MLS Expansion Update: San Diego, St Louis, Cincinnati, Nashville, Oklahoma City and More

As usual, Tampa Bay Rowdies nowhere mentioned in these MLS expansion speculation articles. People who write these kind of articles are always "looking forward" by looking backwards with 20/20 vision. They don't see what they don't look at; therefore what Bill Edwards is doing right now, mostly quietly and privately, does not show up on their radar.

Also I don't know where this guy gets the notion that Miami is doing well; "they have to be first until some really bad news comes out" isn't true at all; no news is not good news. It is going on two and a half, to three years now, and they still don't have a SSS or even a billionaire investor to help pay for everything. There's been plenty of bad news: three potential sites so far shot down; the fourth site effectively dead; one potential investor pulled out (PSG) and another potential investor mentioned in one news article with no details, back in June, and never mentioned since. This is not good for MBU. They will need to have a lot of good news, and soon, to be on target for joining MLS in 2018. Of course Garber is going to say that things are going well in Miami; that's called PR. What he actually knows and thinks in private is another matter entirely.

Don't underestimate Bill Edwards. He is the kind of billionaire investor that MLS wants (it helps too that he is a real estate guy who is also in the entertainment business), and he controls the Al Lang Stadium site that is suitable for a downtown, urban, waterfront SSS, the kind that MLS would like to have, and he is on good terms with St. Pete city government. It is a perfect situation for MLS. 

While the fan boys rehash the obvious candidates making the most noise, the real players will make their moves out of sight, in private.  

As for Las Vegas, they have terrible demographics for MLS. Not enough soccer moms and dads, not enough hipsters; not enough people with good jobs and plenty of spending money. Vegas is a one industry town (gambling); a service industry that doesn't pay that well for most; lots of low income recent arrivals with no sense of civic identity. You could build an NFL stadium in any city in the USA and be sure of plenty of local NFL fan support; not true for MLS yet. For MLS, a big NFL stadium downtown works for Seattle and it looks like it will work for Atlanta; I doubt very much it will work in Las Vegas. Bad idea. 

(Follow link for full article.)

http://www.thebluetestament.com/2016/10/4/13153202/mls-expansion-update-nashville-st-louis-san-diego-cincinnati-oklahoma-city-lafc-minnesota-atlanta

MLS Expansion Update: San Diego, St Louis, Cincinnati, Nashville, Oklahoma City and More

I'm back once again for my monthly-ish update on the world of MLS Expansion. This update includes news from San Diego, St Louis, Cincinnati, Nashville, Oklahoma City and more.

by Chad C Smith  Oct 4, 2016, 7:00a

For those of you who aren't familiar, I have a minor obsession with potential expansion for Major League Soccer (and USL for that matter). I've previously given big updates on expansion all around the country but I have a special love for St Louis gaining a team. They would make perfect in state rivals to Sporting Kansas City. I also have an affinity for Phoenix, Arizona gaining a team since that's where I currently live (well the suburbs, but you get the idea). I've even gone as far as to invent a Promotion and Relegation system that would account for all these new MLS teams. Let's get to the news.

. . .

Other tidbits from Garber:

He expects soccer specific stadiums for NYCFC and the New England Revolution.
Things are good in Miami, but there is nothing new to report.
Originally Minnesota wasn't going to get to use the United name, but Garber got convinced otherwise.
He wants more importance placed on the US Open Cup
CONCACAF Champions League schedule could change.

. . .

EXPANSION POWER RANKINGS

1. David Beckham's Miami United (Previous Rank: 1)

They have to be first until some really bad news comes out. It seems hard to imagine they'll be ready to join the Eastern Conference by 2018 like LAFC will be set to join the West.

. . .

10. Las Vegas, Nevada (Previous Rank: 10)

Check back after we see if the politicians approve that huge hotel tax increase to fund them and the Raiders coming to town. It would be super weird to go from no professional sports teams to three (the NHL announced a Vegas expansion team already) in such a short time. The NFL and MLS may want to see how the NHL handles things first.