The Whitecaps -- represented by two members of their ownership group, Greg Kerfoot and Jeff Mallett -- met MLS officials on Friday(21 Nov) in New York to go over their bid, which was received with high praise. Garber, who was involved in expansion in the National Football League, called Vancouver's presentation "one of the best I've ever seen." "It's a validation for the work we've put in," said Lenarduzzi. "It's great to have that kind of feedback. From the outset we knew it would be a battle, seven teams looking for two spots, but we've never been bothered with any of the others. We've put our best foot forward and will continue to do that up until the time they make their decision." Unlike Montreal, the Whitecaps ownership group -- which also includes the National Basketball Association's Steve Nash along with businessman Steve Luczo -- has no qualms with the expansion fee. "We have the capacity to go with the $40 million, but it's premature to discuss money anyway until we're one of the two teams," said Lenarduzzi. http://www.canada.com/vancouversun/news/sports/story.html?id=a0af2cc5-5873-45db-a550-724e0daac136
http://www.sportsnet.ca/soccer/2008/12/10/mls_vancouver_visit/ MLS commissioner visits BC Place Wednesday, December 10, 2008 VANCOUVER, BC – Vancouver Whitecaps FC announced that Major League Soccer Commissioner Don Garber and MLS President Mark Abbott visited BC Place Stadium on Tuesday, to tour the facility as part of the league's due diligence in evaluating six potential MLS expansion markets. "We're pleased to have had the opportunity to host Commissioner Garber and Mr. Abbott," said Whitecaps President Bob Lenarduzzi. "The tour of BC Place was positive and I believe it will go a long way to supporting our bid to bring MLS to Vancouver." "We were impressed with BC Place Stadium during yesterday's tour and believe that the downtown location in the heart of Vancouver's sports and entertainment district could provide a world-class environment for an MLS expansion team," said MLS Commissioner Don Garber. "Seeing the stadium helped to bring the renderings of the proposed renovations to life and confirmed that the renovations are on track to create an intimate soccer atmosphere." Last month, BC Pavilion Corporation (PavCo) and the Whitecaps unveiled a rendering depicting how BC Place's proposed new retractable roof might be configured, in order to best accommodate soccer events at the refurbished stadium. BC Place is currently under-going a two-phase renovation plan, with phase two scheduled to be completed in time for the start of the 2011 Major League Soccer (MLS) season. According to League reports, Commissioner Garber, Mr. Abbott and other MLS representatives have recently visited or will visit all six potential expansion markets prior to making a final decision on the League's next two expansion teams. The 14-team MLS is set to add Seattle in 2009 and Philadelphia in 2010. An announcement regarding which markets will receive the next two expansion clubs is expected to take place by the end of this year or in the first quarter of 2009. The league office and the MLS expansion committee are currently reviewing the Whitecaps MLS expansion application, along with six other applications from markets in the United States and Canada.
Here's the latest from the Sun: http://www.vancouversun.com/Sports/...expansion+continue+improve/1228313/story.html Whitecaps chances for MLS expansion continue to improve By Ian Walker, Vancouver Sun January 28, 2009 More good news for the Vancouver Whitecaps and its bid for a Major League Soccer franchise. Commissioner Don Garber indicated on Tuesday the lack of approval for a soccer-specific stadium is a major stumbling block in Ottawa's plans to bring an expansion team to Canada's capital. Garber made his comments from Ottawa, where he had just completed his final stop on a tour of the proposed expansion cities. MLS has previously met with representatives from the Whitecaps, Miami, Portland and St. Louis — the other four cities in the running for one of two $40-million franchises to be granted for the 2011 season. "That's really the biggest hurdle that needs to be overcome for us to be able to approve an expansion team here," Garber told reporters. "[Ottawa] blew us away with their presentation and have shown a very strong understanding of the market, but no stadium is the hurdle to giving a franchise." Eugene Melnyk — owner of the Ottawa Senators and the major backer of Ottawa's MLS bid — is currently in talks with government officials to secure both the land and partial funding required to build the proposed $110-million stadium near the NHL team's Scotiabank Place. Not helping Melnyk's chances is the city is also mulling a proposal from another group who has been granted a conditional Canadian Football League franchise. They too are looking for money to redevelop Lansdowne Park in the downtown core. Ottawa city council has gone on record to say it will approve only one or the other — possibly neither. MLS was expected to announce the successful applicants sometime before its season opener between the expansion Seattle Sounders and on New York Red Bulls at Qwest Field on March 19, but Garber said that timeline is now flexible. Originally, seven cities submitted an official bid by the league's Oct. 15 deadline, but Montreal and Atlanta have since dropped out of the running. Earlier this month, Garber put St. Louis on notice by saying he was concerned with its investor base. The Whitecaps' storied soccer history, ownership’s commitment to growing the game in B.C. along with the team's impressive soccer infrastructure is second to none and distinguishes it from the remaining bids. Vancouver has an agreement in place to begin play out of a renovated BC Place Stadium beginning in 2011. The Whitecaps are still in discussions with the Port Authority regarding land for the construction of a 20,000-seat waterfront stadium, financed by owner Greg Kerfoot. The Whitecaps continue to maintain that they are only concerning themselves with their bid and not reading anything into comments about any other team. Launched in 1996, MLS has grown from a modest eight-team league that garnered little attention from the sports media to a 14-team operation in 2008. Toronto FC, the first Canadian club in MLS, joined the league in 2007. Seattle FC will start play as the league's 15th team this season. Vancouver currently plays in the second-tier United Soccer Leagues' First Division, where they are the defending champions. • The Whitecaps confirmed on Wednesday that they will play the Sounders in a closed-door scrimmage on Feb 22 at Qwest Field. iwalker@vancouversun.com With files from Canwest News Service © Copyright (c) The Vancouver Sun
My humble opinion is that Vancouver has a good shot. You guys have a great bid. I think BC Place will work just fine. Hope you guys get in. It would be fun to come up to watch The Sounders and Caps carry on the tradition that goes back 30+ years.