By IVES GALARCEP
The city of Atlanta, long considered one of the favorites to land a team in the latest round of Major League Soccer expansion, has been granted an MLS expansion team, multiple news outlets reported on Sunday.
An announcement unveiling Atlanta as the latest MLS expansion city will be held on April 16, according to the Atlanta Journal Constitution.
Atlanta, Orlando and Miami have long been linked together as the next wave of expansion cities. Orlando has already been formally announced as joining MLS in 2015, while the David Beckham-led Miami expansion team is awaiting finalization of its stadium project before being formally introduced as an official expansion team.
The Atlanta team, which will be owned by NFL Atlanta Falcons owner Arthur Blank, is set to share a new stadium with the Falcons that Blank will be building in the coming years.
The Atlanta team will reportedly begin play in 2017 as he 22nd team in MLS.
What do you think of this development? Think Atlanta will be a big hit as an expansion city? Which city would you like to see join Orlando and Miami in the latest wave of MLS expansion?
Share your thoughts below.