Next Cities In MLS?

[Arsenalsccr]

I personally San Diego would be a great city for the mext mls team considering there is a huge hispanic group out there who love soccer.

[Palermo10]

I personally San Diego would be a great city for the mext mls team considering there is a huge hispanic group out there who love soccer.


If that were the case I would have season tickets! Don't forget there are those of us who are white and love soccer....

But with the Chargers looking to move out of the Q, they already have plans for a new football stadium there (or apartments, lol).

Also, MLS said that if they put a team in that area they would put one in Tijuana. Don't see that happening any time soon.

Not to mention that the City of San Diego is facing a huge financial crisis. They have had 3 mayors in the last two weeks, they have a debt in the city pension system of anywhere from $2-$6 billion, no money for potholes (of which there are many), library hours have been cut back, after-school programs erased....

Needless to say, cramming a 3rd MLS team into SoCal doesn't sound very appealing right now... and until the City of San Diego can figure their ********** out, I doubt we will even hear it discussed.

[amaranto]

Would it be safe to say that we'll never have an MLS team in Florida again?

[Cassano]

Would it be safe to say that we'll never have an MLS team in Florida again?

Why did they ever get out of Florida? I remember the Miami Fusion was pretty good, and Tampa Bay was good in the first few seasons, but bad in their last seasons. Was it becasuse of fan support?

[The C0SM0polite]

Agreed. There's one a hop skip and a jump across the river. Why don't the NYC fans that want a team go support one that is already nearby.
Next.Thats very naive of you to say. If you knew anything about the Metrostars you'd know that its a predominantly New Jersey team and has very little to do with NY other than its name. New York is one of the biggest soccer cities in the USA, and we dont even have a team to call our own. The NHL and NBA have teams in both NJ and NY, why cant the MLS??? New Yorkers/Long Islanders dont feel like making the trip all the way out to the Meadowlands just to see a crappy NJ team consistantly lose. And now that the Metrostars are building a stadium in Harrison it will no longer be "a hop skip and a jump" (not like it ever was).
I could go on and on, but would rather save the energy...
So, yes, I do think NYC is a strong contender for another MLS team

BRING BACK THE COSMOS! (http://www.soccernova.com/html/activism/cosmos_campaign/cosmos_campaign.htm)

[Palermo10]

Thats very naive of you to say. If you knew anything about the Metrostars you'd know that its a predominantly New Jersey team and has very little to do with NY other than its name. New York is one of the biggest soccer cities in the USA, and we dont even have a team to call our own. The NHL and NBA have teams in both NJ and NY, why cant the MLS??? New Yorkers/Long Islanders dont feel like making the trip all the way out to the Meadowlands just to see a crappy NJ team consistantly lose. And now that the Metrostars are building a stadium in Harrison it will no longer be "a hop skip and a jump" (not like it ever was).
I could go on and on, but would rather save the energy...
So, yes, I do think NYC is a strong contender for another MLS team




Hey guess what- maybe space has something to do with it? Jersey has space... they learned how to build on swampland.

Just because you can't accept that NY doesn't have a team means you wont hop on the GW for a short ride to support a local team? You would suggest that MLS put a team in NYC... oh wait... where? Yankee Stadium? Talk about naive.

Again, there are only what, 12 teams? in MLS. You support the one that's closest to you... well... that would be nice. You think LA has any more to do with San Diego than NYC does with Jersey? Nope. Is it a lot further away? Yep. Are there a bunch of us from San Diego that go to Galaxy games? Yep.

[Rochester]

Just check this out guys and gails!... Tell me what you think. The second upper deck will be larger than the one up right now and it will be placed adjacent to the other side of the stadium.

http://photobucket.com/albums/v704/dominionroc/

Dominion diserves all the credit... Now thats a Rhino fan.

[Scarecrow]

Just check this out guys and gails!... Tell me what you think. The second upper deck will be larger than the one up right now and it will be placed adjacent to the other side of the stadium.

http://photobucket.com/albums/v704/dominionroc/

Dominion diserves all the credit... Now thats a Rhino fan.


Hey the way I see it, not giving the Rhinos an MLS team is a crime. I say let them move up with the team they have now. Not sure how it would conform to the MLS' current rules, but I am sure they could make the needed changes. Also it would make them better then a start from scratch expansion team.

[Palermo10]

Hey the way I see it, not giving the Rhinos an MLS team is a crime. I say let them move up with the team they have now. Not sure how it would conform to the MLS' current rules, but I am sure they could make the needed changes. Also it would make them better then a start from scratch expansion team.


Agree with all of the above. They have proven to be a well-run club at the A-League level. Imagine in MLS... they might not pull a HUGE number of extra fans, (I don't know how big Rochester is) -but at anywhere around 20,000 per game they would rank among the best.

The team is established, the soccer-specific stadium is established, the fan base is established... what more does Donny G want?

[fnsandpwr]

Agreed. Or San Antonio.

Houston (population 1.9 million) has the Texans, the Rockets, the Astros.

San Antonio (population 1.4 million, tan hispano) has the Spurs ... and the AA Texas League Missions.

Reliant Stadium in Houston has proven to be a great spot to host games - not just this latest Gold Cup but the spring 2004 "friendly" between the Nats and Mexico. (see pic)

http://nandokim77.250free.com/images/Soccer_Reliant_Stadium_Panorama.jpg


Although it is rather large, I think a market like Houston or San Antonio can draw at least a 20,000 average for MLS. But apparently I missed that San Antonio and MLS ended talks...
http://www.usatoday.com/sports/soccer/mls/2005-06-09-san-antonio_x.htm?csp=34
i agree

[JayJay4Pres]

Agree with all of the above. They have proven to be a well-run club at the A-League level. Imagine in MLS... they might not pull a HUGE number of extra fans, (I don't know how big Rochester is) -but at anywhere around 20,000 per game they would rank among the best.

The team is established, the soccer-specific stadium is established, the fan base is established... what more does Donny G want?


A bigger market? They suffer from Captialism. Who wants to see Rochester vs Columbus in anything? Soccer fans, and that's about it. ANd even we would be weary. The big markets will come first(A new Florida will probably come before Rochester...and we have seen how well they drew)

[Passdeball]

Which of the cities would you like to see in the MLS next and why?

Our neighbors to the north, were a large part of the old NASL. Teams from Canada held on longer than most of the USA teams did. Two nations, one league, works for me. Rochester is a great location, with soccer players and fans that spanned decades. In time USL will rival the MLS. It's a growing thing between two decents leagues. The MLS needs the USL, not the other way around. The USL is growing from the ground up, the MLS thinks it's the top but needs to stop looking like a baseball franchise. MLS gobble up T.V. monies and hold down player wages. It's not a job it's a passion and passion begins in the heart not your wallet.

[Palermo10]

A bigger market? They suffer from Captialism. Who wants to see Rochester vs Columbus in anything? Soccer fans, and that's about it. ANd even we would be weary. The big markets will come first(A new Florida will probably come before Rochester...and we have seen how well they drew)


You're right. But then again who watches LA versus NY/NJ, or Dallas v Chicago...? MLS TV ratings suck. :(

[deeplennon]

Portland, they have the most passionate and knowledgable supporters of any Professional soccer team in the U.S. They have a 15k capacity stadium (perfect size for the MLS in my opionion). The only sporting competition would be the NBA, at a different time of the year.

Portland is the largest metropolitan area in the country to have only one major league franchise. I can't see an MLS team doing well in Texas at all. Especially in a Cavern like Reliant stadium. Atmosphere is everything in soccer.

I wish I could say Seattle, but the fans here are terrible overall. I have no idea why the MLS has promised us a team in the next expansion round.

[Palermo10]

Portland, they have the most passionate and knowledgable supporters of any Professional soccer team in the U.S. They have a 15k capacity stadium (perfect size for the MLS in my opionion). The only sporting competition would be the NBA, at a different time of the year.

Portland is the largest metropolitan area in the country to have only one major league franchise. I can't see an MLS team doing well in Texas at all. Especially in a Cavern like Reliant stadium. Atmosphere is everything in soccer.

I wish I could say Seattle, but the fans here are terrible overall. I have no idea why the MLS has promised us a team in the next expansion round.


I'm not going to challenge you on the pacific northwest, but that statement about Texas appears largely unfounded. Texas, along with California, has one of the strongest bases of youth soccer in the country. It is a majority minority state, where whites are no longer a majority. More than 30% of the greater Houston area is Hispanic, meaning that it is somewhere around 1.2 million. You've seen what US-Mexico can attract in Reliant stadium. I'm not saying that an MLS team should be put in such a large stadium, but Houston (being the 4th largest city in the US... and growing) has a facility to put a team in immediately.

If the MetroStars can play in Giants Stadium, or the Fire can play in Soldier Field, why would Houston be any less deserving?

For areas like south-central and southeastern Texas to not have a single MLS team is absurd. The idea has been tossed around of creating a Tigres USA, a la Chivas USA, in southern Texas. I would have to consider myself a proponent.

[The C0SM0polite]

Hey guess what- maybe space has something to do with it? Jersey has space... they learned how to build on swampland.The answer to this can be found under the "Stadium" section of the webpage (http://www.soccernova.com/html/activism/cosmos_campaign/cosmos_campaign.htm)
You would suggest that MLS put a team in NYC... oh wait... where? Yankee Stadium? Talk about naive?No, actually Shea Stadium.
The answer to this can be found under the "Stadium" section of the webpage (http://www.soccernova.com/html/activism/cosmos_campaign/cosmos_campaign.htm)
Again, there are only what, 12 teams? in MLS. You support the one that's closest to you... well... that would be nice. You think LA has any more to do with San Diego than NYC does with Jersey? Nope. Is it a lot further away? Yep. Are there a bunch of us from San Diego that go to Galaxy games? YepNew Yorkers arent attached to the Metros the way Californians are attached to the Gals and Chivas. Like I said, the Metros have not done anything for NY. The Metros are a horribly run organization and have awful customer relations (not to mention they consistantly field a horrible team). Ive tried rooting for the Metros, but they dont give me anything to root for! I think its great that you guys travel all that way to the Galaxy games, and I wish us New Yorkers had that much passion for the Metros.
But consider this...Would you travel to the Home Depot Center if the Galaxy were a crappy team consistantly at the bottom of the standings? Would you travel to the Home Depot Center if the Galaxy were run by a bunch of idiots? Would you travel to the Home Depot Center if only 9,000 fans were showing up and creating a crappy atmosphere? Would you do that if the Home Depot Center was full of the worst security guards in the MLS?
New Yorkers have a passion for the sport. But, many cannot or just will not spend the time and money to go to the Meadowlands to see some NJ MLS team lose. If New Yorkers are going to the Meadowlands for soccer, there has to be some thing big, like AC Milan vs. Chelsea, or England vs. Colombia. If an MLS team were stationed right here in NYC, they could take a quick subway ride and they would be there. An MLS team in NYC will draw a bigger crowd than the Metrostars in Giants Stadium.
Palermo10, I just want you to know that the people who listed NYC arent just saying it for the hell of it, but actually have an idea. We are not the only ones who feel this way on this topic.
Pele for Cosmos revival! (http://soccernet.espn.go.com/headlinenews?id=257417&cc=5901)

The Metrostars were a cheap rip-off of the Cosmos ever since their creation.

[Palermo10]

All I will say is this - MLS has been around for just 10 years, and beggars can't be choosers.

As I am positive you have noticed, all MLS teams could use a little more support. The idea that many New Yorkers would stay home with a team that closeby, whether it be to support the Metros or to just see a game in general, smacks of selfishness. In that case I see no reason why New York should be given a team ahead of a Rochester, Portland, Houston/San Antonio.

Soccer in a baseball stadium? That sounds worse to me than soccer in a football stadium. But as you said, they could use new management. Until then, keeping money from the league while it goes to TV costs doesn't help.

[The C0SM0polite]

...The idea that many New Yorkers would stay home with a team that closeby, whether it be to support the Metros or to just see a game in general, smacks of selfishness...New Yorkers have no reason to go see the Metros play! They stink! The organization stinks! The atmosphere stinks! The stadium stinks! The trip to Giants Stadium stinks! The trip to Harrison will be even stinkier!
Soccer in a baseball stadium? That sounds worse to me than soccer in a football stadium...Well as you know, Shea Stadium can also be converted into a football stadium (New York Jets 60's-80's). Knowing that it can be turned into a football stadium, the idea isnt so crazy.
http://img199.imageshack.us/img199/3633/sheastadiumfootball2np.jpgThe Mets are planning to move out of Shea soon. Since no other teams will be playing there, the football stadium can be worked on to be made more "soccer-friendly". With some renovations here and there Shea could turn into a pretty nice soccer stadium.

A very rough idea of what Shea might look like (http://img152.imageshack.us/img152/5798/cosmos20sheastadium6id.jpg)

[sounderfan]

Where does one start?


1. Seattle has NOT been "promised" an MLS in the next round, as an earlier poster stated.

2. Rochester is not in yet BECAUSE THEY DON'T WANT to be in. Garber said as much in the linked interview. To paraphrase...

"DuRoss & co must make up their own minds if THEY want to be in MLS or remain a USL club." The current Rhino ownership don't think moving to MLS will add significant profit to the club, but are pretty sure it will add significant cost in travel and payroll. So they remain unconvinced of joining MLS. It they were convinced...it sounds like Garber would already be saying yes in about 10 different languages.

[suppitty]

I want to see Portland and Houston. If the Quakes move to Houston then expand to Rochester, and if they aren't interested, settle for Toronto.