In 2012 the Montreal Impact will become the 19th Major League Soccer franchise and the league doesn’t want to stop there – MLS Commissioner Don Garber has stated as such on several occasions.
Having seen the increase in fan support for regional rivalries between the likes of Seattle Sounders and Portland Timbers, the league would dearly love to create its own Manchester United/Manchester City derbies by giving the next expansion spot to the resurrected New York Cosmos, thereby creating an instant cross-town rival for the existing New York Red Bulls.
All looked good when former Tottenham Hotspur vice-chairman Paul Kemsley bought the rights to the Cosmos name in August 2009. With Pele, Giorgio Chinaglia, Eric Cantona and Cobi Jones onboard he boldly claimed they would join the MLS. However, just as NY Mets owner Fred Wilpon’s earlier bid was derailed by loses in the Madoff ponzi scheme unravelled, so did Kemsley’s during 2011 and the Englishman sold his holdings to Sela Sport (a Saudi Arabian sports agency and marketing company) and resigned, “to pursue other interests and commitments”.
This development definitely throws a wrench into Garber’s plan and opens the door, at least a crack, for other cities to bid for the 20th MLS spot. The initial contenders being Orlando, FL (by way of USL Champion Orlando City FC) and Detroit (with a team in the renovated Silverdome). Also expressing a strong interest are a groups in Las Vegas, St Louis and San Antonio.
…and now Sacramento?
Last week the Elk Grove City Council had on its agenda an item to “sign an Exclusive Negotiating Agreement with Northern California Soccer, LLC for the siting and development of a Major League Soccer Facility”. Northern California Soccer, LLC is owned by former CA Assembly Speaker Fabian Nunez and Sacramento attorney Dick Hyde, who has prior links to the NBA Sacramento Kings.
Should we take this bid seriously? Look for more from me over the coming weeks as I dig into this story and find out if Major League Soccer might really have a possibility of coming to the Sacramento suburb of Elk Grove.
– MCZF1