posted by kidpurple
July 31, 2008
It was recently announced that MLS hopes to bring two more new teams to the league in 2011. Seattle is coming on next season and Philadelphia the following year. Now all the talk of expansion teams is in Canada. I do still think that St. Louis will probably get one and likely Vancouver could get the other.
Phoenix Suns point guard Steve Nash is a big soccer fan and former player. Nash along with USL’s Vancouver Whitecaps owner Greg Kerfoot want to bring MLS to Vancouver. The best part of this plan is that they want the team to be not-for-profit. All profits the team would make would be invested back into amateur soccer in BC. As far as I know this would be a first for Major League Soccer.
The owner of the Vancouver Canucks, Francesco Aquilini, was meeting with Nash and Kerfoot recently about MLS in Vancouver. It is yet to be known weather Aquilini would be a potential partner or competitor to Nash and Kerfoot when it comes to bringing MLS to Vancouver.
posted by kidpurple
June 20, 2008
The owner of NFL’s Atlanta Falcons is interested in bringing an MLS team to Atlanta. Major League Soccer is interested in putting a team in a major city in the south-east.
The stadium required to bring in a new MLS team to Atlanta could not be completed before 2012 which would likely be the earliest a team could be added.
Would this be another situation of an MLS team replacing a USL team or would a new MLS team play beside the Atlanta Silverbacks of the USL?
posted by kidpurple
June 19, 2008
If any of us had to guess who the potential Canadian cities are that would be likely to become the home of a new MLS team I’m sure we’d all go with Montreal or Vancouver, right?
Well the National Post reports that there is some interest in bringing Major League Soccer to Ottawa. The owner of the NHL’s Ottawa Senators has spoke with Major League Soccer about bringing soccer into Ottawa.
The article mentions that Ottawa has received a conditional CFL (american football) franchise to Ottawa that will play at a revamped stadium. I don’t know how/if this connects to an MLS team other than the two teams would possibly be sharing a home field.
The most surprising part of the article was the fact that Toronto FC has a deal with MLS that gives them exclusive operating right in Canada until 2010. Not that it is close to happening – but no other Canadian city can host an MLS team before 2010 thanks to Toronto.
What are the chances Ottawa gets a team before Vancouver, Montreal, St. Louis, Portland, or even another team somewhere in New York?
posted by kidpurple
May 27, 2008
NBA superstar Steve Nash was recently in Montreal to discuss the possibility of a future MLS team making it their home. Nash has been a soccer player and involved in soccer during his basketball career. He is an investor in the women’s professional league that is set to start up next year.
Nash made the trip with the MLS commissioner and president along with Jeff Mallett. Mallett is Yahoo’s former CEO and also and investor in the women’s professional league. It sounds like they are talking with the owners of the Montreal Impact about the possibility of moving them into MLS sometime in the future.
Would this put Montreal in line to join MLS after St. Louis? Are these guys thinking about adding another team the year after Philly?
posted by kidpurple
February 13, 2008
Sources who wish to remain anonymous have said about the fight to gain the next MLS expansion team that “It’s definitely Philly”. This would come at the expanse of St. Louis who along with Philadelphia were the top two potential expansion cities for the leagues 16th team.
We all know that San Jose is going to begin play this year as the league’s 14th team. In 2009 Seattle will be adding a team, and if sources are correct, Philadelphia will be joining as well. St. Louis can concentrate its efforts on becoming the 17th MLS team. They certainly have to be the forerunner in the race for that expansion if they don’t get this one. It might set them back a year or two – but I’d fully expect to see a team in St. Louis before we see Real Salt Lake playing for an MLS Cup. Hell – we might get an MLS team in North Dakota before Real Salt Lake does anything good.
Do I have to remind someone about this comment? Well I think that guy apologized in a later comment – so I won’t hold it against him. Any fan of MLS is a friend of mine – even if you are an FC Dallas supporter.
Congratulations to Philadelphia and all those soccer fans out there. Your team already has already had a fan club for a while, well done!
posted by kidpurple
October 28, 2007
A couple of days ago I wrote about the possibility of Philadelphia becoming the home to an MLS expansion team within the next 3 years. Rob GZ pointed out how much of a stupid ass I am for saying that and not saying that St. Louis will have a new team in 2 years.
So I ask, what is the next 3 years going to see in terms of MLS expansion. We know San Jose next year. Is Seattle in 2009 a done deal? What about 2010. Give me your predictions in the comments. We’ll come back in 3 years and see who is right and find out if I really am a stupid ass.
This is what I see happening:
2008 – San Jose
2009 – Seattle
2010 – Philadelphia
What do you think?
posted by kidpurple
October 23, 2007
2008 – San Jose
2009 – Seattle
2010 – Philadelphia?
Some people think it will be Philly and aparently there are some plans to raise money for a 20,000 seat soccer stadium that will have some other uses other than just soccer.
I guess if I had to bet on who would get the team in 2010 I’d have to put my money on Philly. I’ll just be hoping that sometime before I’m retirement age I can see a Minnesota MLS team.
posted by kidpurple
September 28, 2007
Next year San Jose will be added to MLS to even out the league at 14 teams.
In 2009 it sounds like the Seattle Sounders are going to become the league’s 15th team. That is the rumor going about right now about MLS expansion. It may be that some big money from Microsoft (or just Paul Allen) is involved as a part owner.
supposedly 2010 will bring one more team into the MLS. Got any predictions on who it will be then? St. Louis? Cleveland? Milwaukee? Philladelphia? Minneapolis/St. Paul? I would love to see it come to Minnesota but think St. Louis or Philly is more likely.
posted by kidpurple
July 17, 2007
The San Jose Earthquakes may likely be back for the next season of Major League Soccer. An announcement is expected tomorrow to officially declare San Jose as the newest location for MLS Expansion.
It wasn’t that long ago that the San Jose Earthquakes moved to Houston and became the Dynamo. The Earthquakes had a couple of championships and the Dynamo did get a championship in their first year after leaving San Jose. How long would the new Earthquakes have to wait to get another one?
