A note about this situation was in MLS Confidential yesterday. Here's the basic story: A source says Guadalajara (Chivas) owner Jorge Vergara has told Dan Garber and deputy commissioner Ivan Gazidis that he is seriously interested in buying an MLS team. Garber declined to comment. Vergara is a businessman with myriad investments, including film production and real estate, which just happen to be two fronts on which Phil Anschutz is pushing forth in addition to soccer. But whether Vergara can sit at the table with AGE, Hunt Sports Group, and Kraft Soccer is another matter. Vergara might prefer to wait for an expansion team. MLS has been in discussions with Houston Texans owner Robert McNair about his franchise sharing Reliant Stadium with an MLS team, but the Texans may prefer to stage their own schedule of international games, since they are permitted to use the stadium rent-free for five events per year outside of their NFL schedule. The Hunt Sports Group has been using its teams to showcase prospective expansion cities. The Wizards and Crew played pre-season exhibitions in Oklahoma, and Kansas City played a game in Houston Tuesday night. MLS is paying Guadalajara "more than $100,000" to play in the All-Star Game.
