What's behind Orlando's revived push for expansion, all this business with Kaká. Has MLS made any indication that they'd consider a 21st team in 2015-2020? I know it´s always a possiblity, but my understanding was that they were going to "stay at 20" for a while? Personally, if they do 21 I´d like to see 3 "divisions" play home and away in your division and one other division (rotating each year) and 1 game vs the third division. This would create at least a balanced within the divisions. Playoffs could then be top 2 per division plus X number of wild cards. (I know this is kinda a separate topic though)
I'm not sure Orlando was even a team when Garber made the comment about staying at 20 for awhile.. Orlando really blew up in their first season and it seemed like the only thing holding them out of MLS was NY2.. Now that NY2 is announced and Beckham is strolling around the beaches of Miami it doesn't make much sense for them to actually stay at 20 for more than a season or two.
They've only been around for a couple of years. I have no idea what Garber's plan is now, but I imagine it starts with getting NY20 ready to go before 2015. Curious what Beckham's up to though... He's been hanging around Miami.
Garber announced a long time ago that he could see 24 teams. The bit about hitting 20 and waiting is nonsense. MLS will take anyone in a large city with a plan and cash.
Actually, the team never really skipped a beat. The thing in the Legislature was a surprise, but wasn't the key chunk of funding; the two owners are putting up something like 60% of the total cost (franchise fee/stadium/etc.) out of their own pockets. Also: 6/20/13 @ 10.31pm: "Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer: MLS franchise is coming, maybe by summer's end" http://www.orlandosentinel.com/spor...in-the-next-few-weeks-20130620,0,7221245.post Moneyshot: "It's going to happen," Dyer assured us on our Open Mike radio show Thursday. "We'll add a second major league sport to our city's offerings. It's the world's most popular sport married to the world's leading tourist destination. I can't think of a better mix."
The bid only had a minor slump from the stadium bill that never got up for the vote but it never went away or anything. I think with all the talk about Kaka and the fact we made the quarters of the USOC through beating the defending champions it just put us back in the spotlight. Also your '3 divs' system couldn't work. If group 1 plays group 2 twice then group 2 has already played a different conference twice and there is no-one for group 3 to play home and away. IMO Miami with Beckham could happen in the same year to make it 22. I know that sounds like it would be bad to add 3 teams quality wise but if you think about it Orlando already has a pretty good team, add in a couple more + Kaka and their fine and Miami and NYC are cities that should have no problem attracting quality players.
Orlando City hopes to take Kaka to MLS in 2015 The coach of the American club, Adrian Heath, says he is aware the Brazilian legend's contract at Real Madrid runs out in two years and would love to make him an MLS player.
just curious... why would a star player from real madrid who plays regularly for brazil want to join a D3 club in the US? they really have that kind of money?
I don't have anything concrete to base it on, but I get the sense that MLS' plan is to bring in Orlando and a Beckham-backed Miami team in the same year or in consecutive years. Both candidates have so, so much smoke, I just happen to think that yeah, there's fire.
With all of the new developments, I think it's safe to say for both Orlando and Miami, "Not if, but when?" Beckham has a strong relationship with MLS, and both him and Claure have the money. They just need to work out all of their other details. Then, you heard it straight from the mayor. I read somewhere that a possible announcemtn of MLS awarding Orlando an expansion franchise could come in July around the All-Star game.
Brazilians love Orlando. http://www.cnn.com/2012/01/24/travel/brazilian-tourist-invasion My personal experience with this is that I do business with several Brazilians and these guys make annual trips to Orlando with their families. I don't get it, especially since I've visited them in Rio, and that my friends is the true Magic Kingdom...
gotcha. that sounds a bit soon, but you might be right. i know they're really set on getting ny20 set up, but i guess if that's falling together pretty quickly and easily, you might be right.
Man, some of you really are REALLY behind with the times. Garber said recently MLS would have more than 20 teams before the end of this decade and that the final number the league ultimately settles on will be less than 30. What he didn't say is what number that would be, though many have speculated that 24 would make most sense. As for Miami coming at or around the same as Orlando, that's a given. Garber said two years ago when he first spoke to Orlando City's fans that close rivalries have helped the MLS tremendously, indicating that Orlando would have a nearby neighbor to do battle with. Nope, D.C. United isn't it.
I think Atlanta or Miami are perfect rivals. A team there would represent all of the South. However, Carolina/Nashville would be in the mix for a team in the future.
Also your '3 divs' system couldn't work. If group 1 plays group 2 twice then group 2 has already played a different conference twice and there is no-one for group 3 to play home and away. Somehow that had escaped me. Thank you for pointing this out sorry. too confusing with so many forums labeled expansion within other forums