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March 7, 2014
Clevelanders rejoice following a USMNT goal against Belgium on May 29, 2013. Photo courtesy of David Richard-USA TODAY Sports
On Saturday Major League Soccer will kick off it’s 19th season, but the major story lines approaching opening day do not surround the defending champions Sporting Kansas City nor the arrival of U.S. Men’s National Team Star Michael Bradley to Toronto, but instead all attention is on MLS’s future.
Major League Soccer will have 19 teams in 2014, but the plan is to get to 24 by 2020. New York City FC (backed by Manchester City FC and the New York Yankees) and Orlando FC (defending NASL champions) will bring the tally to 21 teams when MLS kicks off it’s 20th season next year, and the inclusion of the already announced David Beckham Miami franchise will bring the league to 22 by 2017. That leaves two more spots up for grabs for the league who has grown from it’s infancy in 1995 to now having the third highest average attendance of any sport in America.
MLS commisioner Don Garber addressed the final two expansion slots in a Q&A session with media and fans earlier this week, even answering a question about the potential future of soccer in Cleveland.
Question: Will there ever be MLS in Cleveland?
Garber: Ever is a long time […] What I would say to folks that are living in Cincinnati, the folks that are living in Dayton, folks that are living in Cleveland: Support the [Columbus] Crew.
It is widely believed that Atlanta Falcons’ owner Arthur Blanc will bring team 23 in MLS to Atlanta, furthering the league’s fast growing footprint in the Southeast (Atlanta, Miami, Orlando), but the location of team 24 is still a wild card. Cities like Minneapolis, St. Louis, and San Antonio have been linked the unofficial final MLS expansion slot, but any slight hope for a soccer team in Cleveland went down the drain with Garber’s latest comments.
Along with market size, MLS values cities with growing counter culture movements that can give a club the organic support needed to sustain a healthy franchise. MLS would LOVE more franchises in cities like Seattle, Portland, and Vancouver. Cleveland is still a few microbreweries away from reaching the hipster status of the Pacific Northwest, but it does possess plenty of crazy, die hard sports fans that fit in so well with soccer culture. And anyone who has been to the Muni Lot for Browns’ tailgates knows this city sure can drink, another large faction of soccer culture. Not to mention a natural geographic rival with Columbus just a two hour drive away.
According to Commissioner Garber, never say never, but for now if Clevelanders want to catch a live game of footy they’ll have to take a short drive down I-71 or wait ’til the next time the national team comes back to the shores of Lake Erie.
62 Comments
Well to be fair now, I am generally hilarious. And exceedingly humble. But that joke hits close to home, sir. Well played.
Any chance I get to spread the word… I take it.
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You should come to an AFC Cleveland game this summer, they play at Krenzler on the CSU campus. Start at Becky’s across the street then stand with 6CS at the game. I’ll make sure there’s a drum for you!
“MLS values cities with growing counter culture movements that can give a club the organic support needed to sustain a healthy franchise.”
It’s more that MLS values an investor/owner with money to burn and a plausible stadium plan. That’s really all you need for an MLS team. Interestingly, Cleveland almost landed an MLS team in the early 2000’s, but the investor died and the plan went with him.
Is it sad that the best attended day of Browns Training Camp last year drew 4,466 people and the worst Tribe game drew 9,143 people?
BBVA compass stadium is an oven
Hey, guys, Orlando City is the reigning USL PRO champion. Thanks.
Them’s Cleveland Heights Tigers colors.
HEIGHTS HIGH!!
The NPSL may not have been as popular but players get paychecks and bad knees, thus making it a professional sports title.
i have a good knowledge of the league and relationships with some players. The guys are pro athletes who recognize the popularity of the sport here in USA is not like the other sports here or like the popularity of soccer elsewhere. They have egos about their talents but not about their popularity (minus a national teamer or two). overall, real good people.
And that’s the reason why I tell anyone who asks, that it’s been 15 years since Cleveland won a championship, not 49. Hehe!! 😉
Go get an STD from the homeless people you live with you retarded communist supporter!
I believe that’s what would be referred to as a “proportional response”. Though “communist” seems a bit much.