Canadian MLS Expansion On Hold (?)

[James17930]

Seems they wanna take a go-slow approach to expansion in the coming years, which may or may not mean Van and Mtl. get in soon.

http://www.cbc.ca/sports/soccer/stor...on-canada.html

[nascarguy]

van will get a team before mtl

[ExiledRed]

Theres always been MLSE's (5 year?) exclusivity clause anyway

[ilikemusic]

Ya, nothing new there at all.

St Louis, Portland, one of the southern USL teams like Atlanta, Carolina or Miami, and probably even New York 2 are likely to enter the league before another Canadian team.

04- RSL & Chivas
07- Toronto
08- San Jose
09- Seattle
10- Philly

Thats 6 expansion teams in 6 years. I dont think the league is going to grow at that pace for another half decade.

If the story about the Mets thinking of turning Shea into a SSS and putting NY2 there then they will, and should get a franchise ASAP. They would sell out just like our building.

My guess...

2011- Mets FC
2012- Portland
2016- Montreal
2017- Vancouver

MLS cant go beyond 20 teams IMO though. They cant try and run a North American style 30 team football league. It wont work, the product will suffer, and theyll be back at square one.

My dream table (assuming I cant move or contract anyone)

1 Toronto FC 2007
2 Montreal Impact 2016
3 Vancouver Whitecaps 2017
4 Red Bull NY 1995
5 Mets FC 2011
6 Chicago Fire 1997
7 DC United 1995
8 LA Galaxy 1995
9 Seattle Sounders FC 2009
10 Portland Timbers FC 2012
11 Real Salt Lake 2004
12 FC Dallas 1996
13 Houston Dynamo 1995
14 New England Revolution 1995
15 Philadelphia Athletic 2010
16 San Jose Earthquakes 2008
17 Kansas City Wizards 1995
18 St. Louis FC 2020
19 Colorado Rapids 1995
20 Columbus Crew 1995

And in 2022 FIFA finally forces the US to amalgamate all thier leagues into one coherent system with full relegation and promotion (with Tor, Mon and Van playing in their system).

[Kooper]

And in 2022 FIFA finally forces the US to amalgamate all thier leagues into one coherent system with full relegation and promotion (with Tor, Mon and Van playing in their system).

As much as I am a fan of relegation in sports (the NHL would benefit) it is hard to get a league to approve of relegation when you have teams that paid 20 million dollars for a franchise fee then ask them to play in the second division.

[ilikemusic]

Well I did say it was just my dream scenario. Plus I said FIFA would force them. They could always adopt a kind of soft relegation system like in South America where its average points over the last three seasons that decides who gets relegated.

[karlosarmenta]

I was told by a very reliable media source that Saputo has his fingers crossed that Garber will announce Montreal and Vancouver at a press confernce in Toronto on Wednesday night.

[London]

we need a close rival!!!!!

i hope they end up going to rochester, ny like they mentioned last season!!

a 3 hour road trip would be awesome!!!!

[Mark in Ottawa]

What would stop MLS and the USL from getting together and announcing a relegation agreement as a form of expansion? After the current group of expansion teams get in then they could go to a 2 up and one down system of relegation until the upper division has the max number they want. New teams beyond the currently announced additions pay $$ to both leagues in the beginning and start with USL schedules before working up to MLS via promotion/relegation.

This would most certainly get the MLS teams paying attention to fielding quality teams to avoid relegation and give the best of the USL a chance to move up.

[profit89]

relegation based on a combination of points and average attendance formula

[profit89]

What would stop MLS and the USL from getting together and announcing a relegation agreement as a form of expansion? After the current group of expansion teams get in then they could go to a 2 up and one down system of relegation until the upper division has the max number they want. New teams beyond the currently announced additions pay $$ to both leagues in the beginning and start with USL schedules before working up to MLS via promotion/relegation.

This would most certainly get the MLS teams paying attention to fielding quality teams to avoid relegation and give the best of the USL a chance to move up.

totally agree. and this will eventually happen.

[jaahuuu]

I'd like to see an MLS team in Rochester, it actually 20 miles closer to me than BMO, but I thought they said they were no longer actively trying for an MLS team.

Additionally, the population of Rochester is about 200K (about a third of the size of Columbus), and the Rochester Metro area is just over half the size of Columbus. I don't think that's exactly the market that MLS is looking for.

I was trying to wind a specific article that said they weren't shooting for MLS anymore and I found out that they went bankrupt earlier this year, and now have a new owner.

[ensco]

Columbus is going to move, it's inevitable

[maninb]

Rochester????? LOL! get serious! They hardly even supported their USL team! Perhaps if the league moved to 50 teams they might get a sniff!

[profit89]

Columbus is going to move, it's inevitable

The league really does need to get rid of the bottom feeders if it wants to truly grow into a "premier" league

or at the very least have a relegation system that is somewhat and somehow based on attendance

[Wagner]

Columbus to STL.

And yes, there is an exclusivity deal with MLSE.
it's either 3 or 5 years.
I think it's 5.

So it would be a little premature for Garber the Douche to announce something tomorrow. I would love it if I'm wrong. But it's highly unlikely.

[James17930]

But there's been talk before of TFC waiving the exclusivity clause -- I'm sure this wouldn't stand in the way if everyone's a go on Mtl. and Van.

[Tintin]

Rochester????? LOL! get serious! They hardly even supported their USL team! Perhaps if the league moved to 50 teams they might get a sniff!

I think it could work in Rochester. Look at the attendance figures:
[edit] Average attendance

• 1996: 9,991
• 1997: 10,677
• 1998: 11,499
• 1999: 11,551
• 2000: 12,444
• 2001: 11,780
• 2002: 10,008
• 2003: 10,169
• 2004: 11,004
• 2005: 9,791
• 2006: 10,864
• 2007: 11,636

Overall Average: 11,273

That is very good for usl...