Kicking Back

Parochial to the point of arrogance, North Americans think NFL, NBA, and MLB are great and we are the global leader in sports. The rest of the world just smiles and keeps playing football, known around here as “soccer.” Time to catch up — and get in at the beginning. Today at 4:00 p.m. the new United Soccer Leagues team Miami FC makes its local debut in a preseason game against Portmore United, providing a preview of the regular season home opener next Sunday against the Montreal Impact. Portmore, formerly known as Hazard United, is a twenty year old Jamaican franchise playing in the Craven A Premier League. Miami, where soccer should be king, comes ready to compete after having signed the second leading scorer in world soccer history, striker Romario de Souza Faria. Fans will recall Romario, also known as “Baixinho” (“Shorty”), for his efforts in helping Brazil win the 1994 World Cup. The rest of the lineup is remarkable for its international ethnicity, reflecting the team’s hometown. Players represent Colombia, Haiti, Guatemala, Brazil, Jamaica, and Honduras, to name a few. Tickets range from $6 (for children) to $25. Get your kicks at Tropical Park Stadium. Call 866-57-MIAMI, or visit www.miamifc.com.

Sun., April 16