MLS Notes: MLS is reviewing an altercation between struggling MetroStars forward Clint Mathis -- who is out of contract at season's end -- and a fan at Giants Stadium following Saturday's 2-0 loss to the New England Revolution, according to the New York Daily News... Tim Leiweke, the president of lead MLS investor Anschutz Entertainment Group, told a gathering of Los Angeles Galaxy season-ticket holders that the league would add two teams in 2005: one in Cleveland and one operated by Mexico's Chivas in a yet-to-be-determined city, according to a report in the Los Angeles Times. San Diego has been cited as the front-runner for the Chivas club. Leiweke said MLS hopes to add two more teams in '06 or '07, and that AEG hopes to sell off three of its five teams. However, MLS chief operating officer Mark Abbott later told the New York Times that expansion is not yet a done deal, adding that the league has purchased the pre-Libertadores Cup. SportsTicker contributed to this report.
It's a tournament to determine Mexico's representative in the Libertadores Tournament, So. America's prestigious (and profitable) club tournament. 8 teams will play in the pre-tourney, w/ 1 or 2 (?) going to Libertadores. The LA Coliseum was initially chosen as a "neutral" site plus the heavy interest in MFL, but AEG has purchased the pre-tourney in order to collect rent and (hopefully) promote the stadium. In addition, AEG is positioning itself as a major player in the international friendlies industry, although this tourney actually will count for something. Yet another factor is that by promoting Libertadores in the US, the goal is to nurture a following in this country and hopefully get MLS invited into future tournaments.
The Pre-Libertadores is (I believe) what used to be called the Pre- Pre-Libertadores. It's been going on as long as Mexican clubs have been playing in the Libertadores, which is since 1998. It was a tournament that whittled several Mexican clubs down to two. Those two then went on to play two Venezuelan clubs for their berths in the main draw of the Libertadores. The pre- pre- was run by an Arizona outfit called PIE Americas, which was a company owned by Alejandro Burillo. Burillo was, if memory serves, one of the kids of Televisa's founder and lost out in a family power struggle in the Mexican TV giant. He set up Pegasso Communications and PIE was a subsidiary. As part of Televisa, he was a major mover and shaker within the Mexican federation. He negotiated the deal to get Mexican clubs into the Libertadores and the Pre- Pre-Libertadores was a way to recover some of the money he had to pay to the Venezuelan clubs to get them to play Mexican teams for their slots in the main Libertadores draw (are we still paying attention?) He also selected or invited clubs to play in the pre- pre-, realizing that if by some miracle Tampico or other relatively small club won the league title, he'd still like to have the Chivas's and Americas's competing to generate a little more popular interest and...CASH. Over the years, the Pre- Pre- has had games in Houston, LA, Chicago (I think), in many U.S. cities. Earlier this year, CONCACAF (Chuck Blazer) said NO MORE to the letting CONMEBOL make the Mexican clubs play Venezuelan clubs for their berths. Whether it was that, or the fact that CONMEBOL realized TV rights to games involving Mexican clubs were more lucrative than those for Venezuelan, CONMEBOL gave Mexico direct berths (thus eliminating the need for the second of the pre's). BUT, money is still to be made and so apparently the pre- pre- will simply become the pre-!
Conmebol doesnt give two craps about Chuck Blazer or concacaf ! And it seems neither does Mexico. Mexico gained 2 spots because they proved they deserved it from earlier tournaments and brought a big bag of cash with them.