Editing Miami Fusion (section)

===Demise===
Major League Soccer had reportedly lost an estimated $250 million during its first five years.<ref name=profit>{{cite news |last=Holmes |first=Stanley |title=Soccer: Time To Kick It Up A Notch |newspaper=Businessweek |date=November 22, 2004 |url=http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/04_47/b3909099.htm?campaign_id=search%20Soccer:%20Time%20To%20Kick%20It%20Up%20A%20Notch |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081206014205/http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/04_47/b3909099.htm?campaign_id=search%20Soccer:%20Time%20To%20Kick%20It%20Up%20A%20Notch |url-status=dead |archive-date=December 6, 2008 |access-date=May 11, 2008}}</ref><ref name="nytimes">{{Cite news |last=Eligon |first=John |date=2005-11-11 |title=For M.L.S., the Sport's Future Is in the Eye of the Beholder |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2005/11/11/sports/soccer/for-mls-the-sports-future-is-in-the-eye-of-the-beholder.html |access-date=2022-07-29 |issn=0362-4331 |archive-date=July 29, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220729165745/https://www.nytimes.com/2005/11/11/sports/soccer/for-mls-the-sports-future-is-in-the-eye-of-the-beholder.html |url-status=live }}</ref>
The league's poor financial condition forced MLS to stop the bleeding. During the winter break between the 2000 and 2001 seasons, reports began circulating that MLS was considering trimming the league from 12 teams back to 10 teams.<ref name="espn.go.com">{{Cite web |title=MLS considering weight-loss program |url=https://www.espn.com/soccer/s/2000/1228/977891.html |access-date=2022-07-29 |website=ESPN.com |archive-date=June 13, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210613025233/https://www.espn.com/soccer/s/2000/1228/977891.html |url-status=live }}</ref> The team considered several measures to improve attendance and popularity, including changing their name to the South Florida Fusion to advertise to a wider geographical area.<ref>{{cite news |last=Fonteboa |first=Pedro F. |date=October 20, 2000 |title=Fusion considers name change to attract fans |page=3D |work=Miami Herald |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-miami-herald-fusion-considers-name-c/138428913/ |via=Newspapers.com |accessdate=January 9, 2024 |archive-date=January 10, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240110063329/https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-miami-herald-fusion-considers-name-c/138428913/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Rumors began circulating that the league might pull the plug on the Fusion, even though the Fusion had a low-cost stadium lease, and an improved performance in 2001 with increased fan attendance.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Rusnak |first1=Jeff |title=Fusion Owner Looking For Way Out |url=http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/2001-12-15/sports/0112150073_1_five-mls-teams-ken-horowitz-fusion |date=December 15, 2001 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150709153645/http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/2001-12-15/sports/0112150073_1_five-mls-teams-ken-horowitz-fusion |archive-date=2015-07-09 |language=en}}</ref>

MLS announced in January 2002 that it had decided to contract the two Florida franchises, the Fusion and the [[Tampa Bay Mutiny]].<ref>{{cite news | url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/other_sports/us_sport/1750024.stm | work=BBC News | title=Fusion and Mutiny fold | date=January 9, 2002 | access-date=May 2, 2010 | archive-date=June 9, 2020 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200609061315/http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/other_sports/us_sport/1750024.stm | url-status=live }}</ref> Both teams were withdrawn from the league, ceased operations and folded. Major League Soccer's contraction reduced the league from 12 to 10 teams. The league had chosen to fold the Miami Fusion, in part because the Fusion's ownership reportedly lacked financial resources, had been trying to run the Fusion on a bare-minimum budget, and had asked the league to pay some of the club's expenses.<ref name="espn.go.com"/> Commissioner Garber stated that the Fusion had the lowest revenue in the league, due to fewer season tickets and almost no revenue from corporate sponsorships.<ref name="sportsillustrated.cnn.com">{{cite news |title=Garber, Horowitz discuss MLS contraction |url=http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/soccer/us/news/2002/01/09/mls_quotes/ |work=CNNSI.com |publisher=CNN/Sports Illustrated |date=January 9, 2002 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20020208034749/http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/soccer/us/news/2002/01/09/mls_quotes/ |archive-date=2002-02-08 |language=en}}</ref>

Miami ownership had reportedly experienced $15 million in operating losses since Miami joined the league.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Wagman |first1=Robert |title=MLS fans in several cities wait nervously for contraction decision. |url=http://www.soccertimes.com/wagman/2001/dec27.htm |work=SoccerTimes |date=2001-12-27 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924115539/http://www.soccertimes.com/wagman/2001/dec27.htm |archive-date=2015-09-24 |language=en}}</ref> The Fusion's owner, Ken Horowitz, described several difficulties with operating an MLS soccer franchise in South Florida.<ref name="sportsillustrated.cnn.com"/> Many Miami residents were not originally from the area and didn't identify with and support local sports teams. Additionally, the MLS season is in the summer, which is different from the youth soccer season, making it difficult to draw youth soccer teams to attend Fusion matches. There were also issues with local summertime heat and rain. Finally, Horowitz identified a lack of corporate support for the team.

On April 2, 2015, a new club with the name [[Miami Fusion FC (2015–)|Miami Fusion FC]] joined the fourth-tier [[National Premier Soccer League]].<ref>{{cite news|title=Miami Fusion FC Joins the NPSL|url=http://www.nationalpremiersoccerleague.com/home/869918.html|date=April 2, 2015<!-- date given at https://web.archive.org/web/18990101080101/http://www.nationalpremiersoccerleague.com/scripts/runisa.dll?M2.65906:gp:821801.1138:72906+archive/Display+E+NDX+NDX+4/1/2015 -->|access-date=April 5, 2015|work=nationalpremiersoccerleague.com|publisher=National Premier Soccer League|url-status=usurped|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150405051918/http://www.nationalpremiersoccerleague.com/home/869918.html|archive-date=April 5, 2015|df=mdy-all}}</ref> The club folded in 2018.

MLS returned to the South Florida area in 2018, when [[Inter Miami CF]] was announced. On January 29, 2018, the Miami Beckham United group, four years after the ownership's original announcement of pursuing a team, was awarded the twenty-fifth MLS franchise and launched in the 2020 season, playing on the site of Lockhart Stadium at the new [[Chase Stadium]] from 2020 to 2025 until [[Miami Freedom Park]] was built  within Miami city limits in 2026. Former Fusion coach [[Ray Hudson]] would go on to work as a color commentator for Inter Miami, while former Fusion player [[Chris Henderson]] is the club's current Sporting Director.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.mlssoccer.com/post/2018/01/29/its-official-major-league-soccer-awards-expansion-team-miami|title=It's official: Major League Soccer awards expansion team to Miami|date=January 29, 2018|access-date=January 31, 2018|website=MLSSoccer.com|archive-date=March 3, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180303091243/https://www.mlssoccer.com/post/2018/01/29/its-official-major-league-soccer-awards-expansion-team-miami|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.espn.com/soccer/major-league-soccer/story/3361118/mls-finally-announces-david-beckhams-expansion-team-in-miami|title=MLS announces David Beckham's expansion team in Miami|date=January 29, 2018|access-date=September 12, 2018|publisher=[[ESPN]]|archive-date=February 28, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180228134028/http://www.espn.com/soccer/major-league-soccer/story/3361118/mls-finally-announces-david-beckhams-expansion-team-in-miami|url-status=live}}</ref>