Team still in talks over jersey sponsor
Don’t expect to see a new logo on Inter Miami CF’s jersey when they kick off the MLS is Back Tournament against Orlando City SC on Wednesday at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex near Orlando.
Inter Miami COO and sporting director Paul McDonough said the club continues to be in discussions with “multiple companies” for the expansion team’s jersey sponsorship. McDonough told reporters earlier this week he expects for the team to come to an agreement on a jersey sponsorship this year. He’s previously said discussions quieted down during the pandemic, but conversations started to pick up — including with companies they weren’t speaking with before the pandemic — once there was momentum behind the season’s resumption.
The club announced a multi-year partnership earlier in the week with Baptist Health, which involves Baptist Health serving as the official medical team the organization and becoming Inter Miami’s academy team’s first presenting jersey sponsor ahead of the 2020-21 season.
“We’re not there yet,” McDonough said about the jersey sponsorship for the
Paul McDonough, Inter Miami CF COO and sporting director, said the club continues to be in discussions for the expansion team’s jersey sponsorship.
club’s MLS team. “We couldn’t get it done in time for the Disney tournament. We’re still working on it.
“We’re trying to make sure we find the right partners that’ll be good for us in the long-term.”
Also, when Inter Miami have their home opener at Inter Miami CF Stadium in Fort Lauderdale, expect it to be without fans in the
stands.
During the Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce trustee luncheon this week, Inter Miami managing owner Jorge Mas said the club is anticipating the restart the season at its stadium without fans, which Mas called a “shame” because he had hopefully anticipated “our first home opener would be a full stadium.”
MLS suspended the season March 12, two days before Inter Miami’s home opener against the LA Galaxy.
On Inter Miami’s website, it says the league plans to continue the regular season with a revised schedule in home markets, which may see matches from Inter Miami’s original regular-season schedule being canceled or rescheduled. The website says the final number of matches, schedule for the remainder of the regular season and related ticket policies will be announced in the “coming weeks.”
Mas added that the club has run scenarios that would involve stadiums being partially full of fans.
“We’re really looking at — depending upon how testing protocols go — what’s going to happen in the October, November and December time period,” Mas said, “because the MLS season likely will be extended to Christmas with the MLS Cup in order to get a majority of the regular season in.”
McDonough echoed Mas’ comments while recognizing the fluidity of the situation.
“Things are always so dynamic with this,” McDonough said, “but we’re in constant contact with the league and right now that’s the hope.”
DETROIT — Bryson DeChambeau got the result he was looking for from transforming his body.
With jaw-dropping drives and some clutch putts, DeChambeau won the Rocket Mortgage Classic by three strokes Sunday for his first victory of the season and sixth overall.
DeChambeau shot a 7-under 65 at Detroit Golf Club, birdieing four of the first seven holes and closing with three straight. He finished at a career-best 23-under 265.
Matthew Wolff (71) was second. He started the day with a three-shot lead and hurt his chances with five bogeys over his first 10 holes. Kevin Kisner (66) finished another stroke back.
DeChambeau removed all doubt with a strong finish.
He made a 30-foot birdie putt at No. 16, a short putt for birdie on the next hole and uncorked a 367-yard drive to set up another short putt at 18.
DeChambeau came into the week with six straight top-eight finishes and was the only player with top 10s in the first three events after the restart from the coronavirus. He won for the first time since the Shriners Hospitals for Children Open in November 2018.
Soccer: Liverpool kept alive its bid to finish the Premier League season with a perfect home record after laboring to a 2-0 win against relegation-threatened Aston Villa on Sunday in its first match at Anfield since winning the title.
A 17th straight home victory this season — and surely the most underwhelming — was secured by goals from Sadio Mane in the 71st minute and substitute Curtis Jones in the 89th.