Officials in Miami announced a brand-new annual soccer tournament featuring some of the biggest clubs in world soccer. The new tournament, dubbed the Miami Soccer Challenge, will debut in January, 2013 and will run through 2015.
Marlins Park, the new stadium for the Miami Marlins baseball team, will host the annual competition. In January 2013, the baseball stadium will host at least one game featuring a top European club team against a top South American side.
Dutch legend Ruud Gullit was among the celebrities making the announcement.
Among the teams who have agreed to play in future tournaments are:
•Manchester United,
•Manchester city,
•Liverpool,
•Tottenham Hotspur,
•AS Roma,
•Boca Juniors,
•Hamburg
•Ajax,
•Santos,
•Benfica
•And others.
While two or more teams will play in January, the organizers plan on having mini-tournaments scheduled at the baseball arena for future dates including the summer of 2014.
Today’s announcement comes hot on the heels of another successful summer of soccer in the United States where foreign teams have played in front of large crowds including 58,000 who saw AC Milan versus Chelsea at Joe Robbie Stadium in Miami (the former home of the Miami Marlins team).
Summer versions of the Miami Soccer Challenge will undoubtedly be more convenient for Premier League teams playing in the tournament. It’s more likely that Bundesliga and South American teams will be able to compete during the winter.
