Edmond, OK, to get a pro soccer team?

The endless talk of MLS expansion is a fun game, but it is not the only one it town. The USL-First Division is also looking at increasing their numbers, which brings us to Edmond (just north of Oklahoma City), Oklahoma.

The league recently sent a letter to the mayor concerning their interesting in placing a team in the city for 2009, they just need to find some interested investors.

Here is what the mayor had to say:

"We are interested to begin exploring opportunities to expand United Soccer Leagues (USL) into the City of Edmond. I welcome you to encourage ... potential investment groups to bring USL to Edmond in 2009.”

O'Neil said the city has always been interested in a professional sports team, particularly soccer.

"Now we have to see if there is viable interest from private investors,” O'Neil said. "If there is genuine interest, then we need to get others involved.”

If there is interest and they can find ownership, they will probably play their games at 10,000-seat, University of Central Oklahoma owned, Wantland Stadium.

Oddly enough, USL's interest in Edmond sprang from the city's failed bid to land a MLS team back in 2004. Hard to believe that Oklahoma City was in the running at the time.

The hopeful addition of Edmond to USL is part of the league's plan to put more teams in 'the middle part of the county, including the Southwest and Midwest.' Seeing as MLS is pretty much focusing on the costs these days (with some exceptions), this seems like a good plan. They have already added a team in Austin, Texas for the 2009 season, so an additional team in Oklahoma would make for a great rivalry.

The league is also in 'active negotiations with groups in Omaha, Phoenix and San Antonio.'

USL might not have the glitz, glamour and TV contracts of MLS, but it is a very important part of growing the sport in the US. People love cheering for a local team and since MLS cannot reach everyone, USL will need to fill the void. Add this to the chance of seeing a local side take on a MLS 'giant' in US Open Cup competition and you've got a wonderful publicity machine.

MLS Expansion - Miami Mayor pushing hard for a soccer stadium

With the vote on a $2.9 billion funding package that includes money for a soccer stadium less then a week away, Miami Mayor Manny Diaz is pushing hard to make it happen. The crux of the debate revolves around what the city will do with the site of the current Orange Bowl (which will be torn down next month).

Those in favor of this package want to place a baseball stadium on the site, along with a multilevel, 6,000-car parking garage. The only problem is the city does not think the baseball stadium alone will be enough for them to break even on the project, thus enters the soccer stadium.

Mayor Diaz says they need 25 additional events each year for the city to recoup their money, and what do you know, that is just about the total number of home games a MLS team plays each season. The total amount the city is willing to put forward to build the new soccer stadium is $100 million.

What is most interesting about this to me is the lack of a known ownership group for a Miami MLS expansion team. Is Miami going to do what San Antonio did in their bid to land an America football team and build a stadium under the hopes that the league will come to them or could it be that the rumor of a Boca Juniors move into the area is closer to reality then it appears?

As far as this proposal, it looks like it is tied to the baseball stadium. If the Marlines get a deal, the soccer stadium will happen, which would surely propel Miami towards the top of the MLS expansion list. That propulsion will only increase if Boca Juniors is thrown into the mix.

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.