PDA

View Full Version : Who should get the remaining expansions spots?



rockxlee
08-28-2008, 09:05 PM
If I read right then a league can only have 20 teams according to FIFA.
With Philly and Seattle taking the tally up to 16 teams in the next few years, who do you guys think should get the remaining 4 expansion slots?
According to Wikipedia the top candidates are:

Atlanta (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atlanta,_Georgia), Las Vegas (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Las_Vegas,_Nevada), Montreal (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Montreal), a second team in the New York metro area (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_York_metro_area) more adjacent to downtown New York City (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_York_City,_New_York), Ottawa (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ottawa,_Ontario), Portland (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portland,_Oregon), Vancouver (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vancouver,_British_Columbia),
St. Louis, and Orlando. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St._Louis,_Missouri)

Is anyone else suprised that no one is trying to get a team into a big metropolitan city like Detroit?

If it was up to me, I would pick Montreal, Vancouver, Detroit and Las Vegas or San Francisco. I based it on geography and soccer viability in said cites.

Also, I really think MLS needs to shuffle some teams around that are not getting anywhere. Kansas comes to mind.

MrHawk
08-28-2008, 09:13 PM
Well we could have

Columbus and Cleveland
Philadelphia and Pittsburgh
KC and Inter KC
Toronto and Hamilton
Montreal, Vancouver

That would be fun, the KC Derby

Ossington Mental Youth
08-28-2008, 09:23 PM
I like Thunderbay and Barrie personally

Shakes McQueen
08-28-2008, 10:43 PM
I like Thunderbay and Barrie personally

I'd love it if Barrie had an MLS team (though I'd be conflicted due to my current support for Toronto FC). :D

As for my real guesses - I'm going to say there's a 60% chance its Montreal/St. Louis, and a 40% chance it's Montreal/Portland.

Portland would give Seattle a rival club in that area of the country.

Montreal I think is 99.8% guaranteed. They have a solid fanbase, they provide a hated rival for Toronto FC, and they have an owner who has no problem doing what needs to be done to bring his club into MLS.

They also have a stadium that can be renovated quickly to seat more fans, as opposed to promising a whole new SSS ground a few years down the road.

- Scott

Ossington Mental Youth
08-28-2008, 10:47 PM
Ha i was being a bit facetious because of the answers above.
Id say its a toss up between

Montreal
Portland
Vancouver
St Louis
Miami
NY2

The last two are the least likely imo
Really this thread should be added to the other billion threads about expansions

RPB_Brantford_08
08-28-2008, 10:50 PM
If I read right then a league can only have 20 teams according to FIFA.
With Philly and Seattle taking the tally up to 16 teams in the next few years, who do you guys think should get the remaining 4 expansion slots?
According to Wikipedia the top candidates are:

Atlanta (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atlanta,_Georgia), Las Vegas (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Las_Vegas,_Nevada), Montreal (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Montreal), a second team in the New York metro area (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_York_metro_area) more adjacent to downtown New York City (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_York_City,_New_York), Ottawa (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ottawa,_Ontario), Portland (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portland,_Oregon), Vancouver (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vancouver,_British_Columbia),
St. Louis, and Orlando. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St._Louis,_Missouri)

Is anyone else suprised that no one is trying to get a team into a big metropolitan city like Detroit?

If it was up to me, I would pick Montreal, Vancouver, Detroit and Las Vegas or San Francisco. I based it on geography and soccer viability in said cites.

Also, I really think MLS needs to shuffle some teams around that are not getting anywhere. Kansas comes to mind.


Vegas is not a soccer city and should not be tried..........the 4 should be:

Montreal, St Louis, Portland, and Ottawa.

WHITEY
08-28-2008, 10:52 PM
Vegas is not a soccer city and should not be tried..........the 4 should be:

Montreal, St Louis, Portland, and Ottawa.[/quote]

Ottawa over Vancouver? Come on...

Ossington Mental Youth
08-28-2008, 10:54 PM
Yeah, seriously, Ottawa would be just as bad as columbus or kc.
HUGE mistake for everyone. Thank god itll never happen.
People want Vegas or frisco but the fact of the matter is there is no soccer fans there.
GO WHERE THE PEOPLE ARE.

WHITEY
08-28-2008, 11:00 PM
I don't understand why so many people are thinking Portland over Vancouver? Vancouver is currently at the top of the table; there is a thread about MLS blocking USL transfer so on and so forth and that there is apparent anamosity between the two leagues. So why then would MLS not take away a team that has consistantly been in and around the top 5 of the table of the USL and a team that has won the league numerous times? I don't get why Vancouver is getting the overlooked on this board

RPB_Brantford_08
08-28-2008, 11:02 PM
Vegas is not a soccer city and should not be tried..........the 4 should be:

Montreal, St Louis, Portland, and Ottawa.

Ottawa over Vancouver? Come on...[/quote]


Vancouver is messing it up themselves....normally i would say Vancouver over Ottawa...but chances are Ottawa would get a stadium built first.

Ossington Mental Youth
08-28-2008, 11:03 PM
I don't understand why so many people are thinking Portland over Vancouver? Vancouver is currently at the top of the table; there is a thread about MLS blocking USL transfer so on and so forth and that there is apparent anamosity between the two leagues. So why then would MLS not take away a team that has consistantly been in and around the top 5 of the table of the USL and a team that has won the league numerous times? I don't get why Vancouver is getting the overlooked on this board

Gotta remember that they are still going to favor american teams over canadian, that being said if there is enough money being offered (ahem, Montreal) they will prob bite. As of right now its a toss up between Portland and Vancouver, Van does have the money but doesnt have the stadium (well, not really) and Portland, has the stadium but not the money.

RPB_Brantford_08
08-28-2008, 11:04 PM
I don't understand why so many people are thinking Portland over Vancouver? Vancouver is currently at the top of the table; there is a thread about MLS blocking USL transfer so on and so forth and that there is apparent anamosity between the two leagues. So why then would MLS not take away a team that has consistantly been in and around the top 5 of the table of the USL and a team that has won the league numerous times? I don't get why Vancouver is getting the overlooked on this board


Like i said just now Vancouver is screwing it self with the stadium issue.
Don't knock Portland it;'s as good a soccer city as Vancouver and with Seattlr in there it would make for good rivals.

Ossington Mental Youth
08-28-2008, 11:06 PM
Ottawa over Vancouver? Come on...


Vancouver is messing it up themselves....normally i would say Vancouver over Ottawa...but chances are Ottawa would get a stadium built first.

Dude, i would put big money on Ottawa not being invited or even looked at.
Vancouver can play downtown even if its not an SSS (look at Seattle), they have huge money and Steve Nash backing them. Vancouver already has a team set up with money etc.

Ottawa has no support, no prior history, a history of failed franchises and money. Thats it. Ottawa will not happen. I will gladly admit im wrong the day it happens, Ottawa would be a Canadian KC.

IF there are two canadian teams itll be Montreal and Vancouver.

WHITEY
08-28-2008, 11:10 PM
Vancouver is messing it up themselves....normally i would say Vancouver over Ottawa...but chances are Ottawa would get a stadium built first.

Actually its the Port Authority of Vancouver that's fucking things up and not the ownership group. Ottawa can hardly support an NHL team, what makes you think they could support an MLS team too? Fuck, they stopped showing up for the CFL when that team started to tank, they don't sell out each and every Sen's game, I can only imagine what they would do with the growing pains that come with the MLS. If all it took to secure a MLS frachise was a stadium then the list of cities trying to get in would be longer; Ottawa has no soccer history whatsoever beyond hosting a few U-20 World Cup games.

Nodoubtguy
08-28-2008, 11:11 PM
Vancouver, Montreal, St Louis, and Portland

profit89
08-28-2008, 11:25 PM
Montreal and Vancouver.

Stop at 18... then work on developing an MLS2 division. Then implement promotion/relegation.

rockxlee
08-29-2008, 12:24 PM
"Stop at 18... then work on developing an MLS2 division. Then implement promotion/relegation."

I don't think there will ever be a promotion/relegation format in the MLS. Think about it. We don't follow football as hard as they do in Europe or South America. In North America(in most cities) if teams start to tank, the fans stop showing up, or at least stop in big numbers. If an MLS team were to be dropped to a 2nd division, the fans wouldn't show up.

As for the expansion spots. Is Detroit that bad of a city to have a team in? No one seems to agree, I'd figure with a mixed population like theirs, it would work. And they seem to be able to support all the teams they have. I guess not.

Ossington Mental Youth
08-29-2008, 12:32 PM
Detroit is, its poor as fuck, dangerous as fuck and they follow football and hockey.
MAYBE baseball and basketball.
No room for soccer, no history for soccer.

Redcoe15
08-29-2008, 02:49 PM
Montreal, Vancouver, St. Louis and Portland are my choices, and it's nice to see such support here. But it would also not surprise me if cities like New York, Miami, and Atlanta were to sneak in and overtake any or all of the above mentioned.

And don't forget, there are those in the States who would like nothing better than to see no Canadian teams in "their league". They want MLS to be all-American while they think TFC, the Impact, and the Whitecaps should create its own Canadian Soccer League with teams in Ottawa, Edmonton, Calgary, Winnipeg, etc.

And as for Detroit, they seem to support their sports teams pretty well in good times and bad. I grew up an hour away from Detroit and remember following the Detroit Express when they had Trevor Francis playing for them in his peak. Detroit's my selfish pick to join MLS. I'd like to call them Detroit Motor City FC. A TFC-DMCFC derby would be one of the most intense, IMO.

(btw, over at BigSoccer, there's a very active thread about bringing an MLS side to Detroit, if you want to check it out. They've already formed a supporters group called Motor City Supporters. They've already attended an MLS game in Columbus as a group and will soon have a web site up and running.)

Brooker
08-29-2008, 02:56 PM
portland, montreal
vancouver, st louis

giambac
08-29-2008, 03:31 PM
If I read right then a league can only have 20 teams according to FIFA.
With Philly and Seattle taking the tally up to 16 teams in the next few years, who do you guys think should get the remaining 4 expansion slots?
According to Wikipedia the top candidates are:

Atlanta (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atlanta,_Georgia), Las Vegas (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Las_Vegas,_Nevada), Montreal (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Montreal), a second team in the New York metro area (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_York_metro_area) more adjacent to downtown New York City (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_York_City,_New_York), Ottawa (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ottawa,_Ontario), Portland (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portland,_Oregon), Vancouver (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vancouver,_British_Columbia),
St. Louis, and Orlando. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St._Louis,_Missouri)

Is anyone else suprised that no one is trying to get a team into a big metropolitan city like Detroit?

If it was up to me, I would pick Montreal, Vancouver, Detroit and Las Vegas or San Francisco. I based it on geography and soccer viability in said cites.

Also, I really think MLS needs to shuffle some teams around that are not getting anywhere. Kansas comes to mind.

Let's put a team in the soccer craze city of Vaughan.

They know their soccer and would definetly support it. Actually, there are quite a few players in Vaughan who should be palying in the MLS. They could easily step in if given the cahnce. All you need to do is go scout and watch them. You would be surprised at the talent that exists just around the corner. You don't have to go accross the pound to get washe up talent (Robert)

Draracle
08-29-2008, 03:39 PM
Portland, Vancover, Montreal and St. Louis. Move the NYRB downtown, ffs. They can't sell out the one they have, and it would be a jumping place if it was in or near the core.

Negotiate a tier system with the USL.

Or, better yet. Fill two slots, and have the last two slots filled by promotions. So in the first year of a 2 tier system there would be no demotion.

RPB_Brantford_08
08-29-2008, 03:59 PM
Montreal, Vancouver, St. Louis and Portland are my choices, and it's nice to see such support here. But it would also not surprise me if cities like New York, Miami, and Atlanta were to sneak in and overtake any or all of the above mentioned.

And don't forget, there are those in the States who would like nothing better than to see no Canadian teams in "their league". They want MLS to be all-American while they think TFC, the Impact, and the Whitecaps should create its own Canadian Soccer League with teams in Ottawa, Edmonton, Calgary, Winnipeg, etc.

And as for Detroit, they seem to support their sports teams pretty well in good times and bad. I grew up an hour away from Detroit and remember following the Detroit Express when they had Trevor Francis playing for them in his peak. Detroit's my selfish pick to join MLS. I'd like to call them Detroit Motor City FC. A TFC-DMCFC derby would be one of the most intense, IMO.

(btw, over at BigSoccer, there's a very active thread about bringing an MLS side to Detroit, if you want to check it out. They've already formed a supporters group called Motor City Supporters. They've already attended an MLS game in Columbus as a group and will soon have a web site up and running.)

with luck they could take Columbus's team as their city doesn;'t support it. but where to play in Detroit? Ford field with its NFL lines No thanks..
New tiger stadium..not soccer freindly...maybe put a SSS at Old tiger Stadium? Detroit needs MLS and vice versa..sooner then later.

Ossington Mental Youth
08-29-2008, 04:00 PM
promotion/relegation is never going to happen, nobody pays 50 million to see their team relegated

Vindaloo
08-29-2008, 08:14 PM
Let's get realistic. This promotion/relegation talk is nonsense and is not going to happen for a long time if ever. Second, Ottawa realistically is not going to get a team before Montreal or Vancouver.

As for the Portland issue. Merritt Paulson(Timbers owner) doesn't have a stadium situation sorted out. They need to pay to convert their baseball stadium(PGE Park) into an SSS, vacate the current baseball team(AAA Beavers) to a brand new baseball stadium that isn't built yet. He said he will pay the $40m expansion fee but the taxpayer will have to pay for PGE Park conversion AND the entirely new baseball park. The whole process is about $100m.

Here is the real winner, Paulson said the Portland State Uni grid iron team will still continue to share PGE with the new MLS team! Same goes for the baseball team until the baseball stadium is built, which they say could take up to 3 years. Argos and Blue Jays at BMO anyone? Whitecaps are looking miles better than this in every way if you ask me.

3 of the next 4 slots are definitely Montreal, St Louis, Vancouver.

Vindaloo
08-29-2008, 08:55 PM
Whitecaps' temporary home 2011. $200m refurbishment currently under construction. Tenants post construction - BC Lions, Whitecaps FC.
http://img254.imageshack.us/img254/6952/2801651850b7d59b9018oih2.jpg
BC Place will look like extremely close to this but with a circular opening and probably end zones, but that hasn't been determined.
http://img512.imageshack.us/img512/453/50157384imgp0076nj0.jpg
Portland Timbers permanent home. Refurbishment unknown/undetermined(est $30m). Tenants post construction - MLS franchise, Portland State University football team, AAA Portland Beavers baseball team(temporary).
http://img357.imageshack.us/img357/8775/800pxpgeparkpanoma5.jpg

ricciboy
08-29-2008, 09:08 PM
Vegas is not a soccer city and should not be tried..........the 4 should be:

Montreal, St Louis, Portland, and Ottawa.

Ottawa over Vancouver? Come on...[/quote]


i heard LV was gonig to get a nba team two