indication, there’s hope yet. As the Herald reported Wednesday, the club’s inaugural game against LAFC received a 1.5 local rating in the Miami/Fort Lauderdale market. That’s equivalent to just under 26,000 homes, a much better mark than the Florida Panthers average.
Nationally, the LAFC-Inter Miami game received a .26 rating, which seems poor on the surface until realizing that this was actually an improvement from opening weekend 2019.
Wins, however, will be the ultimate determinate of Inter Miami. Although Inter Miami benefits from playing in a city with a large Latino population, nobody wants to support a losing team. A 1-0 loss to the club that had the best record in the MLS could be an indication of a bright future. Regardless, the league itself will be rooting for Inter Miami.
“We need Miami to have a strong team, a strong franchise to make the MLS stronger,” Johnson said.
