urbanSTL

The next team is going to Minneapolis.

http://www.si.com/planet-futbol/2015/03 ... sacramento

In all probability, this does in the idea of the new stadium drawing an MLS team. I mean, it could happen down the line. But it wouldn't be an immediate impact. Not until they decide to go to 26 teams (assuming they do it in pairs).

Technically there's a 24th team floating out there, but it's still Beckham's spot to lose at this point. Even if he does lose it, Sacramento is likely in position to get it.

I actually have a feeling there's now enough interested parties that we'd have an ownership group. I don't think that was true 2 years ago, but it is now.

But it's also likely too little too late.

I would almost say without a doubt, if Dave Peacock is spending so much time with Don Garber and splitting his time with MLS & NFL, he must have some 'meat on the burner' (~Ron Caron) with regards to the assembling of an ownership group. There has to be interest, for Dave to come out and mention MLS as much as he does. With all of the sell-outs, the soccer history, the extensive and nationally respected youth soccer base here and the large Bosnian community, this market has to be on the radar of any group or individual looking to buy or own a team in MLS. If an owner adds one Bosnian National Team player, you'll get support from the 75-100K community here. If the team can make a connection with large youth clubs like SLSG, Lou Fusz and others, you can market to all of the parents and kids. It would take off big-time, here IMO. I know some will rip the market if FCSTL does not do great, but having an MLS team in a new venue is WAY different than having a USL Pro team at the Soccer Park. Imagine the likes of Lampard, Villa, Kaka', Henry, Dempsey and others, coming in to play, versus guys on the USL level we've never heard of. MLS is on another level, by far. If we get a team, it will be a success, unless they are a doormat like the Rams have been, for over a decade. I'm not blind to the fact that St. Louis lives a lot on its past reputation and history. However, the only reason soccer has not blown up, is because we have not had a team. We would have had a team from the start, had there been a venue. Look at KC. The Wizards were ready to bolt KC, until the team moved into a new venue and marketed the team as Sporting KC. Now the place claims to be the soccer capital of the US. It could happen here!

^ agree with most of that, but we've had over a decade to get a viable ownership group in order and never have. So I'm not sure it's as simple as you say.

Additionally, I'm not entirely confident that MLS is being mentioned as anything other than a way to sell the stadium. Seattle's stadium wouldn't have gotten built without the notion that they'd get an MLS team to play in it, and Peacock may be following that strategy as much as he can (though he won't get the guarantee—wasn't a true guarantee anyways) that Seattle got.

But it benefits both parties for them to flirt. Peacock can use it to garner stadium support that he otherwise might not get, and Garber can use it to pressure the other groups to get their stuff finalized.

I sincerely hope there's more to it than that, but there are still at least two other groups in much better shape to land a team, one of which has a guarantee if they get everything in order. That's Sacramento and Miami (who has the guarantee).

They could expand beyond 24, but I'm not real optimistic that will be any time soon.

jstriebel wrote:The next team is going to Minneapolis.

http://www.si.com/planet-futbol/2015/03 ... sacramento

In all probability, this does in the idea of the new stadium drawing an MLS team. I mean, it could happen down the line. But it wouldn't be an immediate impact. Not until they decide to go to 26 teams (assuming they do it in pairs).

Technically there's a 24th team floating out there, but it's still Beckham's spot to lose at this point. Even if he does lose it, Sacramento is likely in position to get it.

Not a done deal, but the most likely scenario -

http://www.mlssoccer.com/news/article/2 ... ign=Unpaid

Also note that Garber is going to reevaluate the expansion cap - we will know more in 2 months - but MLS has never been good about sticking to its announcement schedule - my guess is 28 teams by 2021

This is what the STL NFL Task Force had to say about it via the Twitter tweets:

Encouraged to hear @thesoccerdon note potential expansion beyond 24 clubs. New #STLNFL stadium would be excellent home for #MLS.

Source

Priority is keeping @stlouisrams in #STL but soccer is focal point of plan, just as with new stadium in Atlanta (#MLS in 2017).

Source

Our full statement on potential of #MLS expansion past 24 clubs is at http://stlstadium.com . Meanwhile, we continue to make great progress.

Source

They also put this on Lockerdome:

Major League Soccer confirmed on Monday afternoon that it is in “advanced discussions” with representatives from Minnesota United FC for an expansion club, and will evaluate its expansion plans beyond 24 clubs – which could include St. Louis – later this year.

Dave Peacock, the co-lead of Gov. Jay Nixon’s task force to explore a new downtown stadium that could be the new home to the St. Louis Rams, offered the following thoughts:

“It’s excellent news to hear MLS Commissioner Don Garber acknowledge the possibility of expansion beyond 24 clubs,” Peacock said. “The emphasis of our task force is to develop plans for a stadium on the North Riverfront of downtown St. Louis that could be the new home for the St. Louis Rams and a future MLS expansion club. We look forward to hosting MLS Commissioner Garber later this year to explore the possibilities and reintroduce everything St. Louis has to offer Major League Soccer.”

-RBB

The Loons are now officially MLS

http://www.mlssoccer.com/news/article/2 ... -minnesota

After the US WNT match yesterday, every article I could find about it in national press mentions that we set an attendance record, frequently alongside the other match attendances we've had since 2013.

St. Louis FC home opener today- Sold Out! The improvements to the park look really nice

Gotta get that stadium built!

We've been pro soccer frontrunners since 1907, but it doesn't matter to the MLS without a billionaire owner.

MarkHaversham wrote:We've been pro soccer frontrunners since 1907, but it doesn't matter to the MLS without a billionaire owner.

And a stadium.

Looks like the stadium is quite coming along, Peacock & Co. continue to speak with the MLS commissioner (meeting in person I believe as recently as last month), and Bernie Miklasz has said on his forum that his understanding is Peacock has already begun the process of assembling a possible ownership group. Right now seems to be the closest we've realistically come to getting a franchise, even if that isn't saying much.

We can always build a stadium; we can't build a billionaire. I hope we find one, but I've learned not to get my hopes up without an owner.

Would the STLFC realistically, ever be able to jump to MLS, assuming the stadium is built? I wonder if their is an owner somewhere in the country or world, looking to own an MLS team, that could surface if STL builds the stadium and MLS wants STL in the league. I would doubt that there are any potential local owners, considering the Rams couldn't even get a local to invest when the Rosenblooms were selling. I would have to think that MLS has some potential owners or why would their be serious talks with Peacock's Task Force. I'd almost guess the owner of an STL MLS team would be from out of town. Obviously, I could be wrong, if Kavanaugh decides he wants to drop some cash and jump to MLS. I'm not sure how much free cash he and his partners have. I would assume, that STL would have had an MLS back when the league was started, had there been a venue. If we finally get a venue, we'll have history, a strong youth soccer base, several well-attended games and the actual stadium, as a big plus, to any potential owner. I would not be shocked to foreign investors from other countries, jump into MLS, if they haven't already. It will be interesting to see if the Task Force pushes hard for MLS, assuming they have the stadium deal done and an NFL team committed.

Where are we getting this idea that MLS requires the owner to be a Billionaire? I didn't think MLS requirements were quite as strict as there big 4 since the franchises are much less ~100mill.

I have no idea how accurate these sites are, but a simple google search got me a little bit of info:

http://smallbusiness.chron.com/major-le ... 32573.html

Where are we getting this whole "we need an owner" talk? Kavanaugh runs a $6billion company. He's the guy! There shouldn't be anymore, "we need an owner". Kavanaugh os taking the steps to build up to MLS level. It'll happen, just be patient.

moorlander wrote:Where are we getting this idea that MLS requires the owner to be a Billionaire? I didn't think MLS requirements were quite as strict as there big 4 since the franchises are much less ~100mill.

They probably don't need to be a billionaire, but several-hundred-millionaire is harder to say.

stlien wrote:Where are we getting this whole "we need an owner" talk? Kavanaugh runs a $6billion company. He's the guy! There shouldn't be anymore, "we need an owner". Kavanaugh os taking the steps to build up to MLS level. It'll happen, just be patient.

What's his personal worth? Unless the company itself is going to buy a team, it doesn't matter what it's worth.

Not sure of his personal net worth, but one doesn't run a $6 billion company and not have a bunch of rich friends.

Has Kavanaugh ever come out and said that he is building FC STL, so it can someday become an MLS team? Has he ever mentioned MLS, with regards to his FC STL endeavor? If so, that would be great. I like the name, the logo, the owner and the teams organic roots, starting at Soccer Park. Being a local guy, he could also try attract local stars, once they reached MLS. I hope he is "the guy".