MLS ready to move to Canada

MLS has announced that they are very close to granting Toronto an expansion team starting in 2007. However, the city needs to agree to a stadium site and other financial issues by the end of the month or the deal is off.

This is by no means a done deal since two previous stadium proposals have fallen apart.

One of the big issues is if Toronto's city council will approve $8 million in funding for the $53 million, 20,000-seat stadium at city owned Exhibition Place.

But MLS Commissioner Don Garber is optimistic. Garber also believes that this will help make Canada into a true soccer power.

"We think MLS in Canada would be very good for the Canadian soccer association...In 1995 the United States national team was ranked 35th in the world, Today we are ranked 7th. We believe part of that achievement is directly related to the fact that a good number if not most of those players come from Major League Soccer."

A final vote on adding franchises to the league will take place on November 12. Other cities thought to be in the running are Houston, Philadelphia, Cleveland, Milwaukee and St. Louis,