Ottawa officially threw its hat in the ring yesterday, but according to the New York Times, the league might go straight to 20 teams, with four teams being added in the next few years.

The 14-team league, which will add a team in Seattle next year and another in Philadelphia for the 2010 season, could award teams to four cities — a departure from the previously announced goal of having an 18-team league in 2011. According to several executives involved in the expansion process, M.L.S. will add two teams for the 2011 season, perhaps in New York and St. Louis, and then jump to 20 teams in either 2012 or 2013, possibly putting teams in Vancouver, British Columbia; and Portland, Ore.

and then…

The group from St. Louis already has a public/private financing plan approved to build a retail and soccer complex in suburban Illinois, just over the Mississippi River from St. Louis. That group, led by the lawyer Jeff Cooper, is also fielding a team in the new women’s league, Women’s Professional Soccer, and has a development academy that currently has an enrollment of almost 6,000 boys and girls.

Cooper has doggedly pursued an M.L.S. team, but last year at M.L.S. Cup in Washington league officials told him his group needed more investors with deeper pockets. That matter has apparently been addressed, although Cooper said he would not yet divulge the investors’ names, even to M.L.S. officials.

 Cooper remains optimistic. He told me yesterday he would hold off on submitting the application until closer to the deadline of Oct. 15 just in case there were any late-breaking developments. With the cities that are applying now, the league faces some tough choices, especially if New York is in the mix. There are some very appealing cities there, all of which are on the league’s want list. (Team in the Midwest? Check. Second team in New York? Check. Team in the Pacific Northwest? Check. And maybe check again.)

I think Ottawa is a longshot, but no one thought they would get the NHL team when they did. If the league is looking to go to 20 on an accelerated schedule, I think St. Louis’ chances are really good.