Tuesday, July 24, 2007

MLS Expansion - Is MLS looking for a Club America USA?

Could Mexico's Club America join their arch rivals Chivas in MLS? It seems the club will use this week's SiperLiga matches to judge the possibility of such a move.

Before the Earthquakes 1.0 moved to Houston, rumor had it that Club America would place an expansion team there, however, even with that option gone, Texas might still be in the running.
Club America, nicknamed Los Aguilas (The Eagles), is known as the team of the elite and is well-supported in the Houston area. The MLS hoped America would invest in a Houston satellite team, similar to Chivas USA, but the league instead moved the San Jose Earthquakes to Houston. The door is still open for an America expansion team, possibly in Texas.
I really don't think the league is ready to place a second team in either Dallas or Houston, which leaves San Antonio as the most likely option, however the league has a bad history with the Alamo city. MLS actually declared San Antonio as an expansion city a little over two years ago, however the deal fell apart in spectacular fashion as it became a major issue in the mayoral race. The main issue involved the deal for leasing the almost never used Alamodome stadium.

However, it should be noted that in his online chat last Tuesday, MLS Commissioner Don Garber listed the cities in which negotiations are on going as: Vancouver, Portland, Seattle, San Jose, Sacramento, San Diego, San Antonio, St. Louis, Cleveland, Milwaukee, Rochester, New York City, Atlanta, Miami and Las Vegas. Oddly enough, when he gave his state of the league address the next day, San Antonio was missing from the list (as were Rochester and Sacramento).

Could it be that two years later that San Antonio and the league might be able to work something out? Then again, San Diego could also be an option.

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