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SPORTS Tuesday 30 January 2018
At long last: Beckham’s MLS team in Miami is born

By TIM REYNOLDS in Miami and around the
AP Sports Writer world is simple: your team
MIAMI (AP) — David Beck- will always strive to make
ham had a speech pre- you proud on the pitch, our
pared and well-rehearsed stadium will be a place that
for the event four years in you cherish visiting, and
the making, then aban- our impact in the commu-
doned his script shortly af- nity and on South Florida’s
ter taking the confetti-cov- youth will run deep,” Beck-
ered stage. ham said.
Fitting, since nothing in his Beckham is a global icon
quest went as planned. — in the soccer world, the
“Bringing an MLS club to Mi- entertainment world, even
ami,” Beckham said, “has the fashion world . He start-
been a hell of a journey.” ed his career with Man-
The journey is now com- chester United and also
plete: Beckham has his played for Real Madrid, Los
team, and Miami is back in Angeles Galaxy, AC Milan
Major League Soccer. and Paris Saint-Germain.
Beckham and MLS an- He was a fixture in interna-
nounced Monday that the tional matches for England
long-awaited franchise for years, and won four
is now born. It took Beck- championships in four dif-
ham nearly four years just ferent leagues around the
to get this far with Miami, globe.
and there’s a slew of de- He told a story of how as a David Beckham pumps his fist at an event where it was announced that Major League Soccer is
tails still to come — such as 12-year-old, a coach told bringing an expansion team to Miami, Monday, Jan. 29, 2018, in Miami.
the team name, logo and him that he wouldn’t play Associated Press
when it will start play. professionally or for Eng- area snaking through the some people involved in ly three acres of county
All that can wait. The deal land. He persevered any- media room — was inten- the talks predicted that the land for $9 million — the
is done, and a team is on way, became perhaps the tionally benign in many re- team would begin play in last parcel needed for the
the way. biggest name in the game spects. The MLS logo for all 2017. nine-acre site on which the
“Welcome, Miami,” MLS when his playing career the signage had a black Getting on the field in time planned 25,000-seat stadi-
Commissioner Don Garber was at its peak — and the background, with the word for 2020 season might even um will be built. MLS officials
said. “Hola, Miami,” Beck- same doggedness was “Miami” printed below it in be a challenge now. But it said even then they hoped
ham said. necessary to get a deal white. is coming, which is all the to announce the team’s of-
The team will play in a done in Miami, after the “Great things come to ardent soccer fans of Mi- ficial inclusion into MLS last
25,000-seat, privately fund- quest for a franchise nearly those that wait,” Garber ami have wanted to hear summer.
ed stadium to be built in the failed several times along said, noting that Miami fans for years. “We’ll be the It took a few more months.
city’s Overtown neighbor- the way. have been emailing him for best team,” Beckham said. “My fellow Miamians, fi-
hood, designed by a firm “We’re here because 10 years with hopes of MLS “When I was awarded the nally, we are here,” Miami-
that has worked on several of David,” said Marcelo coming back to South Flor- team, there was only one Dade County Mayor Carlos
MLS venues in recent years. Claure, one of Beckham’s ida. The Miami area had city for me. Only one city, Gimenez said. “This an-
Part of the deal also is that partners. an MLS team from 1998 and it was here.” nouncement has been a
Beckham’s group will build Monday’s event — more through 2001, one that Momentum truly started long time coming.”
a training center and an pep rally than news con- folded largely because of building last spring, when The return of the Miami
academy focused on de- ference, with a few hun- poor attendance. Miami-Dade County com- market to MLS is the latest
veloping local players. dred fans in attendance In the beginning of this missioners approved a chapter in the league’s
“Our pledge to our fans and a red carpet interview Beckham-Miami plan, deal to sell Beckham near- steady expansion .q

Congress passes bill stemming from sexual abuse of athletes

By KEVIN FREKING to complete action on leg- to amateur sports groups ing,” said Rep. Ted Poe, R- “All they wanted to do was
Associated Press islation that had already re- such as USA Gymnastics as Texas. to make us proud. All they
WASHINGTON (AP) — Con- ceived widespread support well as to other sports orga- During House debate on wanted to do was show
gress followed up on the in both chambers of Con- nizations that participate in the bill, Poe read from the the strength of women and
sex abuse scandal involv- gress. The House agreed to interstate and international testimony that some of the resolve of women,”
ing sports doctor Larry Nas- take up the Senate version travel. The failure to report the gymnasts delivered said Rep. Sheila Jackson
sar by passing legislation of the bill to speed up its a sexual abuse allegation at last week’s sentencing Lee, D-Texas.
Monday that requires gov- passage. The bill passed by could lead to up to one hearing and entered the The legislation also extends
erning bodies for amateur a vote of 406-3 and went to year in prison. statements for publica- the statute of limitations for
athletics to promptly report President Donald Trump for Lawmakers who spoke in tion in the Congressional victims to sue alleged per-
abuse claims to law en- his signature. favor of the bill said that Record. High-profile Olym- petrators, recognizing that
forcement. Supporters of the bill, spon- Nassar’s victims were failed pians who delivered state- children sometimes don’t
Nassar was sentenced last sored by Sen. Dianne by the people who were ments included six-time realize they were abused
week to up to 175 years in Feinstein, D-Calif., said a supposed to protect them. medalist Aly Raisman, 2011 until years later. The statute
prison for sexually abusing patchwork of state laws “How a serial predator world champion and 2012 of limitations was extend-
more than 150 women and on reporting suspected sex like Dr. Nassar could have Olympic gold medalist Jor- ed to age 28 or up to 10
girls over 25 years. abuse made it necessary preyed on so many young dyn Wieber and two-time years after the reasonable
The sentencing sparked to enact a uniform national girls for a long time in such Olympic medalist McKayla discovery of the violation,
new calls from lawmakers standard that would apply a flagrant fashion is appall- Maroney. whichever is later.q