The multi-city race for places in Major League Soccer has narrowed dramatically.
MLS will award two cities expansion teams Dec. 14 when league’s owners meet in New York City, FOX Sports’ Grant Wahl reported Monday, citing league sources. Up to 12 cities are bidding for MLS expansion slots, but owners likely will select two from Sacramento, Calif, Cincinnati, Ohio, and Nashville, Tenn.
The cities’ respective efforts to build soccer stadiums apparently have pushed them to the front of the heap. Cincinnati is expected to announce next week a plan to finance the construction of a $250 million soccer-specific stadium, and local authorities will vote on the measure by Nov. 30, Jeff Berding, president of USL club FC Cincinnati told ESPN. Nashville authorities approved a $275 million soccer-stadium project last week, and Sacramento’s new $226 million downtown stadium already is under construction.
MLS currently has 22 teams. Los Angeles FC is set to begin play next season and David Beckham’s proposed Miami team also is taking steps toward earning official approval to join the league.
If two from Cincinnati, Sacramento and Nashville earn MLS designation, that likely will leave just two slots remaining for expansion in the forseeable future.
