Because the hand is connected to the shoulder. It would be foolish to ignore the stability and growth of the USL, as it directly impacts MLS and professional soccer in this country.
Las Vegas is now the front-runner for the next round of MLS expansion, a source close to the league says. Another, though, says it's probably too early to say for sure whether LV becomes 30th club. Next MLS board of governors meeting: Aug. 25.— Steven Goff (@SoccerInsider) August 1, 2021
I feel bad for Sacramento, but I believe we should recognize that Las Vegas or Phoenix are the two bids that would be the best for the league right now... Still.... #30 & 31 Las Vegas and Phoenix ...alternates: Sacramento or San Diego ...others: El Paso, Albuquerque, Oakland, Monterey Bay, Orange County, Rio Grande Valley, Colorado Springs, Oklahoma City, Tulsa, San Antonio, New Orleans, Memphis, Des Moines #32 Detroit ...alternates: Indianapolis or Louisville ...others: New Orleans, Oklahoma City, Tulsa, Baltimore, Cleveland, Tampa Bay, Birmingham, Milwaukee, Pittsburgh, Hartford, Memphis, Charleston, Queensboro, Buffalo, Rhode Island MLS East: 1. Atlanta United 2. Orlando City SC 3. Nashville SC 4. Inter Miami 5. Charlotte FC 6. Philadelphia Union 7. DC United 8. New York Red Bulls 9. New York City FC 10. New England Revolution 11. Columbus Crew 12. FC Cincinnati 13. Minnesota United 14. Montreal Impact 15. Toronto FC 16. Detroit* MLS West: 1. FC Dallas 2. Houston Dynamo 3. Austin FC 4. Sporting Kansas City 5. Saint Louis City 6. Chicago Fire 7. Colorado Rapids 8. Real Salt Lake 9. Seattle Sounders 10. Portland Timbers 11. Vancouver Whitecaps 12. San Jose Earthquakes 13. Los Angeles FC 14. LA Galaxy 15. Las Vegas 16. Phoenix
NEWS: Las Vegas has emerged as the most likely location for the 30th @MLS franchise, and @Bucks owner Wes Edens is in the mix. More from me and @soshnick https://t.co/UWjCrMzPKG— Eben Novy-Williams (@novy_williams) August 11, 2021
Don Garber says #MLS has been spending "a lot of time" in Las Vegas, and says league will continue to focus on the city as an expansion candidate. https://t.co/GwsxGvFdME— Jeff Carlisle (@JeffreyCarlisle) August 24, 2021
Reading the ESPN article, he sounds a lot more coy and standoffish than I initially expected. Am I the only one who reads it with a "pump the breaks" tone to it? "I wouldnt say there is a leading candidate at this point" additionally, still thinks Sacramento would be a very good market, steps back from the ledge a bit of what I think I remember him saying that they didnt think Sacramento was a good market anymore Finally, looks like he is saying San Diego is nothing more than a "wish" at this point. "San Diego continues to be a market of importance to us," said Garber. "We lost the key vote, which was unfortunate, but that doesn't take away my belief in the market." And of course there is the ever continuing question of "what in gods green earth is going on with Phoenix". Like, dead silence. Owners dont mention it, Garber seems to go out of his way to not mention it. Ultimately, it looks like hoping for a Sacramento while to emerge, and using Las Vegas as the very potent gun to the head, and a trigger that they're not afraid to pull if nothing develops soon.
It feels like we went through a period when MLS favored soccer driven expansion projects but now we're moving back to NFL side projects like Charlotte.
The thing that doesn’t quite land with the Edens bid (and the rumored Foley bid, which I’m not convinced is real) is that they both want to play at Allegiant Stadium, which is not only a little inadequate in terms of field size, but also controlled by other entities for game day revenue, presumably.
RE: Field Size, How so? From a post i made some time ago when someone was suggesting a previous STL ownership group could/could-not use the dome here. The problem is not the length or width, it's the corners if anything. Sounds like Allegiant has removable seats, esp. since the Gold cup final was just held there. It should have conformed to FIFA international recommendations. I would think the bigger issue is whether the Raiders would allow an MLS side to use the grass field, or make them play on turf.
Allegiant Stadium's natural grass tray moves inside for the first time. https://www.raiders.com/photos/retractable-field-tray-moves-into-allegiant-stadium
I think MLS is certainly interested in MLS, but they are not interested in a team based in the Roomba Dome. And thats where I think the prospective owners are most interested in. My assessment is MLS is more interested in a pure SSS, and that means renovating Cashman. So.......this is part of the dance. Therein lies where I think Garber is "intrigued". He wants Vegas, but it has to be the right scenario. I dont think MLS is going to stick its neck out for Roomba Dome.
It’s a little bit like how Minnesota came about, if I remember. Two competing ownership groups, one SSS-focused, the other an NFL Stadium. Competing bids can be a good way to close a deal.
Agreed. Getting a pulse on that, there are three interested parties in Vegas. Why not play them against each other? Shoehorn them into your preferred scenario.
The latest interviews with the Soccer Don, almost sound like they are in the final stages of talks with Wes Eden's ownership group over the Las Vegas Villains joining in 2023, along side with St. Louis City. This makes Allegiant Stadium as a temporary home till a new soccer specific stadium can be built in the near future. This plan is very similar to when Cincinnati joined in 2019.
Cashman Field? Cashman is a converted minor league baseball field. I would hardly call it a soccer specific stadium.
Cashman field is not even close to adequate for MLS. It would need to be demolished and a new stadium built in its place, which is Baupost’s proposed plan with the city of Las Vegas. He would buy the Las Vegas Lights and build a soccer-specific stadium for them along with a redevelopment of the area. Baupost says he is still an interested party but that talks with MLS have gone quiet. I think MLS has started to become less attracted to expansion or new stadium deals that tie heavily to additional real estate development for retail and housing. I agree that the recent articles, particularly with it being leaked to Stephen Goff right before the Good Cup Final for him to push the idea out there, suggests that MLS is far along in negotiation with Edens and that they prefer him as an investor. I think for me the question is the stadium.
Providence Park is a converted baseball stadium and its one of the most distinctive stadiums in MLS. This was the plan for Cashman circa 2019
At this point it sounds like the stadium is a non-issue. They seem to be okay with Allegiant Stadium with some kind of a capacity reduction system like Mercedes Stadium in Atlanta.
Yes but the potential owner does not own Allegiant Stadium. The Raiders do. The revenue split and operational situation would need to be ironed out.
Actually Allegiant Stadium is owned by the Las Vegas Stadium Authority and not the Raiders. This stadium situation is no different than the Chicago Fire and Soldier Field or the Seattle Sounders and Lumen Field.
The issue with that comparison is that the Fire aren’t sustainable at Soldier Field and major reason why the Sounders work at Lumen is because of the massive leg up they got from the Seahawks when they first started… The Seahawks ran the entire business side of the Sounders, including season ticket sales, advertising, sponsorships, etc, etc. Having a ready made NFL calibre business operation behind the Sounders meant they didn’t have to spend a significant amount of time/money setting up the business side and could focus entirely on the soccer side of the operation and come out running from both an on the field and off the field perspective. Things could obviously change, but I don’t believe the Raiders currently have a role with the current LV ownership group, so they’ll have to go through the pain and suffering of setting up a business operation, selling tickets, getting sponsors, etc.
Qwest/Centurylink/Lumen was designed to host professional soccer and that played a big part in getting approval. "The proposal was pitched to voters as providing both a new home for the Seahawks and a venue for top-level soccer. It passed on June 17, 1997, with 820,364 (51.1%) in favor and 783,584 against." - Wikipedia