The announcement was meant to be a lucrative and symbolic planting of the flag. La Liga, the top fútbol league in Spain, was bringing a regular season match to the United States, with European giants FC Barcelona set  to face Villareal CF—not in Spain, but under the bright lights of Miami’s Hard Rock Stadium.   While it was not the first  attempt the league had made to cross the Atlantic, this time felt different. With strong backing  from a U.S.-based promoter named Relevent