http://www.nytimes.com/2005/07/12/sports/soccer/12soccer.html? Might be of interest to some folks. This has become of some interest lately because Impact de Montreal's attendance average has grown to some 11,000, and the team's owner, Joey Saputo, is in the process of building Saputo Stadium (not an MLS venue, but still impressive). I found it interesting that Saputo cited the expansion fee as a prime reason he's not thinking about MLS right now, rather than the SEM, which was the reason that had been believed before.
Well he actually said in his own words that SEM was the reason why he was critical of MLS in a Fox Sport World Report interview a couple of months back. Maybe he's changed his stance since. Even then...the expansion fee needs to stay where it is. If you can't afford the $10 million to get into MLS, you can't afford the dough to run and maintain a team.
Actually, I agree with that. I just thought it a fascinating comment. I don't necessarily expect or advocate a Montreal MLS club right now, I just thought the comment was worth noting. The weird not-for-profit nature of the current club was done to save it from oblivion. Now it seems rather unneccessary.
If a few key A League markets shift to MLS. Montreal (read Joey Saputo) will probably want to be there too if the only alternative is a PDL sort of set-uporth remembering they pulled out of the A League when it got up to 28 franchises and moved indoors so they could stay part of a high budget large market set up.
Not when his team is making a profit, which is put back into Quebec soccer as part of the non-profit setup. Saputo answered this when he said he would rather invest $10 Million into Quebec soccer than spend $10 million on a money losing venture.
Might as well resurrect an old thread. Looks like it will have to be Centre Claude Robilliard for WYC 2007 and for the A League because Stade Saputo has been delayed:- http://www.impactmontreal.com/newsEN.asp?no_id=469 http://www.cbc.ca/story/sports/national/2006/03/21/Sports/montreal_stadium060321.html Actually a good move from the long term perspective IMO if they were to go to the 1976 Olympics complex instead because the transit links to where they were planning to build at the Technoparc are not good apparently.
While we're resurrecting an old thread, Saputo has contradicted himself more than once on this point. He also said in the french-language press that he "wants MLS to come to us."
Let's just see how things work out in Toronto and focus on cities that happen to be located in the United States.
He's Italian and you can bet his cousins are looking to take you for a ride in their Lincoln right now.
I think what we need, more than some more "expansion possibilities" for MLS is a decent second division. The system simply needs it to prosper and grow. The gap between PDL and MLS is just too big. So let's not be so hasty in trying to rape the A League of every decent outfit they've got. I'd much rather see us trying to expand A League, not strip it out and kill it.
As a financial thing, though, MLS is either going to have to work out its differences with the USL or else rape them of their MLS quality markets. They can't afford to have them lying around as a potential competitor.
Always like your comments on the market/business aspect of things. Very few seem to get, or want to comprehend, what is happening in this market. The goals, business plan, finances, etc. Good to see you point them out in a very simple manner. Then again, fans don't want to understand the business side of things, they just want what they want.
Until MLS gets their economic house in order, I don't believe that the USL has too much to worry about. Saputo seems to be taking the same tact as the Rhinos ownership is. Basically, neither group sees why they should leave a league where they make money for one that appears to be a money losing situation, at least in the short run. And that doesn't even figure in the 8 figure admission fee to join the money losing league.
The fact that there is a semi-viable second division (along with some even lower divisions with some stability) is a wonderful thing and it would be a shame if MLS destroyed that structure... by the same token, it is critical for the survival of a viable first division in this country that it be backed by individuals of great wealth and substantial committment, able to absorb temporary loss for a longer-term objective... most first division (MLS) teams will be created out of whole-cloth... on the other hand, we do meed a model of organic growth from existing clubs outgrowing their situation and moving up (sadly, this upward movement is unlikely to be on the basis of success on the field but rather on the basis of business success)... Of course, most of the discussion is about Rochester at this point but Montreal, Vancouver and even Atlanta, Charleston or North Carolina might be viable (and, unfortunately, consideration of them will also depend, somewhat, on what happens with Toronto - a poor comparison, IMO)... anyway, while organic growth of USL division1 clubs into MLS teams is appropriate and will happen, I would hope that it not be rushed (particularly not to the detriment of the USL, which serves a great purpose)... Actually, if you look at the major differences between soccer in North America now as opposed to the days of the NASL, one thing that really stands out is the presence of viable, nationwide professional and semi-professional leagues at a lower level... rand