You mean Traffic owning a MLS team too wouldnt alter things? that sucks man, cause i was hoping they'd get something so MLS can get into copa lib. We need to be in a big international tournament for international legitimacy. Imagine, an Orlando team in copa lib having group stage games in Miami. Things would get crazy- 60k fans
But recently, Major League Soccer commissioner Don Garber and president Mark Abbott each have said publicly that they're not currently looking past a possible New York-bound 20th franchise. In 2012, the league will add its 19th team in Montreal, its eighth addition since 2005. And MLS officials currently see no need nor feel any obligation to make the league swell further. They have conceded there have been talks with Minneapolis, Miami and Las Vegas, but other than adding another club to the New York market, expansion is no longer an imperative or even an objective. http://espn.go.com/sports/soccer/news/_/id/7299575/major-league-soccer-mls-bigger-necessarily-better
Once again, stop trying to ruin Orlando's dreams of MLS just because your city has absolutely nothing concrete in terms of MLS expansion. Schaerlackens made an error by saying Miami has spoken to MLS, because Garber himself said during league address that Miami was not on the table due to no investors. The team he spoke to from Florida (which should've been written in the piece) is Orlando.
From Don Garber: "Today, we believe we are going to be a 20-team league," he said. "What we think in 2020 or 2025, I can't answer and won't be around to have to address. So next expansion if probable in 8 years.
Not question the expansion part, just pointing out that the guy didn't seem to do any research on locations. Just like I have serious doubts 20 will be NY2.
You really think Garber would turn down a team with nearly everything in place and money? You're mistaken. On top of that, relocation can happen at any time. Like I said, stop trying to rain on Orlando's parade. Orlando's chances of MLS in next couple years > Miami's chances of MLS in next couple years > Las Vegas' chances of MLS in next couple years > Tampa's chances of MLS in next couple years.
than* And that's fine because at end of the day Orlando's chance is >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> THAN Tampa's.
I used to try to figure out who had a better chance of getting in MLS each time expansion came about. What I have learned is that it is unpredictable and none of us know anything. I hope that Florida gets a team. If it's Orlando, or any other city then that's great. I rooted for St. Louis every time expansion came about and I've watched them get passed by year after year after year.... I'll make an exception this time by predicting the chances for joining MLS - Orlando's chances are greater because of one simple fact - they are the only city that is attempting to join MLS in Florida. I haven't heard that from Tampa or Ft. Lauderdale (maybe the fans, but not the ownership).
Actually, based on the precedent of past expansion processes, there is at least one thing that greatly increases a city's chances. That is very high and consistent attendance in a lower division. That doesn't guarantee a good stadium plan and rich owners, which are all still very necessary, but it does seem to guarantee that MLS will start to look in your direction and help you meet all the criteria. There have been cities with rich investors and stadium plans that haven't been picked, simply because doing so will stop another city with a more exciting fan-base from coming in. In that sense, Orlando has guaranteed constant communication with MLS. I'm not sure what their prospects are if they must go against NYC2, but I frankly don't think it will come to that. The league will definitely not stop at 20 teams if there are still cities that meet all the criteria. Well, they might stop at a larger number, like 24, but that's because there likely wouldn't as many good candidates any more, and MLS has shown that they won't go somewhere that's not close to ideal.
the way i have understood MLS comments over the years as that as the spots get fewer and fewer (as we near 24 teams) the league gets more and more particular about where it expands. a "rich owner" and a "stadium" are no longer sufficient (they are still a requirement but not alone enough to guarantee a spot). MLS is going to get anther team in NYC and the will put a team in the "South" (ATL being the only really viable market) and they will put at least one team in FL ... they have said as much, that they can't envision an MLS without a team in the South or in FL. and they have shown with NYC2 they are willing to work, at a league level, to put their eventual footprint plan into action. so Orlando is only really in competition with Miami and Tampa (and Jacksonville ... ha ha ha okay just kidding). MLS WILL eventually put a team in FL ... they cannot and will not leave one of the 5 biggest states without a team. so NYC, South/ATL, FL are 3 of the 5. and as of today Orlando is ahead of Miami and both are ahead of TB. but ORL is also behind NYC2 in terms of timeframe/priority as it is a league focus right now .... so by the time it is FL's turn is the situation amongst the FL competitors still the same? is the priority FL or the "South"? who knows .... but if OCSC keep up the fan base they will definitely be at an advantage over the other two FL prospects and even probably ATL.
There aren't really any "turns" that bids must wait for. All expansion bids tend to be thrown in the same pot and considered at the same time, or close to it. That's why there has been a steady stream of expansion. The difference between the entrance of one expansion team vs. another is usually just one year, but there won't be a stop or lull in discussion with one city simply because they are focused with another. In this case, whoever is fully ready first gets to come in first. NYC2 seems to have a lot more things to iron out than Orlando, though I have no insider information, so who knows. It could end up very differently, but if Orlando really is ready before NY, then the league would likely expand there first. As for other Florida cities, there is just no indication of any discussions happening with them. At the moment, I'm going to say that Orlando is well ahead of other Florida cities, barring any major surprising developments. Also, no expansion city will likely be ready for 2013, so MLS will have its first expansion-less season since 2006 (including San Jose as an expansion team). 2014 seems to be the earliest target. Unfortunate for me, as I liked this expansion a year thing.
As OleGunnar stated everything can change in a couple of years. Ok Orlando may be ahead in the PR stance since they "talked" to Garber but who hasn't FTL/Miami and Tampa know what to do to get a expansion team and they have talked in the past, Rawlins just wanted to get his foot in the door and get MLS 2.0 expansion packet with documents on what every city needs, big deal. It's funny how Rawlins hasn't said anything about privately-funding his own stadium, just how the city will renovate Citrus Bowl. At least FCTB ownership have plans and the money for their own SSS. they just don't blurt it out every expansion period like STL did and look what happened to them.
I'm not taking this to your level of speculations, but this is what has been stated time and time again which you choose to ignore: Asked if that situation exists in St. Petersburg, Nestor pointed to Al Lang Field and how Portland renovated its minor-league baseball stadium to a soccer-only facility for MLS. "There are definitely ways to get creative," Nestor said. http://www.tampabay.com/sports/soccer/fc-tampa-bay-2011-season-wrapup/1196185 So where is Portland now? Never say never. Orlando could be a favorite now but like some smart posters have stated things can change, look at St. Louis bids and look at Miami bids, year after year.
Renovation is one thing, but what is now Jeld-Wen Field was a prime design for such a conversion. Al Lang, however, is most certainly not. It would require demolition and reconstruction to convert it to a proper soccer stadium. And even then, the parcel is too small to build an SSS that can hold MLS capacities. The only hope for such a facility in that location would be to demolish the arena between it and the airport as well. But at least there's a parking garage there you can use. Also, Orlando looks good thus far in terms of fan base, as opposed to St. Louis and Miami. Miami never has, especially prior to this year. St. Louis has a theoretical base that never pans out in reality, even in the original NASL. When half the league skyrocketed in the mid-1970s, they stagnated in the 6- and 7-thousands. They managed 9,794 in 1977 (for comparison, the Rowdies drew 19,491 per game that year, and wasn't done growing; league average was 13,584), but it wasn't enough to avoid them folding that very year.
I don't know when you look at this picture I can see plenty of room especially from the front where the parking lot is and the back, heck their is a smaller field in the background. http://www.bing.com/images/search?q...601C028050C9502B7E139FDF9&first=0&FORM=IDFRIR you can put the 2 level stands all-round the stadium. http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2131/2375562830_3f19b18574_z.jpg hell if they can fit a MLB field in that spot a SSS easily can fit.
It's not an MLB field. It's a MINOR-LEAGUE field. And the Rays Ballpark concept would have been a jewel box, not something equivalent to Tropicana Field with its massive foul areas. All you need to do is measure the field with Google Earth's ruler tool. In its current configuration, the best you can do is 92mx59m, and I doubt they draw it to that dimension now. Eliminating the field as it is now, the parcel is 135-140m wide, which is a good 30-40m short of what you need for even a basic MLS-level SSS.
Regarding the use of the Citrus Bowl, would an Orlando MLS team be able to get a favorable deal in using the place? Right now I believe the stadium only hosts a few yearly, one day events. It seems to me that having a tenant who is going to use it many times like Orlando SC is something the city needs to get the renovations started. A very favorable deal is something that MLS would place as a condition for coming in, but from my point of view it looks like the team would have an big advantage in such negotiations, especially if they had huge ticket sales and potential growth as a show of strength. If the team plays their cards right, this could become Pacific Northwest situation, with a massive explosion in popularity. But the initial deals and that first impression are crucial. So to me this is the kind of situation that wouldn't have been possible a few years ago without the league's (and soccer as a whole) current strength and potential.
the Citrus Bowl is not a viable MLS option. it is too large, it is too old, it is too crappy. i am on record as a fan of Orlando as an MLS expansion team .... over any of the other FL teams. but Rawlings statements at the CB being the "1st option" are very worrying. if OCSC cannot build their own SSS with the proper capacity, full 100% control of revenues and a good location then i don't think they should get a team. no offence but while Orlando is a good expansion candidate, likely the best in FL it IS NOT Seattle ... no other place will be Seattle. fans need to get that straight ... an OCSC MLS team would draw 18-20K and that would be excellent. so any stadium that is bigger than 20-22K will be too big and the CB would likely be 2/3rds empty for every game ... that is NOT acceptable in the modern MLS. i hope the league does not consider Orlando if they do not arrive at a better stadium situation than the CB ... renovated or not.
That's the same thing that was said about Seattle. Absolutely no one, not even the most optimistic Seattle supporters, thought they would grow so large. That particular thought of a stadium being "too big" is not very relevant except in a general sense regarding financing (larger stadiums being more expensive to construct, and preexisting stadiums charging more for a lease because they're larger). And it would never become a consideration simply because they thought it would "look bad" to see it half empty. Who knows if Orlando would be able to reach Seattle's numbers. They shouldn't make such numbers a requirement for profitability. But if they get a situation where averaging 15,000+ makes them profitable, then there's no reason they shouldn't try to emulate Seattle. I do agree that the Citrus Bowl is really old and crappy right now. I'm not sure if renovations can do much for the place. It might be enough of a turn off that an SSS becomes necessary.
you guys have to remember that Seattle,Portland,Vancouver had consistent teams since the 70's. That's 40 years of growth in the community. The die-hards were coming out to those games when they were in minor-leagues averaging around 6k. I was just wondering it's probably hard to find a statistic, but when the Mutiny were around I;m wondering how many fans came from Orlando to those games? i know the Rays have a huge following from ORL.
I did for a handful of them, but must admit it was to see DC United each time they played Tampa over two or three seasons.