St. Louis and Sacramento, California, have been invited to submit formal bids for franchises as Major League Soccer's Board of Governors formally unveiled plans Thursday to expand to 30 teams.
Commissioner Don Garber made the announcement at the board's meeting in Los Angeles, pointing to expansion as one of the key drivers of the league's growth in North America in recent years.

"We continue to believe that there are many, many cities across the country that could support an MLS team, with a great stadium and a great fanbase and great local ownership that will invest in the sport in their community," he told reporters following the meeting.