MLS will have 14 teams in 2008, and league officials have long had a desire to have 16 teams in place by 2010. It seems that this is likely to happen, if there is as much interest as it seems there is from different cities across the country.
This AP story talks about the interest in Seattle specifically but also touches on some other points, namely a league spokesman saying there are ongoing discussions with 11 markets.
With regards to Seattle, this seems to be the hot city right now. The are apparently a few different groups trying to land a Seattle-based expansion team, with at least one person willing to fork over $30 million for the rights, according to the story.
I wondered among all this Seattle expansion talk how the Sounders would fare. According to the Washington-based blog The Beautiful Game, the Sounders would "very likely fold." That probably makes sense, as unnerving as it would be to Sounders players and fans. While there are more than enough soccer fans to go around, there aren't enough dollars from said fans to go around for multiple soccer clubs in most markets.
8 comments:
I know there probably is some thing wrong in my train of thinking, but:
If the Sounders owner's group wins the expansion bid, what prevents him from "promoting" his current roster's salary in accordance to the MLS cap, and still "pick and choose" MLS players from the subsequent expansion draft?
If that specific ownership group gets the bid, they already have a functioning (and somewhat successful team). What's to say they can't compete if they just keep their team as is, and throw in a handful of "high level" guys from the MLS in their squad?
Couldn't they "sell" the name to the new MLS franchise. Keep the name for the first season, gauge the interest and the change the name to something official like "A.S. Seattle," "Seattle FC," or "Seattle Athletic."
Wouldn't it be possible to keep the "Sounders" as a nickname?
I'm with everyone else - I don't see any reason the Sounders couldn't become the MLS club. It would require and expansion in salary (I know... 'waaah', huh? haha) and they'd obviously need an MLS-quality field. But unless the MLS just has too much ego to "promote" a club (which would be monumentally stupid on their part) I can't think of any good reasons to NOT take over the Sounders franchise.
As a die hard Portland Timbers supporter if Seattle gets chosen over Portland I am going to be very upset. The Timbers Army is one of the most passionate fan bases around.
LB. Yesterday there was a blog posting about travelling support, I have travelled to watch a few games to Seattle at Qwest field, to watch the Timbers play the Sounders. The Timbers supporters outnumbered the Sounders 2x1 in their own stadium. To watch the looks on the faces of Sounders fans was hilarious. The Timbers have passion and soul, chant, sing, dance, and the Sounders who draw way less have a apathetic soccer mom fanbase, Barney Soccer fan base.
Maybe what hurts Portland, is that Timbers supporters would have expansion only one way: in PGE Park, with the Timbers name and only the Timbers name. In a sense it is the Urban fan and urban setting vs. the Suburban kiddie argument.
Meanwhile the Sounders owner would seem happy implode their club and their fan base could care less and would happy with a cookie cutter MLS set-up and would enjoy being called AC Seattle.
Just ask Burpo what Portland would be like in MLS.
After watching both the Sounders-Chivas game and the Sounders-Rapids game, I have to say that this team could complete, essentially as is, in MLS. It would be a shame to fold this team when there truly is MLS-worthy talent right here, right now.
I say add Portland and Seattle. They are far enough apart that they could co-exists. I heard Vancouver mentioned and I believe they are about the same distance from Seattle as Portland is. I would rather have 2 more teams in the US, than another in Canada.
I am all for Seattle and Portland joining the fold, I know the Timbers supporters would welcome the built-in rivalry.
From a business standpoint, Seattle continually grabbing the headlines is something Portlanders are accustomed to but Portland would be strong with 3.5 million metro population, which is more than big-enough and is one of the nation's up and coming cities etc...blah blah...but it's the fans that are passionate and would make it Toronto and DC like.
Portland also has the urban demographic covered, mass transit to PGE Park, bars and nightlife all around PGE Park.
More importantly, my only knitpick of Seattle is the Mariners, who are a huge draw in Seattle, in Portland you don't have to compete with them. For those that don't know, the Mariners have an awesome stadium right next door to Qwest field in downtown Seattle, and clearly this affects soccer because the Mariners have Seattle wrapped around their little fingers. They draw 35-40K avg compared to 3K for the Sounders. And incidentally the M's are done rebuilding the Mariners and are now winning. I have a hard time thinking that when Boston or NY plays the Mariners that anybody would care if Seattle AC plays Columbus or the Wiz.
Having said that, PGE Park does needs a little $$$ to make it up to specs and the MLS might not be willing to deal w/ our bordering on socialist form of city government in P-town so those are huge obstacles.
By the way, as a fan, as much as I love the Timbers, I was among the 8,300 fans at the stadium last night to witness a god awful USL match of 0-0 with 7 combined shots from 2 teams. So, yeah, Portland is read for quality football. I definately felt I was better than more than 1/2 the players playing, and that is not a good thing.
Chivas de Guadalajara vs. Club America Legends (retired players)
drew 15,000 fans at PGE Park in downtown Portland yesterday on a Friday night.
The atmosphere was amazing and was a total fiesta for the superclasico legends style.
I can only imagine what the atmosphere would be like if Portland got a chance to host Chivas or America guys in their prime. No other city in the Northwest could come close to this, not Seattle, not Vancouver.
Here is a link to pictures courtesy of Allison Andrews at soccercityusa.com
http://soccercityusa.com/lcca081007-pics.htm
BBSC
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