Portland on the way; next expansion in 2012?
Though everyone is acting cagey about it, unless something really strange happens, Portland will be introduced as the 18th team in Major League Soccer on Friday, joining the league in 2011. Though the league hasn’t confirmed it, all signs point to a press conference there.
There are indications MLS will add two more teams in 2012. That would leave a year of angst for local soccer fans. Presumably Ottawa would also still be in the race for that spot. It remains to be seen if Atlanta, Montreal or Miami, which filed applications for teams but withdrew, re-enter the race. There’s also the possibility of a second team in New York.
It’s clear that if an announcement comes Friday, it won’t be about a St. Louis team. Jeff Cooper, heading the St. Louis bid, said he spoke with MLS Commissioner Don Garber on Wednesday and at this point, his group does not have enough money to satisfy the league.
“We agree we are still in a search to add depth to our ownership group,” he said late Wednesday. “We hope to add more in the future.”
Cooper reiterated that he would be trying to get one of the next two teams.
“”We’ve said throughout, this round would be great, but we’d rather do it correctly than do it now if we can’t put the pieces together,” he said. “We are pretty strong and have enough money for the expansion fee and the operating expenses. We need someone in the extreme high net worth area. It’s more a balance sheet issue than an inability to pay issue.”
The league choosing Portland at this moment is odd since the team doesn’t have all the funding it needs for a soccer-specific stadium, one of the three essential elements held up by Garber for a team. (A qualified ownership group and a history of soccer support in the community are the others.) The Portland city council approved a funding measure last week, but the measure was $15 million short of what the team was looking for. And actually, Vancouver seems to miss that qualification to since it will be playing, at least at the start, in a 60,000-seat football stadium with artificial turf and doesn’t have a smaller stadium plan set to go. The league is confident that once the team starts playing in Vancouver, it will lead to a soccer-specific stadium being built.
Vancouver does have some really rich guys behind the bid, which seems to be the key.
And the broken record keeps on spinning…please, Jeff: you made a noble run and we all appreciate it, but put us out of our misery. Go for USL-1 so we can start watching soccer instead of watching Don Garber handing out expansion teams everywhere but St. Louis.
Though Cooper maintains a cool public demeanor, I can tell you his level of frustration far exceeds anything the rest of us may feel. This whole process hasn’t exactly been cheap. He’s spent millions of his own money trying to do this.
In any case, he’s not going away.
I appreciate that, and that tenacity is one of the things that’s great about Cooper. But look at the allowances the league has made for other cities on the expansion fee, stadium ownership, and legislative deadlines, while holding St. Louis to the strictest possible standard - indeed, repeatedly raising the bar. For whatever reason, MLS is clearly sending the message that they don’t want this market.
It seems like the thing to do is get serious about USL-1, promote the hell out of it, and let MLS come begging back to us. There’s only one thing that would keep St. Louis from being a USL-1 success story like Portland or Montreal: the lack of a USL-1 team.
I’d like to know how much money it would take to satify Garber for St Louis to be admitted. Cooper did everything that the league required,yet it STILL wasn’t good enough for Garber. I frankly think the business community of St. Louis blew it by not stepping up for this. Good luck for 2012! As a Philadelphian, I’m rooting for St Louis to get in.
I’m beginning to believe that no amount of money will satisfy Garber. I’m certainly not connected enough to know the “ins and outs” of the negotiations taking place, but it seems that MLS led by Garber simply do not want to have a franchise here. It would be easier for everyone - especially poor Cooper - if they just came out and said that than stringing everyone along indefinitely.
I agree with Bernie, Garber is just using Cooper and St Louis as pawns. Using them to get other cities to “improve” their bid.
#1 - Cooper never has been the guy they are looking for in an owner. He is wasting his time and money. #2 What do all those other cities offer? Less competiton with MLB/NFL franchises. A huge plus when it comes to filling seats by non-soccer fans.
I am sick of the MLS. Why set up rules if you are going to break them. YOU MUST HAVE A SOCCER SPECIFIC STADIUM. Let STL get everything you ask for, then raise prices and add rules. What? St. Louis meet those rules too? Lets add more, and say you need more money. Oh, someone else wants a team? You don’t have a place to play? That’s ok you’ll figure something out.
Between this and Garber falling apart around AC Milan, I am glad I have Satanta Sports so I can watch quality footie. Seriously, he tells AC Milan you have till this date period! 2 weeks past date, the MLS (and LA) made a deal with AC Milan.
RESPECT IS EARNED BY STANDING BY YOUR WORD GARBER!
I agree with Southsidered on one point — St. Louis has been held to the strictest standards imaginable, while other cities’ bids have been approved with much worse resumes. It is sad that such a great soccer community like St. Louis is being strung along by Commissioner Garber.
I was at the MLS SuperDraft back in January as a member of the EadsBrigade group…we caught up with Garber in the concourse and politely asked if he would pose for a photo with our group president with a STL United scarf…and he could not have acted more condescending or disinterested. The one word many of us used to describe his attitude towards us at that time was “contemptuous”.
I, like many soccer fans here, hold out the hope that our city’s and Jeff Cooper’s perseverance and heart will win over Mr. Garber, but based on the last few years I just cannot shake the feeling that, unless something drastic happens to our bid, St. Louis will continue to be just a bridesmaid.
Much Love to Jeff Cooper. We all know and are thankful for all you have done. I will be watching Pro Soccer this year thanks to you.
ST. Louis we need to show Garber what a tool he is for passing us up by showing up by the bus load to St. Louis Athletica. I think if ST. Louis has the best crowds in the Women’s League, the MLS will have to pay attention.
We say we are the soccer hub of the mid-west. WE HAVE TO SHOW THEM! OUR ACTIONS MUST SHOW THE MLS WHAT A MISTAKE THEY MADE!!!
If not the MLS will say, “See, you have a women’s team with Hope Solo, the best goalie in the world, but you don’t support them. Why would we want to come here?”