(Newswire.net — July 22, 2020) — It took years of hard work and dedication to fully prepare Inter Miami for their debut season in Major League Soccer. Although he is one of five co-owners, ex-Manchester United star David Beckham is largely seen as the face of the franchise, and alongside Jorge Mas, he was regularly spotted at the expansion team’s South Florida training complex ahead of their inaugural fixture at the end of February.
Beckham’s involvement has understandably helped raise the profile of the club, and the Herons have been subject to worldwide interest over the last twelve months. However, despite all of the fanfare, they haven’t fared well in their opening five competitive matches, and that could potentially result in fans and journalists quickly losing interest. The former England captain expressed his disappointment on social media following the franchise’s 1-0 defeat to New York City FC on July 20th, asking fans to remain patient. He reassured them that his former clubs Manchester United and Real Madrid took time to develop, before adding “I’m proud of my team”. During his time at the Red Devils, the winger was part of a side who got stronger over time, and as a result, he is fully aware that although soccer is largely a results-driven business these days, it often takes several years for clubs to finally reach their peak. His former club is currently undergoing a similar resurgence under former teammate Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and is quietly fancied by many at 8/1 in the football betting odds online for the 2020-21 Premier League title. However, despite this notable improvement, there have been many peaks and troughs since Sir. Alex Ferguson left Old Trafford back in 2013. With five defeats on the spin and fans unable to attend matches since the beginning of March, there is a concern that some supporters, particularly the younger generation, will start to drift away from the club over the coming months. Although they traveled in their numbers for Inter Miami’s opening fixture at the Bank of California Stadium, the same level of support may not be possible if the franchise is unable to remain competitive in Major League Soccer. Although Diego Alonso has been unable to guide his side to victory so far, the newcomers have managed to look threatening, and haven’t lost by more than a single goal margin in any of their opening five fixtures. Changes in midfield are undoubtedly required with Will Trapp and Victor Ulloa too similar in style. Despite the positives, no other expansion side has gone 0-5, and the club may now have to wait until the fall in order to right those wrongs.
It is still very early days for the Herons and some pundits have also argued that expectations were unrealistically lofty going into their debut season. However, after seemingly getting caught up in all of the hype and bluster at the beginning of the year, some supporters are now struggling to come to terms with their club’s underwhelming start to life in Major League Soccer. With the stop-start nature of the 2020 season, it may be a case of starting all over again next year, however, in the meantime, the club must work hard to ensure that those loyal supporters don’t become too disenfranchised by the lack of quality on the pitch.