MIAMI SOCCER TEAM AIMS TO FUSE STRONG PLAY WITH GREATER GATE

          Concerned about declining attendance, the MLS Fusion
     "is conducting market research, restructuring some ticket
     plans, and preparing for a summer sales blitz during and
     after the World Cup," according to Michelle Kaufman of the
     MIAMI HERALD.  The team's home attendance has been dropping
     since the inaugural game in mid-March and its average crowd
     of 12,764 is 1,635 below the league average.  Fusion Owner
     Ken Horowitz: "I'm not sure why we've had a dip in
     attendance."  Horowitz believes that the Fusion's stadium
     situation, which wasn't resolved until November, "delayed
     marketing and sales efforts too long" (MIAMI HERALD, 5/19). 
     But in a side-note, the Fusion has drawn "nearly as well as
     the Marlins in the past two home games for each team," with
     the Fusion averaging 10,671 to the Marlins' 12,890 (MIAMI
     HERALD, 5/19).