Latest on the potential Miami match

A judge in Spain will issue a ruling on November 14 that will determine whether the attempt to play the Villarreal-Atletico Madrid match in Miami moves forward. As I understand it (and I am not sure I understand it very well) a judge will decide whether the league can have an injunction against the Spanish FA, essentially making sure the FA can’t kill the idea, as they did last year.

I’m a bit confused about this because what the league really needs is for the judge to order the Spanish FA to submit an application to US Soccer for the game to go ahead, because it’s US Soccer who have authority over matches played in the US by non-US sides, and they have already said they are awaiting an application from the Spanish FA before proceeding.

And then, there is the matter of a lawsuit between Relevent (the company La Liga has contracted with to promote events abroad) and US Soccer. Presumably US Soccer could agree for the game to be played here—upon receiving a proper request—and both sides could agree for the lawsuite to be withdrawn, but who knows if that will happen either.

Coincidentally (I assume coincidentally) Villarreal happen to have been running a well-attended youth soccer camp in Miami at the moment, and Marcos Senna was there. Okay, so I can tell you when I met him in Liverpool I did not hyperventilate or embarrass myself too much, partly because i could tell he was busy and didn’t have time to chat anyway, but if I had been a kid and Marcos Senna was going to sign MY shirt, I would have crumpled to the floor. Just saying.