Humans United FC

In Chapter XIV: "We were a real mishmash" former Miami Fusion player and West Ham United legend Ian Bishop shares his perspective and stories from that magical 2001 Supporter's Shield-winning season! Ian shares what brought him to MLS originally, what his plans were after the 2001 season, and his thoughts on how the game can continue to grow in America. Enjoy! ** Announcing the FIRS...

In Chapter XIII: "The Fusion paved the way" former assistant coach Nick Megaloudis shares his perspective and stories working with the Miami Fusion for  all 4 years of their existence, including a very memorable practice involving Carlos Valderrama! Nick also shares his thoughts on what new fans of MLS and Inter Miami should know before they dive into any new discussions about Inter Miam...

What if the Miami Fusion never folded? What would a 2002 MLS Season have looked like for Miami? Who would've stayed? Who would've left? Who would be the new crop of players tasked with taking Miami to an MLS Cup? All these questions and more are discussed in this latest bonus episode of the podcast featuring noted MLS reporter/host Eli Lesser of the popular channel 'This week in MLS...

In Chapter XII: "It belongs in Miami" legendary Miami Herald sportswriter Michelle Kaufman shares her perspective on covering the Miami Fusion all 4 years of their existence. Michelle also shares her perspective covering soccer in Miami currently and how Lionel Messi joining Inter Miami will elevate MLS forever. Enjoy! ** Announcing the FIRST EVER #miamifusion reunion and live podcast re...

Remember Saginaw? Throughout this podcast folks continuously have brought up this lesser-known story about the Miami Fusion's 2000 US Open Cup run which included a thrilling 3-3 (6-5 PKs) result over the PDL's Mid-Michigan Bucks on July 25, 2000 in Saginaw, MI! This story DEFINITELY fell under the "unbelievable" category of stories for the Miami Fusion and when I had the opport...

In Chapter XI: "It was magic" former community relations coordinator and "team mom". Dona Cardoza shares her experiences from all four years with the Miami Fusion! Dona shares what it was like working for the Fusion for all four of those years and how she ended up working for the team simply by being across the hall from their offices 25 years ago! Dona shares her passion for t...

On this bonus episode of the podcast, host Joe Shaw, former captain Jim Rooney, and former coach John Trask were all guests on the 'Good Seats Still Available' podcast back on Monday, May 29. Joe shared the genesis of the podcast while Jim & John shared their stories and perspectives of the Miami Fusion on this sports history podcast. We cannot thank host Tim Hanlon and then entire G...

In Chapter X: "Diego didn't have an ACL!" former athletic trainer and eventual strength & conditioning coach, Jaime Rojas, shares his experiences from all four years with the Miami Fusion! Jaime shares what it was like working for the Fusion for all four of those years and how he was baptized by fire immediately with team.  Jaime also discusses several memorable injury/recovery...

In Chapter IX: "It comes down to moments" current Chief Soccer Officer & Sporting Director of Inter Miami and former Miami Fusion player Chris Henderson shares his perspective playing for the Fusion during their magical Supporter's Shield-winning season back in 2001. Chris shares what it was like going from winning the domestic double in Kansas City the year prior to heading dow...

In Chapter VIII: "Peacocks and double wides" current Atlanta United President and CEO and former Miami Fusion goalkeeper Garth Lagerwey shares his perspective playing for Miami back in 1999 & 2000. Garth shares what it was like playing soccer in South Florida, what the atmosphere was like back then, how MLS has grown significantly since that time and how Doug Hamilton served as a men...

In Chapter VII: "You make your own luck" long-time South Florida Sun-Sentinel soccer columnist Jeff Rusnak shares his perspective covering soccer in South Florida for several decades INCLUDING the Miami Fusion of Major League Soccer. Jeff discusses the connective tissue between the Fusion and the NASL's Fort Lauderdale Strikers, and how Ray Hudson is the central character in the sto...

In Chapter VI: "Let me set the record straight" current International Communications rep with Major League Soccer (MLS) / Soccer United Marketing (SUM) and former PR rep/Jack of all trades/"PT Barnum of Soccer" Gabe Gabor takes us deep into the 'unbelievable" aspects of all things Miami Fusion! Gabe shares a few different unbelievable stories in this episode which inc...

In Chapter V: "Fine, I'll score goals" the 2001 MLS Scoring Champion AND league MVP Alex Pineda Chacon shares his perspective participating as a key figure in that magical 2001 season for the Miami Fusion. Alex shares his early interactions with Miami a few years before he finally came to the team, how he ended up playing in MLS, and why he begrudgingly accepted his role to 'sc...

On this bonus episode of the podcast, host Joe Shaw was a guest on the Battered Herons show back on Wednesday, April 12.  Joe talked about his personal life, what initially made him such a soccer and MLS fan, what drew him to be a fan of the Miami Fusion, and why this podcast project means so much to him. We cannot thank the Battered Herons enough for having Joe on the show, and if you want to kee...

In Chapter IV: "Finally, I have a team" El Presidente himself, Fernando Fiore, shares his perspective on what it was like covering the Miami Fusion throughout their run in MLS. While hosting Republica Deportiva on Univision every Sunday he was uniquely positioned to push the Miami Fusion and Major League Soccer to a new soccer-loving audience. Fernando shares the dismay he felt at losing...

In Chapter III: "Can you work with pros?" former assistant coach John Trask shares his stories of coaching the Fusion alongside Ray Hudson during both the 2000 & 2001 seasons. John shares a few different unbelievable stories in this episode which include, but are not limited to, the following: 1. The unique job interview John had for Ray Hudson in 2000 2. Playing the Michigan Bucks (...

In Chapter II: "We liked to win" former starting goalkeeper Jeff Cassar shares his stories of playing for the Miami Fusion. Jeff started in net 25 years ago for the Fusion's first-ever game. Having been one of only a handful of players who were in Miami all 4 seasons, Jeff has a unique perspective on the trajectory of the team. In this episode, Jeff shares his perspective on what it...

25 years ago, on March 15, 1998, the Miami Fusion kicked off their opening game in MLS' 3rd season, becoming one of the 2 expansion teams in this ever-growing professional league. In 2001, despite putting together one of the best seasons in MLS history (at that point and arguably since), MLS made the decision to fold both the Fusion and their Florida neighbors, the MLS original franchise, Tam...

25 years ago, on March 15, 1998, the Miami Fusion kicked off their opening game in MLS' 3rd season, becoming one of the 2 expansion teams in this ever-growing professional league.  In 2001, despite putting together one of the best seasons in MLS history (at that point and arguably since), MLS made the decision to fold both the Fusion and their Florida neighbors, the Tampa Bay Mutiny.  This po...