BrySmalls Posted March 3, 2009 Share Posted March 3, 2009 http://web.mlsnet.com/news/mls_news.jsp?ym...s&fext=.jspNEW YORK -- Major League Soccer, FC Barcelona, and Marcelo Claure have jointly agreed that Miami is no longer a candidate to be one of the next two MLS expansion teams. After extensive discussions and collaborative evaluation a decision was made that at this time because it was determined that it was not feasible to launch a Major League Soccer team in South Florida in 2010 due to adverse market conditions.Notwithstanding, FC Barcelona remains committed to Major League Soccer and the U.S. market and will continue to work with MLS and Marcelo Claure on other soccer-related projects."I want to thank both FC Barcelona and Marcelo Claure for the tremendous effort to bring an MLS expansion team to Miami," said MLS Commissioner Don Garber. "FC Barcelona is one of the best managed and strategically operated sporting clubs in any sport in the World and I appreciate the opportunity that we have had to work with them and Marcelo Claure over the last few months.""The U.S market continues to be a priority for FC Barcelona," said FC Barcelona CEO Joan Oliver. "We will continue our comprehensive game promotion and marketing agreement with Soccer United Marketing and will look for additional ways to strengthen our relationship with MLS and America's soccer fans.""I remain a believer in MLS and the future of professional soccer in America... particularly in South Florida," said Marcelo Claure. "Although we have not been able to move forward at this time for a wide variety of reasons, I will work with FC Barcelona on other soccer projects in South Florida."So that leaves: Ottawa, Portland, St. Louis, Vancouver Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AJM Posted March 3, 2009 Share Posted March 3, 2009 No suprise here...my guess is Portland for the Western Conf. and St. Louis for the Eastern Conf. Both cities deserve teams, but we'll see how economics play out. (MLF) Chicago Cannons, (IHA) Phoenix Firebirds - 2021 Xtreme Cup Champions (WAFL) Phoenix Federals - WAFL World Bowl XII Champions (Defunct) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Breakwood Posted March 3, 2009 Share Posted March 3, 2009 Don't count out Montreal. They just got 55,000 people at their champions league match against Santos, and Joey Saputo is said to be still interested. Montreal has a stadium already built, and has a history of great attendance numbers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BrySmalls Posted March 3, 2009 Author Share Posted March 3, 2009 Don't count out Montreal. They just got 55,000 people at their champions league match against Santos, and Joey Saputo is said to be still interested. Montreal has a stadium already built, and has a history of great attendance numbers.I'm really hoping that MLS invites the Impact to their league; nothing but a classy organization. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gosioux76 Posted March 3, 2009 Share Posted March 3, 2009 Meanwhile, a task force convened by the mayor here in Portland is expected to recommend the city pursue financing $85 million for upgrades to PGE Park and a new minor league park for the Portland Beavers. But it will include a series of conditions, including the need for Portland Timbers' owner Merritt Paulson to seek additional private financing.There's still some question about the city's ability to finance the stadiums, though. Paulson said last week he's about to release a new plan to make the numbers work.We should know more here in Portland soon. Possibly even today. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gosioux76 Posted March 3, 2009 Share Posted March 3, 2009 Don't count out Montreal. They just got 55,000 people at their champions league match against Santos, and Joey Saputo is said to be still interested. Montreal has a stadium already built, and has a history of great attendance numbers.The issue in Montreal isn't over fan support or stadium availability. Saputo -- and correct me if I'm wrong -- balked at the $40 million expansion fee levied by the league, saying it was too steep. The league wasn't willing to budge, so Saputo withdrew. I think Montreal would have been just as big of a success as Toronto has shown to be. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lee. Posted March 4, 2009 Share Posted March 4, 2009 Still a chance for Vancouver, nice. TFC needs a western rival.Ottawa seems to be shooting itself in the foot, stadium-wise. Eugene Melnyk, owner of the Senators, wants a soccer-only stadium to be built near Scotiabank Centre, while the Hunt group (who have a conditional CFL franchise in their pocket) are more than willing to share space with the proposed soccer team, who wants nothing to do with them. It's a complete political and sporting abortion in Ottawa at the moment.If Portland is hedging, or seems to having some issues with stadia and money, then welcome St Louis and Vancouver to the MLS. Welcome to DrunjFlix Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Breakwood Posted March 4, 2009 Share Posted March 4, 2009 Rumours are coming in now. Vancouver and Portland are in.Yawn, as a Toronto fan, this is disappointing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gosioux76 Posted March 4, 2009 Share Posted March 4, 2009 Rumours are coming in now. Vancouver and Portland are in.Yawn, as a Toronto fan, this is disappointing.Where are you seeing this? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DEAD! Posted March 4, 2009 Share Posted March 4, 2009 Oops, never mind.... I saw, I came, I left. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Breakwood Posted March 4, 2009 Share Posted March 4, 2009 Rumours are coming in now. Vancouver and Portland are in.Yawn, as a Toronto fan, this is disappointing.Where are you seeing this?http://www.soccerbyives.net/soccer_by_ives...ouver.html#morehttp://24thminute.blogspot.com/2009/03/van...-expansion.htmlNow nothing's official, but Ives is about as good of a source as you will get in MLS. As for the second blog, the guys a Toronto fan, who said a source had told him that DeRo was coming home to Toronto, the morning before it was announced. So until he gives me something to doubt his credibility, I'm sticking with him. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BrySmalls Posted March 4, 2009 Author Share Posted March 4, 2009 So here's what 2011 could look like:East:ChicagoColumbusDCKansas CityNew EnglandNew YorkPhiladelphiaTorontoWest:ChivasColoradoDallasHoustonLos AngelesPortlandSalt LakeSan JoseSeattleVancouverWouldn't be surprised come 2013 that 2 expansion teams are in the East to balance out the table.Of course they could complicate things again by going with the 3 conference system they had for the 2001 & 2002 seasons:East:ColumbusDCNew EnglandNew YorkPhiladelphiaTorontoCentral:ChicagoColoradoDallasHoustonKansas CitySalt LakeWest:ChivasLos AngelesPortlandSan JoseSeattleVancouver Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Breakwood Posted March 4, 2009 Share Posted March 4, 2009 Or *gasp* SINGLE TABLE! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BrySmalls Posted March 4, 2009 Author Share Posted March 4, 2009 Or *gasp* SINGLE TABLE!Like this one?http://www.settingthetable.info/stt/default.asp Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rmackman Posted March 4, 2009 Share Posted March 4, 2009 http://web.mlsnet.com/news/mls_news.jsp?ym...s&fext=.jspNEW YORK -- Major League Soccer, FC Barcelona, and Marcelo Claure have jointly agreed that Miami is no longer a candidate to be one of the next two MLS expansion teams. After extensive discussions and collaborative evaluation a decision was made that at this time because it was determined that it was not feasible to launch a Major League Soccer team in South Florida in 2010 due to adverse market conditions.Notwithstanding, FC Barcelona remains committed to Major League Soccer and the U.S. market and will continue to work with MLS and Marcelo Claure on other soccer-related projects."I want to thank both FC Barcelona and Marcelo Claure for the tremendous effort to bring an MLS expansion team to Miami," said MLS Commissioner Don Garber. "FC Barcelona is one of the best managed and strategically operated sporting clubs in any sport in the World and I appreciate the opportunity that we have had to work with them and Marcelo Claure over the last few months.""The U.S market continues to be a priority for FC Barcelona," said FC Barcelona CEO Joan Oliver. "We will continue our comprehensive game promotion and marketing agreement with Soccer United Marketing and will look for additional ways to strengthen our relationship with MLS and America's soccer fans.""I remain a believer in MLS and the future of professional soccer in America... particularly in South Florida," said Marcelo Claure. "Although we have not been able to move forward at this time for a wide variety of reasons, I will work with FC Barcelona on other soccer projects in South Florida."So that leaves: Ottawa, Portland, St. Louis, VancouverMan, this really sucks. I was hoping South Florida would eventually get a team back. I guess they finally see how fair weather the fan support is down there though. I miss the Fusion. "Every morning in Africa, a gazelle wakes up. It knows it must run faster than the fastest lion or it will be eaten. Every morning in Africa, a lion wakes up. It knows it must outrun the slowest gazelle or it will starve. It doesn't matter whether you're a lion or a gazelle. When the sun comes up, you'd better be running." - Unknown | Check out my articles on jerseys at Bacon Sports Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gosioux76 Posted March 4, 2009 Share Posted March 4, 2009 Or *gasp* SINGLE TABLE! I was thinking the same thing. And thanks for the links. Very good news, if it turns out to be true. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Corvus Posted March 4, 2009 Share Posted March 4, 2009 Meanwhile, a task force convened by the mayor here in Portland is expected to recommend the city pursue financing $85 million for upgrades to PGE Park and a new minor league park for the Portland Beavers. But it will include a series of conditions, including the need for Portland Timbers' owner Merritt Paulson to seek additional private financing.There's still some question about the city's ability to finance the stadiums, though. Paulson said last week he's about to release a new plan to make the numbers work.We should know more here in Portland soon. Possibly even today.I've always found American municipal government's willingness to subsidize sports team stadiums a little hard to understand, but I would have thought in the current economic situation doing that kind of thing would have become political kryptonite. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StarrDogg Posted March 4, 2009 Share Posted March 4, 2009 Witch MLS teams will fold in the next 5 years? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Breakwood Posted March 4, 2009 Share Posted March 4, 2009 Witch MLS teams will fold in the next 5 years?The same number that has folded in the past 5 years. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lee. Posted March 4, 2009 Share Posted March 4, 2009 Witch MLS teams will fold in the next 5 years?There are Wiccan-owned MLS teams? Welcome to DrunjFlix Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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