MLS Commish: expansion stops at 20

[EPJr]

Commissioner Don Garber in person did an interview with Forbes and announced that Montreal should have the 19th spot. You can check it out, click on the clip of the interview. This interview with Garber took place the day after the All-Star break on July 30.
http://media.canada.com/gallery/june22-impact/11impact0622.jpg
What was also interesting is that Garber said they are not in any advanced negotiations for the 20th team with anyone. Once they hit 20, they will halt expansion for a while - with a possible cap at 20. And, MLS wants to be at 20 by 2012

http://lingows.appspot.com/content/fv/?format=frame&height=496&mode=render&show=41&video=fvn/sportsmoney/major-league-soccer-game-plan&width=336

[EPJr]

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_eG5nyD8m7lE/Snh9wX6RfiI/AAAAAAAAA6E/M4he_dUlyy4/s400/front2311.jpg

According to the latest information from the Montreal French press Canoë (http://www2.canoe.com/sports/nouvelles/archives/2009/08/20090804-051700.html), MLS Commissioner and Impact owner Joey Saputo could have a permanent deal by end of August for a Montreal MLS entry in 2011. It is expected that all parties (MLS, the Quebec government and the Montreal Impact) are to have a sit down behind closed doors. On top of the agenda for this meeting is the transfer of $25-million dollars coming directly from the Quebec government to upgrade Saputo Stadium. If a deal is reached, construction will probably go ahead through two stages: Winter of 2010 and Winter of 2011.

[chrisattsu]

Dammit... San Antonio really missed out on this opportunity.

[EPJr]

Dammit... San Antonio really missed out on this opportunity.

20th team slot still wide open

[griz&beer]

Sounders FC till I die.

[Lehigh Football Nation]

I'm looking at the map, and the 20th team ought to be either Minneapolis or Portland.

I'd lean towards Portland. You already have a huge rivalry with Seattle built-in.

Of course it would be better to have promotion/relegation, but MLS would never let Red Bull New York or LA Galaxy ever play second-tier ball. xnonono2x

[chrisattsu]

20th team slot still wide open

Yeah, not happening. We had a our shot. It boiled down to San Antonio politics, which is based along cultural/ethnic lines.


The former mayor (Hispanic) offered them the deal with the Alamodome as venue. He was voted out, and his successor (Anglo) shot it down immediately. He felt MLS was a joke and wanted an NFL or MLB team. He actually tried to lure the Marlins away from Florida.

[Casey_Orourke]

I'm looking at the map, and the 20th team ought to be either Minneapolis or Portland.

I'd lean towards Portland. You already have a huge rivalry with Seattle built-in.

Of course it would be better to have promotion/relegation, but MLS would never let Red Bull New York or LA Galaxy ever play second-tier ball. xnonono2x

From what I understand Portland has already been awarded a franchise. There are already plans in the works to upgrade PGE Park from a multi use venue to a football/soccer only venue(which they will share with PSU), possibly tear down Memorial Collesium and build a baseball only facility in its place in the Rose Quarter .

[Hammerhead]

The City of Portland has already told our AAA baseball team to find a new place to play so PGE park can be reconfigured to meet MLS requirements.

[bostonspider]

How about St. Louis???

[NHwildEcat]

Yeah, not happening. We had a our shot. It boiled down to San Antonio politics, which is based along cultural/ethnic lines.


The former mayor (Hispanic) offered them the deal with the Alamodome as venue. He was voted out, and his successor (Anglo) shot it down immediately. He felt MLS was a joke and wanted an NFL or MLB team. He actually tried to lure the Marlins away from Florida.

Sounds like he smokes a lot of pot, because San Antonio is not getting a baseball team anytime soon. He may have a shot for a future UFL franchise...xcoolx

[griz&beer]

Seattle Sounders and the Portland Timber will be the biggest rivalry in MLS. Toss Vancouver in there too and you will have some real fun games come 2011. Portland is called soccer town USA. The north west is good for this soccer bug, it will be the second biggest pro sport soon out here.

[NHwildEcat]

Seattle Sounders and the Portland Timber will be the biggest rivalry in MLS. Toss Vancouver in there too and you will have some real fun games come 2011. Portland is called soccer town USA. The north west is good for this soccer bug, it will be the second biggest pro sport soon out here.

Yeah that is the reason for lower attendence on the east coast...the MLS is number 5 in regards to pro leagues!

[Lehigh Football Nation]

Seattle Sounders and the Portland Timber will be the biggest rivalry in MLS. Toss Vancouver in there too and you will have some real fun games come 2011. Portland is called soccer town USA. The north west is good for this soccer bug, it will be the second biggest pro sport soon out here.

I don't think that it will top the Super Classico, but I agree that it will be the next best rivalry.

It may be the best after the LA Galaxy and Red Bulls*** New York get relegated :p

[JALMOND]

From what I understand Portland has already been awarded a franchise. There are already plans in the works to upgrade PGE Park from a multi use venue to a football/soccer only venue(which they will share with PSU), possibly tear down Memorial Collesium and build a baseball only facility in its place in the Rose Quarter .

Nothing is definite, other than we have been awarded a franchise IF we can relocate the AAA baseball team. The franchise is based on turning PGE Park into a soccer only stadium and the baseball team would move. The problem is that this decision was basically made behind closed doors, that Portland is still trying to get a major league baseball franchise (and relocating the team out of Portland may hinder those plans), that the mayor is having his own personal problems (that may involve impeachment proceedings), that PGE Park went through a major renovation for baseball in 2001 (that the city is still trying to pay off), that baseball has been at PGE Park since the 1920's, and that the general feeling in Portland, especially in these tough times, is how much is it going to cost the taxpayers. Various veteran groups, as well as the Blazers, do not want Memorial Coliseum torn down, and that idea has been pretty much shelved, as well as rebuilding Lents Park on the east side. Lately, Beaverton has entered as a possible home to the baseball team, but Portlanders are concerned about their chances of landing a MLB franchise if the Beavers are not in Portland. So much grief and so little agreement.

[The Gadfly]

There is no team in the southeast . . . USA (which excludes Miami). Can this region support an MLS team?

[EPJr]

MLS boss: No Montreal team in 2011
Friday, August 7, 2009
http://www.sportsnet.ca/soccer/2009/01/27/garber_don_courtesy_400.jpg

MLS commissioner Don GarberSPORTSNET.CA

Major League Soccer commissioner Don Garber was on hand Friday night to watch Toronto FC and Real Madrid in Toronto, where he confirmed Montreal would not receive an expansion team in 2011.

Reports surfaced this week that Montreal Impact owner Joey Saputo was in discussion with Garber over joining the league as soon as 2011, but Garber was quick to dispel that idea at half-time on Friday night.

"It will not be happening in 2011, it will happen sometime after that, but I would like to see three teams in Canada," Garber told the media. "We are in discussion with Joey Saputo and his family, the next step is to work with them to get public support top expand an renovate that stadium."

Vancouver will become the second Canadian franchise in MLS in 2012 when the Whitecaps and a Portland club join the league

http://www.sportsnet.ca/soccer/2009/08/07/mls_montreal_expansion/