February 1 – Major League Soccer has announced that 12 new ownership groups submitted official applications by Tuesday’s deadline to land one of the four franchises that will see North America’s elite league expand to 28 clubs.
Charlotte, Cincinnati, Detroit, Indianapolis, Nashville, Phoenix, Raleigh/Durham, Sacramento, St. Louis, San Antonio, San Diego and Tampa/St. Petersburg are all vying to secure a team in a league that began with 10 clubs back in 1996.
“That’s a strong statement about the league and the growth of the sport in the United States and Canada,” MLS Commissioner Don Barber (pictured) said in a statement.
The applications are to be examined during the first half of 2017, with two of the four new teams announced by the end of the year to begin playing in 2020 (with a reported $150 million ‘expansion fee’) and two others at a later date.
With the addition of Atlanta United and Minnesota United FC, MLS will have 22 clubs competing during the 2017 season.
A second Los Angeles team, the Los Angeles Football Club, will join the league in 2018 while MLS said it is making progress with plans for a team in Miami, led by David Beckham, who has yet to find a suitable venue in the city.
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