Fort Lauderdale, Fla. – Inter Miami’s illustrious owner, David Beckham, gave the city’s fans a taste of what life in the MLS will be like in their new stadium with a smiling selfie posted on social media.
David Beckham Teases new Inter Miami Stadium
The headline-grabber from the picture is that the Lockhart Stadium, situated in Fort Lauderdale, will have vibrant pink, black, and white seats. The image also suggests there is still plenty of work to do in the stadium prior to the team’s opening home fixture versus LA Galaxy on March 14.
The 18,000-seater stadium is due to be the club’s home for at least the next two seasons, while a brand-new purpose-built 25,000-seater arena, Miami Freedom Park, opens its doors in 2022. The Lockhart Stadium was the former home of the Fort Lauderdale Strikers, so it was a straightforward option for the club to use this as their temporary base while Miami Freedom Park comes to fruition. With its state-of-the-art training complex, restaurants, retail outlets and hotels, it’s going to be a perfect hub for Inter Miami.
Beckham and co. have been working hard to expand the team’s roster for the 2020 MLS season, with several recent additions ahead of the January transfer deadline in Europe. Although the team has been linked with a string of marquee signings, as yet Inter Miami only boasts one signing with Designated Player status – Argentine midfielder, Matias Pellegrini.
A look at the rest of the roster suggests head coach, Diego Alonso has opted for a lot of proven, reliable US talent such as Wil Trapp. Although Scottish January recruit, winger Lewis Morgan from Glasgow Celtic, is someone that could certainly get bums off seats.
At present, it’s tough to predict how Inter Miami will fare in their debut MLS season. One thing MLS fans can be sure of is that they’ll be able to turn their predictions into futures bets soon enough. That’s mainly due to the growing number of states that are legalizing online sports betting, with New Jersey the latest to accept bets from customers both offline and online with approved operators like 888sport.
The usual suspects such as LA FC, Toronto FC – despite losing Michael Bradley to injury – Atlanta United and LA Galaxy are considered the leading contenders for the MLS Cup in 2020. The Galaxy’s marquee signing of Chicharito has indeed turned heads and will give them added firepower in the offense. Inter Miami’s odds seem to place them midfield in the chasing pack, with other newcomers like Nashville deemed to have the lowest chance of success this year.
