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MLS Ticker: St. Louis expansion, Union, Cato and more

Photo by Geoff Burke/USA Today Sports
Photo by Geoff Burke/USA Today Sports

One city appears to already be the favorite for an MLS expansion spot.

MLS commissioner Don Garber insists that the league will begin searching for a stadium site in St. Louis immediately. He did not promise St. Louis an expansion spot, but he did say that now “is the right time” and a team could open as soon as 2020. (REPORT)

The Philadelphia Union announced the acquisition of 25-year-old Dutch midfielder Roland Alberg from Eredivisie club ADO Den Haag. The Union used Targeted Allocation Money, and inked him for two years. (REPORT)

The San Jose Earthquakes re-signed 23-year-old midfielder Cordell Cato to a multi-year deal. The Trinidad & Tobago international has been a member of the Earthquakes since 2013, appearing in 28 regular-season games in 2015. (REPORT)

The New York Red Bulls and broadcast partner MSG Networks have agreed to a multi-year rights extension. MSG Networks will televise at least 17 Red Bulls match in 2016. (REPORT)

FC Dallas defeated the New England Revolution, 2-1, in Casa Grande, Arizona. Rookie Timo Pitter scored both goals for FC Dallas, while Revolution rookie Michael Gamble assisted Steve Neumann’s score. (REPORT)

FC Dallas also made a move on Friday morning by agreeing to a new contract with defender Walker Zimmerman, who appeared in 20 games last year in the regular season. (REPORT)

What do you think of Garber’s comments? Think Alberg will do well with the Union?

Share your thoughts below.

Comments

  1. Right now any city with a soccer team or supporter group of 10+ people are possible MLS expansion teams. It’s getting to be absurd. My question is if St. Louis wasn’t an expansion candidate before, then why now? Because they lost the Rams? Feels forced and a bit desperate.

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  2. I think I read that St. Louis is still on the hook for about $150 million in bond payments for the Rams soon to be former stadium. I can’t imagine that either the city or the Missouri government is going to subsidize another private stadium when they haven’t finished paying for the first one. They should “Vancouverrize” the Jones Dome and reduce the capacity to around 30K. The city needs a tenant and a potential MLS team needs a home. It may not be ideal, but realistically this is the only way I see STL getting a team in the next 10 years.

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    • Is around 60 mil not 150. The dome will be used for conventions. Multiple potential owners have reached out….. STL is a huge soccer market and with the Rams leaving the mls wants to jump on it. Sac is a good city but doesn’t have the soccer history that STL does….

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  3. Why the hell would St Louis be preferred to Sacramento? Sac is another Portland, and has a great ownership group in place.

    Baffling.

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    • Excluding any talk of St. Louis, I don’t know why Sacremento continues to be put on the backburner.

      What Sacremento has to offer, on every level (other than being a “big market”) is what MLS should be kicking and screaming for. Give me the passion of a Sacremento over an inevitable failure of Miami any day of the week.

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    • I can only answer to why St Louis would be desired. It seems MLS is hoping to have a similar situation with Seattle. Big 3 pro team leaves (in this case, the biggest), you immediately jump in hoping to grab those now team-less fans. Yes the Sounders were alive and well before the Supersonics left, but they grew tremendously when they did leave. Logic seems fairly sound to me. Still a gamble though.

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  4. And, I’m quite happy that FCD was able to come to terms. Walker, while not yet a complete starter, seems to contribute anytime he gets on the field.
    What was odd was the confusion people had about this off season and Walker. His GA contract was up, so FCD offered him a bonafide salary (meaning he couldn’t sign with other MLS teams), he weighed his options outside the country, and they then came to agreement afterwards. FCD never declined anything contract related with Walker. (someone correct me if I’m wrong)

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    • I don’t know if you are wrong, but as I remember it, the news reports at the time made it sound like FC Dallas had released him, which I couldn’t understand at the time. So often what seems like a strange move turns out to be a bargaining tactic for negotiating a new contract.

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      • So the official release from MLS never said he was released, but then this site reported that he was. I’m high confident it happened the way I put. Really doesn’t matter at this point. I’m quite happy with the outcome.

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