CHAPTER 1 WORTH THE WAIT In a sea of black a splash of pink stood out For the players In a sea of black a splash of pink stood out For the players of Club Internacional de Fútbol Miami more commonly known as Inter Miami CF playing their first game as a team it was a welcome sight A small but dedicated group team it was a welcome sight A small but dedicated group of supporters traveled all the way to Los Angeles to cheer them on The Miami players needed the support Los Angeles Football Club LAFC was known for having some of the most Football Club LAFC was known for having some of the most passionate fans in Major League Soccer MLS They dressed mostly in black and sang and chanted throughout the game It was a tough way for a new club to enter the league But it would be a good test of how prepared Inter Miami was for its first official match Inter Miami forward Robbie Robinson left is challenged by LAFC defender Eddie Segura in Miami’s first MLS match 4
David Beckham looks on from his suite as Inter Miami makes its MLS debut in Los Angeles The referee blew his whistle On March 1 2020 Miami took the kickoff to officially begin its history The players began the match hoping to become just the fifth MLS team ever to win its first game 6
PINK ARMY It made sense that Miami fans were excited to watch their new team They had already waited 19 years Miami’s first MLS team folded in 2001 That left the area without top-level soccer It took an unlikely person to bring soccer back to South Florida David Beckham was a legendary soccer player from England He had no ties to Miami but he chose it as the location for a new team he purchased in 2013 That began a long process of finding a site for a new stadium and determining how to pay for its construction Finally in 2018 it became official Miami was coming back to MLS Excitement had been building ever since When the 2020 schedule came out and showed a road game to begin the season some fans booked flights to Los Angeles The day before the match the team held a final practice When the players returned to their hotel the fans were there to welcome them with songs and chants Nearly 100 fans were ready to cheer on their new club early on match day They waved flags as they marched to the stadium With more than an hour remaining before kickoff the supporters took their positions Beckham was also in attendance and took pictures with the crowd 7
