With Portland and Vancouver set to join MLS in 2011, and Montreal preparing to be announced as team 19, we are moving ever closer to that magic number of 20 MLS teams.
Our question to you this morning is a simple one. Which city do you think should be awarded the 20th MLS franchise? Should it be in the Southeast, where no team currently resides, or should New York get a second team? Love the idea of a team in Las Vegas, or is sunny San Diego a better destination?
Cast your vote here:
Which city did you pick? Which city do you think would be the worst pick?
Share your thoughts below.
1,500 fans each for at least three or four friendlies, so far, IIRC.
Imagine what they will do once the advertising and marketing starts and the regular season begins.
Florida did not “implode”; MLS screwed up and blamed Florida for its own incompetence. Miami and Tampa were not the worst in attendance in MLS – go look it up. If it had been a question of attendance, San Jose, Colorado, Dallas, Kansas City would be gone. Tampa was cut because it had no owner and Miami was cut because it had a bad owner. Uncle Phil and Hunt had favorite cities – San Jose, Dallas, Kansas City, etc – and Tampa and Miami weren’t on their list of favorites.
Victor, you are ignorant.
Go look up the attendance records: Tampa and Miami were not the worse in MLS, not by a long shot. In reality the “problem markets” are still in MLS, and we all know who they are.
St. Louis’ soccer history isn’t any deeper or richer than a lot of other cities not in MLS, and not as deep or as rich as Boston, New York, Philadelphia, Chicago, etc.
Frankly St. Louis hasn’t been a major player in USA soccer since the 1950’s. St. Louis never drew well in the NASL. St. Louis soccer peaked pre-WWII.
St. Louis will have to prove itself in the here and now, just like any other city.
“What proof do you have that the Steinbrenners are interested in soccer in Tampa?”
Hank Steinbrenner is on the Tampa Bay Rowdies advisory board.
Thanks to the Steinbrenners, the Rowdies are playing the 2010 season at Steinbrenner Field in downtown Tampa, and not out in the boondocks at some nameless college or high school field that would have been their fate otherwise.
The Steinbrenners have connections with the Tampa Bay Rowdies going back to the 1970’s.
This is a ridiculous poll.
No Tampa Bay? Really? Charlotte???? But no Tampa? Las Vegas, but no Tampa??? Phoenix!!!! But no Tampa!!! Atlanta, San Diego….dear God, but no Tampa???
Miami, which can’t draw flies, but no Tampa Bay Rowdies, who are already drawing close to 1,500 fans for PRE-SEASON FRIENDLIES, without any advertising or marketing!!!???
Did I mention that this is a ridiculous poll?
I would love to see MLS back in South Florida.
its derby, not darby. stop trying to sound foreign.
St. Louis isn’t shrinking. Where on Earth are you getting your numbers from? There are 3 million people here, including a large immigrant population who love soccer. Start looking at where MLS and USMNT players are from, and you’ll see how much St. Louis is still a hotbed.
LA is the central cultural mecca — YES. Demographic center — NO. Remember downtown San Diego is only 15 minutes from Tijuana, and the Mexican border is well-connected via freeway and light rail. A relocated Chivas would draw fanaticos from two countries in a diverse 5-million-plus metropolitan area.
Arthur Blank has been silent since he pulled his bid off the table. What proof do you have that the Steinbrenners are interested in soccer in Tampa? And where’s anybody in San Diego to step up tp the plate.
At least Jeff Cooper is working non stop to bring a Division 1 team to St. Louis. That’s more than can be said for any of the above.
That was ten years ago. If the markets wern’t the problem, then there could have been better ownership to come along to tap into these markets. The fact none has stepped forward suggests Florida is something of a mirage.
Why not ask for a unicorn while you’re at it? That’s as likely to happen as your pipe dream for soccer.
They would of been if they had someone with money interested. MLS is afraid of another Horowitz coming in and ruining two fine franchises like the Miami Fusion. The next investor with deep pockets and/or with a plan to build a privately funded stadium are going to win the expansion slot. My bet is one of these 3 : Atlanta (Arthur Blank), San Diego (fifth wealthiest city in the US)or Tampa Bay (Steinbrenner)
The silverbacks attendance in 2007 was around 2500. What makes you think that suddenly because they put an MLS franchise in Atlanta that people are going to come out in droves? Atlanta is not a place that can support an MLS team. I truly believe that. The argument about the strong youth clubs just doesn’t transfer to Atlanta. This city has shown time and time again that it just doesn’t have top support for any of its teams, particularly when times are tough. Even the Atlanta Braves have trouble filling seats anymore comparatively. Atlanta is NOT a great sports town. While I love this city, I don’t think the MLS should come here.
St. Louis should have had an MLS team by now. The fact that they haven’t is a travesty. St. Louis has a rich, deep soccer background that no one in America can match. Plus, there would be natural derbies with both Chicago and Kansas City, something the league needs to build upon for success.
St. Louis should be given the 20th MLS team to secure the soccer markets. After that, then we can discuss whether the Atlantas, the Miamis, and other questionable markets are worth the risk
I seem to recall hearing Herndon Stadium was put up for sale some time in the last year, I think that would be the best option if it were affordable imo.
Personally I think that for an Atlanta team to be successful in the long-term it needs to be on MARTA and in the middle of the city so supporters from all the suburbs can make it without driving 100 miles.
Plus that location is close enough to Tech that their AA might be willing to kick in some money and start up GT soccer clubs
15k a game in Atlanta? No way. I live here in Atlanta and have been to many Silverbacks games and Atlanta would have trouble putting 8k in the seats. As much as I would love to see it, Atlanta does NOT need the next MLS franchise.
Why Not Tampa Bay as the location for the South East, They could built a stadium next to legends field and Raymond James Stadium, where the old big Sombrero used to be. They have a rich soccer history with the Rowdies and they seem to have a pretty deep management group that includes Hank Steinbrenner as an advisor.
Like others have said, regardless of city preference, the plan itself has have dynamic owners, good location and stadium, all that good stuff. That being said, my choices after Montreal would be St. Louis by a good bit, and mayybe Miami if an exciting monster bid is put together. If I was MLS I’d need a Southeast city to show some grassroots support for a team like Philly did before they got one. The cities there just don’t have a great history with professional non-college sports in my opinion. But I’d love them to get one eventually. After Montreal and another one I think MLS should chill on the expansion for a little while
Ummm.. The Marlins new ballpark is already 30% completed. Check your facts chief. The Dolphins have a great following, and the Heat draw 17K+ every night. The Panthers may be a poor draw but would you go see a team that hasn’t made the NHL playoffs, let alone won a playoff game, in nearly a decade? The Marlins don’t draw well either, but the TV ratings are terrific. The worst stadium in baseball keeps people away. Who wants to sit in the heat and rain for 3 hours when you can watch on TV? The new ballpark, with a retractable roof and A/C, will bring people out.
I do agree a stadium is needed. Claure/Barcelona’s plan of playing at FIU would have been terrible. It could be new or it could be a revamped Lockhart(again, only this time with the Fort Lauderdale Strikers playing there), but a new SSS is vital to any new South Florida MLS team. I hope someone steps up and brings MLS back to the area.
Miami/Ft. Lauderdale deserves another shot. Only this time with competent and well funded ownership. Tampa as well for that matter. After great success stories with the Strikers and Rodwies in the original NASL, MLS came in and made a mess of things in Florida, and then cut and ran “for the good of the league” when things got tough. Fans in KC, Dallas and San Jose should thank their lucky stars AEG and the Hunts were there to save their equally troublesome franchises. Florida got the short straw, as as a result we are labeled as “failed” MLS markets. It’s not a fair label by any means.
Considering there are ZERO teams in the Southeast US, it would makes sense to expand back into the area sooner rather than later, because with all the top class foreign soccer on TV these days, MLS is becoming more and more irrelevant here as time goes on.
I think all the cities mentioned(except a second NYC area team, one is plenty) would be great additions to MLS. With the right venues(roofed and A/C), even Phoenix and Vegas could thrive.
The Florida teams failed bc of the lack of ownership and bad stadiums. The markets were not the problem.
Miami is not a sports town. None of their teams have a good following unless they are winning a championship that season. Plus they won’t build a stadium for the Marlins so why would they build a soccer stadium?
I vote for all of the above plus Tampa. MLS needs a presence in as many TV markets as possible. MLS doesn’t have to worry about talent dilution with expansion bc of the global nature of the game. The problem is that there are not enough potential owners with the resources and passion for soccer necessary to build a successful franchise. Any major city where MLS can find a qualified owner and a good stadium situation would be a great addition for the league.
I’d say the city of St. Louis is back on the rise. All of the kids who grew up in the suburbs are flocking to the new loft districts after graduating college.
And St. Louis still is a soccer hotbed. Everyone plays soccer and everyone knows soccer. The city consistently produces some of the country’s top talent. I really hope the MLS adopts AC St. Louis as their 20th team. The city is ready
that’s the same idea i had. 3 conferences, call them ‘Pacific, Atlantic, and American’. teams in San Diego, San Antonio, St. Louis, Carolina, and NEW YORK COSMOS…
Wherever the 20th team is I hope it’s somewhere without an established USL/NASL team. If we really want Soccer to grow we need to start supporting second division teams instead of poaching them.
Forget the tea-bagging old farts in St. Louis…Miami would draw more interest
No more…MLS needs to work on adding the DP’s before diluting the talent pool again!
They’ll make a temporary pitch on the South Lawn before they even consider moving to Baltimore.
I can completely respect that. Eventually I think MLS will too.
i totally agree. thats what i said. there are tons of youth, high school, and college soccer players in these surrounding states with no team to follow. a team down here would really attract a lot more fans to the MLS and would be great for American soccer as a whole
Atlanta or Charlotte. the South needs a team. there is a large soccer following in the South and there are nothing but USL teams for us to follow. there aren’t many professional teams in the South as it is, and an MLS team in the South would really bring a lot more fans to the MLS as people down here are pretty much in need of more pro teams. everyone just follows college teams and are desperate for a good pro team. an MLS team would be perfect! that would be great for the region, the MLS, and American soccer as a whole
I think a Las Vegas team would be a revolutionary idea! MLS would really show the other American pro-sports who’s got some stones…
Can you imagine an All- Star game or an MLS Cup there??? That would be an awesome weekend!
Atlanta is the worst sports town in America. Braves dont draw, NASCAR never sells out, Falcons are up and down.
the fans that attended that Chelsea – AC match were not even primarily from Baltimore, they were basically soccer fans who live anywhere on the east coast – I had friends from NJ and MA make the trip down.. and that area already has DC united. would not work in Baltimore
San Diego!!!!! We have the fan base, plus we hate LA.
Chicago Fire is on the south side of the city (yes it’s ‘Bridgeview’ but it’s literally right on the border of the city limits and uses all of the CTA transit lines and they have suffered trying to lure the Latino audience despite it being in a much more ‘ethnic’ part of the city.
The crowds there are still mostly white even with Blanco the bump was short lived.
It’s silly to base your bets on marketing to certain ethnic groups. If you put out a good team that is fun to watch they will come out. Houston has done that and they do very little marketing to specific groups, they make it all about being appealing to soccer fans which will work every time.
There is actually an active fan movement in San Antonio that has been trying to get a MLS team for years. They have even had stadium plans drawn up in the past. The only problem is San Antonio doesn’t even have an ownership group willing to put in for a USL team. If they could get ownership straight San Antonio would be a big success.
I just like how Phoenix is coming in last. Heck, I live here and I also didn’t vote for Phoenix.
I for one def think St. Louis should be # 20. Detroit as a city needs to be revived before MLS would ever consider it…. But say if Eminem was owner it might happen….. MLS wants to add as many notable owners as possible.
Man, that’s a really tough sell though. How are you going to pull all these fans in for a Tuesday/Thursday game? Not happening.
I grew up just south of Nashville, and I’m willing to bet the only people you’d pull from there would be for an occasional game, or if there are club teams there for a tournament/camp that coincide with a game.
And you have to be realistic, any pro sports league (in the U.S.) would need to pull from its immediate Metro area (1-2 hours tops). NFL can use that argument because there are very few games, only on Sundays. In leagues that play 25+ games a season, you can’t rely on somebody from 4-5 hours away to show up consistently. Not in this economy.
Dude, grew up in the South. Been there, nice city in parts. Quit assuming things.
That is definitely true about the Braves. There are no MLB teams in NC, VA, SC, MS, AL, and then there are only a couple in FL. As someone that lives in NC, if people care about baseball in the region, they are almost always Braves fans.
Yes – that is exactly what I was imagining. Would make it so much easier and enjoyable (and safe while we’re at it)
Yes, I have been to Atlanta (actually went to a Silverbacks game before vs. Nashville Metros back in the day)…the city is a logistical nightmare. Traffic is horrendous.
I’m actually not originally an STL native, just been there for awhile now. And it’s silly for you to assume that just because there’s diversity in Atlanta, that there’s not just as much in STL.
Also not dabbling in ‘race’ part – but STL has a growing Hispanic population, as well as a giant Bosnian community which incidentally is huge in the growing support of ACSTL. Like others have said before, the ‘soccer’ infrastructure is here. Not saying Atlanta couldn’t do it, but I think STL is a more viable option right now.
And what I’m trying to demonstrate is that history matters. Because when the novelty wears off, what happens to the team? Atlanta does not have the best tack record for that, as is demonstrated by various posters here. A city that has a long standing relationship with the sport is better suited to support it long term, through thick and thin.
a 6 hour drive is hardly a darby… At least NY is 45 minutes from philly
While I agree that St. Louis has the history, there is NO team south of DC/Columbus and East of Texas. While I voted for Charlotte, I think the best choice would be somewhere in the Triangle region (Raleigh/Durham etc.). And for those that say that the region hasn’t taken to the Hurricanes are crazy. Yes, the early seasons didn’t have the support, but one season of a playoff run, and people follow them religiously! And these are people that never played hockey growing up. Now add in the fact that many play soccer growing up, I think it would be great to have a team in the region. I think the possibility of a Raleigh/Charlotte v. DC/Atlanta/Nashville/Baltimore Rivalry. (I know, that includes a few more expansions.) And to top it off, Raleigh/Charlotte in the summer is no where close to the temperatures in Florida, or even Atlanta.
Just upgrade the Rhinos and get a Rivalry with Columbus/Toronto going on. As an upstater I would love to see that but realistically probably a 2nd NYC outfit would draw better.