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April 22 – Montreal is set to become the 19th team in the Major League Soccer (MLS), it has been revealed.
MLS Commissioner Don Garber said that they also would like to return to either Atlanta or South Florida.
“We’re confident that we’ll be able to announce a 19th team shortly, and our hope is that 19th team will be in Montreal,” he said during a meeting with the Associated Press Sports Editors.
The MLS currently has 16 teams this season and has added franchises for 2011 in Portland and Vancouver next year.
Miami and Tampa Bay, who once had MLS teams, were eliminated after the 2001 season and Garber would like to have a presence there in the near-future.
“Eventually I’m sure we’ll get back to the southeast broadly and Florida more specifically,” he said.
“I’m not quite sure what the timing is of that.
“But I can’t image this league will be fully expanded without having a team in Florida or south of Washington, D.C.
“We continue to have discussions in Atlanta. I think Atlanta’s a good sports market, also has some competition for its size, but lots of youth participation and a massive and growing Mexican population in Atlanta.
“Those are probably the two places where we look, South Florida and Atlanta, as the next places in the southeast.
“We in the sports business sort of look at Florida as a difficult market.
“Many of the pro sports teams there have challenges, and there’s a lot of reasons for that: a lot of transient residents, a lot of international visitors that own second homes.
“Weather is a big issue Florida, both in terms of rain and the fact that it’s very hot when you want to play your games.
“People have an alternative - they can go to some of the most beautiful beaches in the world.”
Garber also revealed that eventually the MLS would like to see relegation and promotion, mirroring the league structure in the rest of the world.
“In 2011 we’ll have 18 teams in our league,” he said.
“”That’s the size league that FIFA would like their first divisions to be.
“My guess is we probably expand beyond that in the years to come.
“Our country is a lot bigger than many of the European countries that might have 75 or 80 million people - ours has 300 million-plus crossing three time zones,
“We probably have some room for more than 18 teams.”