25) Sacramento 26) St. Louis 27) Detroit 28) Celebrity Death Match between Las Vegas, San Antonio, Cincinnati, and Indianapolis. Which will end when Anchorage runs in and knocks everyone else out with a steel chair.
Just to recap the other 2 threads, this is were I think the expansion sits currently, correct me if I am wrong... #21 Atlanta 2017 #22 LA 2018 #23 Minnesotta #24 - #26 Detroit, Miami & Sacramento #27 & #28 St. Louis & San Antonio Miami - if they cant get there shit together then Detroit or Sacramento has a good chance to be number 24 Detroit - has a good chance to be number 24, 25 or 26 (they need to figure out the land deal for the stadium) Sacramento - could be 24, 25 or 26 St. Loius - Garber said they wont join until after 2020 (maybe they could be number 25, but Ithink Detroit and Sac have a better chance) San Antonio - Garber said "expansion is premature" and "they are not as far along as other groups"
I'm pretty sure that any divisional setup will be North-South within time zones to provide the greatest flexibility in scheduling the season so teams play in favourable climatic conditions: They'll play in the southern cities during Feb, Mar, Oct and the northern cities in July and August. They will also probably want to keep Rivalry Cup teams in the same divisions, cause, you know, gotta build them traditions. Based on the changing news over the last few months, my new estimate of the 2022 Conference layout (and likely cities) is, from North to South: EASTERN CONFERENCE: Atlantic Division: New England Revolution New York Red Bulls Philadelphia Union DC United Atlanta United Orlando City FC Miami Beckhams (or Charlotte) Central Division: Montreal Impact Toronto FC New York City FC Detroit Chicago Fire Columbus Crew St Louis WESTERN CONFERENCE: MidWest Division: Minnesota United Colorado Rapids Real Salt Lake Sporting KC FC Dallas Houston Dynamo San Antonio Pacific Division: Vancouver Whitecaps Seattle Sounders Philadelphia Union Sacremento San Jose Earthquakes LA Galaxy LA FC Now, if Miami falls through and the Beckhams end up in Las Vegas, then LV would take MinnU's spot in the MidWest, MinnU would move to the Central, and NYCFC would move to the Atlantic. A Carolinas team, in a desirable geographic location but with no sugar daddy in sight, would end up on the outside looking in. They would have to wait until the 29-32 slots start getting filled. I would imagine Las Vegas and Charlotte would get the 29-30 spots, and the 31-32 spots would go to the East and West Conference Div II (whatever that ends up being, probably a mashup of USL and NASL) clubs that finished top of their respective tables the previous year and rotate on an annual basis. But that wouldn't happen for at least another decade...
Just sayin.. Some Friday afternoon news about tomorrow's #OrangeOut. Get your tickets for #CINvPGH NOW: https://t.co/6lDxVckCeN pic.twitter.com/kynlwg8XCf— FC Cincinnati (@fccincinnati) May 13, 2016
I'm saying this because I haven't heard much about their case but folks keep putting them in the last 2 teams in. At least Cincy has the whole grass roots thing going and San Diego does have a potential MLS owner if we can get a stadium.
Doesn't Cincinnati also have billionaire owners? And doesn't St Louis keep being mentioned by Garber as a front runner? Hardly the same.
Gah, that should have read Portland Timbers in the Pacific Division. Cut and Paste error... But as much as Garber likes St Louis, based on attendance, Cincinnati is making a case to take one of the -25-28 spots...
Cincinnati has gotta have San Antonio looking over their shoulders at 28. If that owner caves and funds a SSS, theyre getting in. But......he seems pretty stubbornly against it right now. That works in San Antonio's favor. I still like the later at 28.
That's my whole point. St. Louis isn't ahead on Cincy or SD at this point IMO and they are actually behind IMO as well. But for some reason the keep getting mentioned ahead of the other two.
Detroit was a lecture in that though. I know everyone in this thread was like? Detroit?? There is absolutely nothing going on there, why do we keep bringing up Detroit hoping something will happen there? Well.........someone knew something. I suspect someone knows something in St Louis too for it to keep being brought up.
It seems like the expansion candidates fall into two groups: cities that are desirable to MLS brass that have no viable ownership group in place, and cities with viable ownership groups and fan bases but are lacking in something that that makes it a deal breaker for MLS brass. Places like Charlotte, San Diego, and St Louis are attractive markets but have no one there pushing for MLS. MLS is not a fan of either the market or stadiums or both in Cincinnati, Indianapolis, San Antonio, and Sacramento.
San Diego does have an ownership group but no stadium...yet. Lots depends on if the SDSU expansion gets approved AND we figure out what is happening with the Chargers.
Charlotte - desirable market for MLS and is being championed as a MLS expansion club by current USL owners, who stated their desire for MLS when they started the USL club last year. San Diego- again, desirable market by MLS and stadium project championed by SDSU and reportedly former Padres owner is interested in owning the MLS team St. Louis - MLS wants it, gov't and local business leaders interested in using MLS to fill the gap created by the Rams. USL team and local super youth club St Louis FC involved, possibly others with former NFL and Busch connections.
You can have all the grassroots support and big attendance numbers you want. You have to be a market Garber/MLS want. Thats why Detroit just swooped in out of nowhere and why St Louis is getting a bunch of attention. Big, strategic markets.
True, that. But, Sacramento, Cincinnati and San Antonio have team and ambitious owners. That gives them an edge to be one of the 24 to 28 teams. Detroit seems to be further along than St. Louis but MLS wants them both. My guess is that the four 24 to 28 expansion candidates will come out of this group. My guess for teams 25 & 26 would be Sacramento & Detroit right now with Cincinnati, St. Louis & San Antonio competing for slots nos. 27 & 28.
Proud to represent our 23 teams, owners & millions of soccer fans in receiving the @sbjsbd League of the Year. pic.twitter.com/rFq1Vv4Ywz— Don Garber (@thesoccerdon) May 19, 2016 23 teams... Not 24 Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Obviously, that's a not so subtle public hint to the Miami-Dade County Government - as if anyone in local government cares.
Cincinnati puts Miami on the outs for the next batch. 5 slots remaining (24-28): Sacramento, St Louis, Detroit, San Antonio, Cincinnati. Maybe Miami will get back into the hunt if they go to 32.