The bidders are in. Seven of them, in all. But there are only two Major League Soccer expansion slots available (for 2011, at least). Every potential expansion city has its strengths and weaknesses. It will ultimately come down to who in the league’s eyes has the best combination of money, potential market size, available or planned infrastructure (stadiums) and committed ownership, to name just a few.
So who is the front runner? You tell us. What city in your mind is most likely to get an MLS expansion team in 2011? Vote in the poll below and defend your choice by posting a comment. And good luck to all candidate cities.
n
{democracy:17}
St. Louis stadium plans submitted
http://suburbanjournals.stltoday.com/articles/2008/10/20/madison/special_feature/1019cvj-cooper.txt
I said Miami. I think the ‘double threat’ of the Barcelona backing and the Hispanic culture will be a big sway towards Miami for the MLS.
Daily Record: Scottish clubs should follow Barca example, bid for MLS clubs http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/comment/columnists/sport-columnists/stuart-cosgrove/2008/10/23/barca-us-bid-leaves-scots-trailing-again-86908-20830805/
Vancouver adds more celebrity punch to MLS bid http://www.nationalpost.com/sports/story.html?id=901524
Ottowa “facing long odds”: http://www.canada.com/ottawacitizen/news/sports/story.html?id=5369e21a-d0b3-4af3-b613-fe4c301a45fa
Vancouver Sun story, pictures on what soccer would look like at BC place http://bit.ly/1Wmq
Barcelona launches Web site pushing for Miami MLS expansion http://www.miamifcb.com/EN/index.htm
Montreal drops out http://american-soccer-news.com/?p=1348
SportsNet Canada suggests that MLS may announce all 4 expansion sites before the league starts play in 2009: http://www.sportsnet.ca/soccer/blogs/2008/11/24/dobson_mls_expansion/ This would leave the league at 20 teams [including Seattle and Philly]
Would MLS grant 2 more Candian franchises to Ottawa and Vancouver? With Montreal dropping out, I don’t think they will.
Miami Herald says MLS execs “still need some convincing” on expansion bid http://www.miamiherald.com/sports/story/792491.html
Barca CEO tells Bloomberg Miami has 90% chance of getting MLS expansion team http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601086&sid=aSqeup1wJTk8&refer=latin_america
Vancouver’s ownership group is reportedly balking at the expansion fee http://www.financialpost.com/story.html?id=1023715
St. Louis bidding for USL-1 team? http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/sports/stories.nsf/othersports/story/AD2657F98EFD2D89862575230014AA5D?OpenDocument
Take Atlanta off the list!
http://wvhooligan.com/2009/01/15/atlanta-pulls-out-of-expansion-race/
Miami drops out, thus exploiting the 10% chance Barcelona’s CEO gave them for not getting a team (see item #11 above)
I am thinking St. Louis and Portland.
you don’t think a Canadian squad will get one?
DOH! For some reason I thought Vancouver was out of it. But, as I stand corrected, they are a real possibility considering the ownership group. The only thing is I can’t see them adding two more teams in the northwest. While geographically it may make sense from a rivalry perspective It doesn’t make a lot of sense for the rest of the league. So it is either Portland or Vancouver, but not both.
MLS really needs to get into the southeast, but that’s not happening this go around. Eventually I would like to see expansion into Carolina as that is the real soccer hotbed on the east coast, but I think the St. Louis would round out the “east” nicely (even though Missouri is west of the mississippi river).
Carolina is a hotbed but St. Louis is kind of the “birthplace” of U.S. soccer. Do we really need more teams in the Northwest?
Canada’s Globe & Mail says Vancouver will get a team “barring last minute snag”
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/LAC.20090307.BCSOCCER07/TPStory/National