Breaking Down MLS Expansion

[Luis_Rancagua]

Breaking Down MLS Expansion

October 21, 2008

By: Greg Daurio

Everyone else has weighed in on MLS expansion, so I figured it’s my turn. When push comes to shove, there are two ways to look at the seven cities that are vying for the two available teams that will begin play in 2011. One is the utopian view (team x really deserves a team so lets give it to them). The other is the pragmatic view (MLS weighs their preset criteria against the strength of the bids and then sees who is going to write them the biggest check a la Seattle).

The simple fact is, as much as advocates for certain cities want to hype up certain bids, there is no slam-dunk. Also, to think that all seven bids are independent of each other would be foolish. There are multiple scenarios where if city A gets in, then city B pretty much has no chance. The most blatant example of this is in Canada.

Three Canadian cities submitted expansion applications last week (Ottawa, Montreal, and Vancouver). As I’ve said before, an expansion team in Canada is not only going to struggle like every other expansion team in recent memory, but it is going to make TFC that much weaker.

Toronto has struggled in its first two seasons to field a competitive roster, in part because the best Canadian players don’t play in MLS. Furthermore, the best Canadian players in MLS don’t play for TFC. MLS made a special exception for Toronto, giving them extra international slots, but that exception will have run out by 2011, compounding the problem. Toronto is already fighting for the scraps of Canadian players available, so the thought of them competing for those same scraps with another Canadian team isn’t a pretty picture.

That being said, people are all but giving Montreal a five star lock for this round of expansion. Montreal and Toronto are natural rivals in other sports, and Stade Saputo just needs to be expanded in order to make it MLS ready.

It’s not quite that easy though. Stade Saputo was built on the cheap and would need a massive facelift to meet MLS standards, which wouldn’t necessarily happen overnight. Also, MLS is looking for a national television rights deal in Canada, and choosing a city a few miles up the road from Toronto isn’t exactly a national footprint to attract coast-to-coast viewers or sponsors.

Ottawa is in an even worse position, tucked right between Toronto and Montreal, and lets be honest, if MLS chooses to put a team in Canada, it’s not likely that Ottawa is going to get chosen over either Montreal or Vancouver.

Which brings us to Vancouver. Vancouver certainly gives MLS a broader Canadian footprint, and with Yahoo money involved, there is no questioning the wealth involved in the ownership group. The problem is the stadium issue. The Vancouver group is hoping to get approval for a waterfront stadium, but that has been caught up in red tape for years. In the interim, Vancouver has already signed a deal to play at BC Place, a gargantuan stadium that holds nearly 60,000 and houses artificial turf. That kind of arrangement is exactly what MLS is trying to get away from. Vancouver would provide a natural rival for Seattle, but that would in essence eliminate Portland from the running.

The Portland bid is coming from Portland Timbers owner Merritt Paulson. Officially the investment group is listed as the Paulson family by MLS, but even still, the pockets aren’t nearly as deep as some of the other investors in the running. While PGE Park is in an urban setting right on public transportation lines, and the Timbers already enjoy great fan support, the stadium isn’t ready for MLS. In order to get PGE ready, Paulson will need to get public funding to build a minor league baseball stadium as well as public funding to renovate PGE. In today’s economy, that’s an extremely tall order, no matter how supportive the community is.

By contrast, St. Louis already has a stadium deal in place, with mixed public/private money paying for the project. Bulldozers are supposedly just waiting for MLS to wave the magic wand so they can start building. The problem is, lead investor Jeff Cooper has already been rejected once for no having deep enough pockets, and he has been very clandestine about his new mystery backers that will supposedly make his new bid too good to turn down.

Unlike St. Louis, or any of the other expansion bids, Atlanta has really just started to figure out where a team might play. There’s no denying that Arthur Blank (founder of Home Depot) has the money, and Atlanta is the largest U.S. television market without a MLS team. But Blank has really just begun to explore stadium options, and while Kennesaw State University seems interested in potentially housing an MLS team, discussions are in the very early stages, and it’s unlikely that a deal would be in place, let alone an actual stadium in time for the 2011 season.

Which brings us to the most mouth-watering bid of the group, at least on the surface. Barcelona is teaming up with Brightstar billionaire Marcelo Claure to bring a team back to Miami. A deal has already been struck with FIU to use their football stadium while they secure a permanent soccer specific facility. On the surface, this looks like a deal that is too good to pass up. Unfortunately, Barcelona president Joan Laporta is managing to say all the wrong things.

First off, he’s calling Barcelona’s bid a chance to expand the Barcelona brand in the U.S. Should the first words out of his mouth be something about building a competitive team that will win championships and serve the Miami community? Second, he’s already saying that he wants to fill the roster with players from their academies in Latin America, and aging players from Big Brother that have reached the end of their European career. Problem is, MLS only allows 8 foreign players on the roster. When push comes to shove, Barcelona seems extremely naïve when it comes to the rules of MLS and this smells a lot like Chivas USA part 2. That has been a marketing disaster since day one.

What it might come down to is who can MLS afford to make wait another round. If St. Louis gets rejected for a second time, and Cooper has to watch the expansion fee rise again, they may lose that city for good. The same might be said for a Portland bid. All the other bids are backed by ownership groups that could easily swallow a hike in the expansion fee.

In a perfect world, St. Louis and Portland will start playing in 2011. We don’t live in a perfect world, and it seems likely that Miami will replace Portland in this round of expansion.

questions and comments can be directed to greg@90soccer.com

http://www.90soccer.com/cgi-bin/datacgi/database.cgi?file=v90s&report=sa&firstrecord=0&finalrecord=9&&ar=857

[tmcmurph]

" Toronto is already fighting for the scraps of Canadian players available"

WTF? Like since when has MoJo "fought" for getting ANY Canadian players?

"Also, MLS is looking for a national television rights deal in Canada, and choosing a city a few miles up the road from Toronto isn’t exactly a national footprint to attract coast-to-coast viewers or sponsors."

So Van and Mtrl get in problem solved! Even if it was just Montreal getting in you are getting 7 million in Quebec potential viewers plus francos in Ontario. You would have more than half the countries population covered.

Ottawa I agree with him on. Nope. Not this round.

" Vancouver would provide a natural rival for Seattle, but that would in essence eliminate Portland from the running."

So Portland comes in as a third ("We had so many quality offers we couldn't just take 2" type of hype from MLS) or gets in with Van and Montreal gets squeezed out and in next round. Cascadia Cup reborn in 2011!

Here are my picks:

1) Vancouver & Portland

2) Vancouver & Montreal

I think Vancouver has reasonable driving travel times to their main rivals (Seattle & Portland) and getting travelling fans is something MLS wants to see.

I would rate Montreal ahead of Portland (and hope it is my second pick that is correct) except for Saputo saying he was willing to pay 30 million for a franchise. That type of nickel and dime comment could get him moved down the ladder in MLS view.

[Trident]

This person doesn't know much.

[the biologist]

quote:Originally posted by tmcmurph

" Vancouver would provide a natural rival for Seattle, but that would in essence eliminate Portland from the running."

So Portland comes in as a third ("We had so many quality offers we couldn't just take 2" type of hype from MLS) or gets in with Van and Montreal gets squeezed out and in next round. Cascadia Cup reborn in 2011!

Here are my picks:

1) Vancouver & Portland

2) Vancouver & Montreal

I think Vancouver has reasonable driving travel times to their main rivals (Seattle & Portland) and getting travelling fans is something MLS wants to see.

I would rate Montreal ahead of Portland (and hope it is my second pick that is correct) except for Saputo saying he was willing to pay 30 million for a franchise. That type of nickel and dime comment could get him moved down the ladder in MLS view.

2004 - Chivas & Salt Lake City

2005 - Houston (relocated)

2007 - Toronto

2008 - San Jose

2009 - Seattle

2010 - Philly

2011 - Vancouver & Portland ?

Is MLS set to become the WCLS (West Coast League Soccer) ? Counting Philly, 5/7 cities that were granted a franchise since 2004 were in the west, of which 3 are on the Pacific coast. So I think granting teams to 2 other PC teams' gonna be dull for the big eastern markets. I know you out west hate to hear that, but that's the reality. In Canada, more than half of country's population is regrouped in 2 provinces and it appears they are in the East. It's the same in the US. So Vancouver and Portland at the same time won't happen, and that's what I hope.

My prediction: It's gonna be 1 from Canada, 1 from the US. 1 from the East, 1 from the West. So it's gonna be like Montreal and Portland, or Vancouver and Miami, or something else like that.

What it might come down to is who can MLS afford to make wait another round. If St. Louis gets rejected for a second time, and Cooper has to watch the expansion fee rise again, they may lose that city for good. The same might be said for a Portland bid. All the other bids are backed by ownership groups that could easily swallow a hike in the expansion fee.

What's his problem ??? If MLS' really gonna choose the winners considering ownerships that lack of $$$ to wait a few more years, penalizing at the same time the best bids, then MLS' gonna be over for me for good. That would be so ridiculous !!!

As I’ve said before, an expansion team in Canada is not only going to struggle like every other expansion team in recent memory, but it is going to make TFC that much weaker.

I hate every TO team, but I'm fair enough to say TFC (besides the product on the field) is a real success. Really tough to say for me, but if we only manage to get 80% of their success here in Mtl with our MLS team to come (I hope), I'd be pretty happy. TFC fans, your support is awesome considering the constant poor showings of your team. So why say "struggle like every other expansion team in recent memory" when TO is only there since '07 ? How can they become much weaker as it's currently one of the best supported teams in the league ?

This guy's a fool. [)]

In a perfect world, St. Louis and Portland will start playing in 2011. We don’t live in a perfect world, and it seems likely that Miami will replace Portland in this round of expansion.

In other words, the perfect world would be no more MLS teams in Canada ! St. Louis ??? WTF ????? Montreal, Vancouver and Portland all have AT THIS MOMENT great fan support, so let's choose St. Louis instead !

Stade Saputo was built on the cheap and would need a massive facelift to meet MLS standards

Seriously, many of you V's have come to Saputo either for the Voyageurs Cup or the WCQ. How can he say the stadium needs a MASSIVE FACELIFT ??? This dude is a real joke, c'mon...

[MegasAlexandros1555362277]

quote:Originally posted by the biologist

As I’ve said before, an expansion team in Canada is not only going to struggle like every other expansion team in recent memory, but it is going to make TFC that much weaker.

I hate every TO team, but I'm fair enough to say TFC (besides the product on the field) is a real success. Really tough to say for me, but if we only manage to get 80% of their success here in Mtl with our MLS team to come (I hope), I'd be pretty happy. TFC fans, your support is awesome considering the constant poor showings of your team. So why say "struggle like every other expansion team in recent memory" when TO is only there since '07 ? How can they become much weaker as it's currently one of the best supported teams in the league ?

This guy's a fool. [)]

To be fair, I believe that his statement with regards to "struggling" was referring to the on field product. In that sense, he is correct that the expansion franchises have a hard time of it during their first few seasons, TFC being a prime example. Now, whether that would be the case with Montreal, is debatable. Especially if they continue putting together a solid team with plenty of local talent (US + Canadian players).

This brings me to the authors comment about how adding a Canadian team would further dilute the already limited Canadian player pool. I think that one of the great things about Montreal is that they have brought back several solid Canadian players (Placentino, Grande, Brillant) and with the exception of maybe Grande, these are not necessarily the creme-de-la-creme of Canadian talent but they do form a very good TEAM (key word). So I don't think that one more Canadian team is really an issue if that team and TFC are actually intelligent about how they go about filling up their rosters.

[the biologist]

quote:Originally posted by MegasAlexandros

To be fair, I believe that his statement with regards to "struggling" was referring to the on field product. In that sense, he is correct that the expansion franchises have a hard time of it during their first few seasons, TFC being a prime example. Now, whether that would be the case with Montreal, is debatable. Especially if they continue putting together a solid team with plenty of local talent (US + Canadian players).

Probably you're right, but even there I don't agree with his idea. It seems he forgot to add that both Vancouver and Montreal have more canadian players than TFC in their roster, but it doesn't prevent them to play in the same league at all. The Impact is supposed to play in an inferior league, so why the hell are they able to attract players like Grande and Brillant while TFC can't ? Your second point is very important and I fully agree with your second part.

As for the weakness of expension teams to come, it shouldn't prevent any bid to be successful. Just try to name one league where expension teams battle for the title in their first couple of years. And if it's the case, then your league is pretty much a joke. It doesn't even happen in the CFL (Ottawa ?). Also, teams that get promoted to the 1st division of their country struggle most of the time.

So whatever the winning cities are gonna be, they're probably going to have a tough time at first, but they're gonna start to win someday (unless your team is the Columbus Blue Jackets).

[piltdownman]

I'm starting to think Vancouver, Montreal, Portland and Miami will get in and MLS brass will say that because three of the four are the 'top' franchises in USL (Completely ignoring PR and Rochester) that the MLS talent pool won't be hit. Montreal + Miami in 2011. And Vancouver + Portland in 2012.

[Free kick]

quote:Originally posted by MegasAlexandros

To be fair, I believe that his statement with regards to "struggling" was referring to the on field product. In that sense, he is correct that the expansion franchises have a hard time of it during their first few seasons, TFC being a prime example. Now, whether that would be the case with Montreal, is debatable. Especially if they continue putting together a solid team with plenty of local talent (US + Canadian players).

This brings me to the authors comment about how adding a Canadian team would further dilute the already limited Canadian player pool. I think that one of the great things about Montreal is that they have brought back several solid Canadian players (Placentino, Grande, Brillant) and with the exception of maybe Grande, these are not necessarily the creme-de-la-creme of Canadian talent but they do form a very good TEAM (key word). So I don't think that one more Canadian team is really an issue if that team and TFC are actually intelligent about how they go about filling up their rosters.

Correct. I didn't see anything from the piece that was off base. I thought it was pretty clear that he was referring to the on field product. Have we already forgotten? maybe its worth rechecking the WCQ result at this moment and, if one is still unsure, go back and see the results from 2004, 2000 and 1998. Given that practically the entire MNT roster plays in Europe, what other conclusions is the writer supposed to draw in regards to the domestic talent for Canadian MLS teams. Consider also that the other teams in MLS can count on a domestic pool of players from a national side that is firmly second best in the region and arguably the best in the region. They qualify regularly for all FIFA tournaments.

I agree that bringing back quality Canadian players will be key for Montreal. But it will be necessary also to use those years leading up to 2011 to develop new talent . That's why they need to catch up to the Whitecaps in terms of youth teams. It would spell major trouble for Montreal if they step in to MLS as a new expansion team like TFC. As it stands now, you cant dilute the Canadian talent any further. Therefore, what Montreal needs to have is a strong USL teams that get promoted with a full compliment of Canadian talent ( who can play ) already under contract instead of an expansion team.

He is right on the Stadium situation also. I have been to four MLS stadiums so far including Gillette Stadium which is an NFL stadium. Stade Saputo, as it stands now, is a very long way off to matching the stands of the others.

[the biologist]

^ When they're gonna add 7K seats at Saputo, there gonna be a facelift for sure. But a MASSIVE facelift ? I haven't been to BMO field, but I don't see our 20K stadium to be more awful than BMO field or any other 20K stadium. And c'mon, don't compare Saputo to Gillete, there's just no point of comparison between those two. If it's good enough to host 2 WCQ AS IT STANDS NOW like you said, how it won't be good enough for MLS once the changes are made ?

And are MNT players the only ones who are good enough to play in the MLS ?

[tmcmurph]

Ah yes the TEAM concept. That point is good and the author seems to be missing it. That got me thinking about expansion draft and leverage. If Seattle comes in and does the expansion draft routine, then Philly that is already quite a burden.

What if Vancouver and Montreal had in their proposal that they would forgo the expansion draft? Unlike Portland or Miami whose USL squads wouldn't make it far in the MLS both Canadian cities have reasonably strong (top 4) USL sides which are competitive with the lower parts of MLS (where expansion teams tend to be).

Just some thoughts that seeped into my somewhat resonant noggin [8D]

[piltdownman]

^I think Montreal, Vancouver and Portland should be able to join without the draft. Between there current squads, free agencies, and a DP or two they should be set ... granted the salary cap goes up as expected.

[RS]

The rules are unclear for Seattle, but there are rumours floating around that for every player they bring up from their USL side, they'd lose a round in the expansion draft (typically 10 rounds total).

To me this makes a lot of sense, as it allows Seattle the freedom to bring up as many players as they'd like, but it also protects the already thin rosters of all of the other teams.

[Free kick]

quote:Originally posted by the biologist

^

And c'mon, don't compare Saputo to Gillete, there's just no point of comparison between those two. If it's good enough to host 2 WCQ AS IT STANDS NOW like you said, how it won't be good enough for MLS once the changes are made ?

And are MNT players the only ones who are good enough to play in the MLS ?

We also played WCQ's in Swangard and on the facility in Winnipeg ( built for the Pan Am games) in 2000. They also play WCQ's in Hazley Crawford stadium in Jamaica but does that mean that all those facilities would be suitable for MLS or or to run a club that has salary requirements of $2.3 million per year? Concacaf and FIFA's requirements for a stadium are not the same as those requirements for a club soccer operation to be a successful going concern. That should be pretty obvious to anybody.

FIFA and Concacaf standards relate to things like surface, safety and infrastructures but standards for a professional operation relate equally or more to the financial aspect( ie.: a stadium's ability to generates revenues and control costs). From what I saw of Stade Saputo it falls way short on many fronts of revenue generation.

And, aside from that fact that its just too big for soccer in NA, what wrong with Gillette Stadium? Its has everything else you need to run a successful operation. Saputo stadium has none of those things other than the fact that its small.

[BringBackTheBlizzard]

quote:Originally posted by Rudi

The rules are unclear for Seattle, but there are rumours floating around that for every player they bring up from their USL side, they'd lose a round in the expansion draft (typically 10 rounds total).

A set of rules were released on the MLS website on Oct 24th, which made no mention of this losing a round per player called up thing:-

http://web.mlsnet.com/news/mls_news.jsp?ymd=20081024&content_id=198758&vkey=pr_mls&fext=.jsp

2008 MLS Expansion Draft Rules

Senior Roster

- Teams may protect 11 players between their Senior and their Developmental Roster.

- If the Player's contract expires at the end of 2008, he will still be considered part of the team's Senior Roster.

- If a team protects a player, it is not obligated to exercise the player's option. The team may renegotiate a new budget number for the player as in previous years.

- If a player retires, he will not be a part of the Senior Roster, but his team will lose its right of first refusal to him should he ultimately decide to play.

...

Priority

- On the first day of the Discovery/Allocation Period, Seattle will have priority over players who played professionally in the USL First or Second Division in 2008, subject to another MLS team's right of first refusal.

Rounds

- The expansion draft will be 10 rounds.

[the biologist]

quote:Originally posted by Free kick

Saputo stadium has none of those things other than the fact that its small.

There will be changes. Then it will be OK as are all other SSS in the MLS.

[BringBackTheBlizzard]

^^I suspect the Saputos checked what the requirements eventually would be with MLS before they put together their blueprints just like they did in Rochester with their Phase I and Phase II plans. Hopefully Montreal don't get stuck with Phase I and USL-D1 like Rochester have.

[VPjr]

I've spoken to a couple of relatively knowledgeable people recently who firmly believe that the next 2 expansion teams in MLS will be Vancouver and Miami. Of course, we won't know for sure until Garber makes his announcement in January (likely)

There are still whispers that Saputo is not keen to pay an Expansion Fee of $40 million. I don't know for sure how much truth there is to that story but it just wont go away. I've been hearing it consistently for months now.

[Guest Jeffery S.]

News today is that board members of Barça are in Miami today instead of at the board meeting here. The only thing this tells me is that they are taking things very seriously, maybe doing some lobbying and refining details of the proposal, however much I don't agree with them going ahead with it.

[SteveBeau]

quote:Originally posted by Free kick

We also played WCQ's in Swangard and on the facility in Winnipeg ( built for the Pan Am games) in 2000. They also play WCQ's in Hazley Crawford stadium in Jamaica but does that mean that all those facilities would be suitable for MLS or or to run a club that has salary requirements of $2.3 million per year? Concacaf and FIFA's requirements for a stadium are not the same as those requirements for a club soccer operation to be a successful going concern. That should be pretty obvious to anybody.

FIFA and Concacaf standards relate to things like surface, safety and infrastructures but standards for a professional operation relate equally or more to the financial aspect( ie.: a stadium's ability to generates revenues and control costs). From what I saw of Stade Saputo it falls way short on many fronts of revenue generation.

And, aside from that fact that its just too big for soccer in NA, what wrong with Gillette Stadium? Its has everything else you need to run a successful operation. Saputo stadium has none of those things other than the fact that its small.

As you mentioned it "From what I saw of Stade Saputo it falls way short on many fronts of revenue generation." This was expected because the stadium was built with temporary concession stands and facilities purposely in the hopes of a stadium expansion if the team makes the jump to MLS.

The concession stands and all the rest will be upgraded and made permanent if the team goes to MLS. It would have been stupid on the Saputo's part to build permanent installations and then have to rip them out 2 years later to expand and upgrade the stadium. This was the plan all along..

[VPjr]

NATIONAL LEAGUE MVP ALBERT PUJOLS JOINS ST. LOUIS BID FOR MAJOR LEAGUE SOCCER EXPANSION TEAM

ST. LOUIS, Nov. 18, 2008 ­ St. Louis Soccer United, a group committed to bringing a Major League Soccer expansion franchise to the St. Louis metropolitan area in 2011, today announced that St. Louis Cardinals first baseman Albert Pujols has joined the proposed St. Louis ownership group.

Pujols, one of the most popular athletes in the history of St. Louis sports, was named on Monday as the Most Valuable Player in the National League, marking the second time in four years that he has earned the league's highest honor. Earlier this year, Pujols was named the 2008 recipient of the prestigious Roberto Clemente Award, which honors the Major League Baseball player who combines outstanding play on the field with devoted work in the community.

"I am very proud and excited to join the effort to bring Major League Soccer to the St. Louis area," Pujols said. "This means a lot to me and my family, as we all love soccer and we believe in MLS."

"Plus, this is something that will be great for our community, especially our youth. I strongly encourage St. Louis business leaders and sports fans to join me in this effort. St. Louis is an unbelievable sports town and we¹ll be a great city for Major League Soccer."

St. Louis Soccer United submitted a formal bid for an MLS expansion team to the league on Oct. 15. SLSU chairman Jeff Cooper, who will be at MLS Cup this weekend in Carson, Calif., said other investors with Pujols in the still-growing ownership group will be announced in the weeks ahead.

"It is frankly impossible to imagine a better partner in our effort than Albert Pujols," Cooper said. "Albert's commitment is a testament to the strength of the league, the interest and promise of Major League Soccer in St. Louis, and the overall quality of our team, stadium and youth complex plan. In Albert Pujols, we have someone who will be terrific not only for St. Louis, but for all of MLS and the global soccer community."

An MLS team in St. Louis would play in a new soccer-specific stadium in suburban Collinsville, Ill., located just 10 minutes from downtown St. Louis. The overall development would include:

· A state-of-the-art soccer complex featuring an 18,500-seat stadium with the St. Louis downtown skyline and Gateway Arch in view to the west

· Twelve fully lit FIFA-approved synthetic turf fields and a professional grass training pitch designed to host regional, national and international youth soccer events

· Approximately 400 acres of mixed-use, new urbanism development including 300,000 square feet of retail opportunities, more than 200,000 square feet of office space, two 120-room hotels, approximately 1,000 residential units, and internal bike and walking paths linked to more than 85 miles of scenic trails

Renderings of the stadium and surrounding development are available for viewing on St. Louis Soccer United¹s website, www.stlouissoccerunited.com <http://www.stlouissoccerunited.com/> . The site also includes sections on news, history and media coverage, as well as testimonials in support of the St. Louis area¹s bid for an MLS expansion team from current MLS stars, news media, soccer legends and many more.

The entire development, including the stadium, is made possible through a tax increment financing (TIF) public/private partnership that was approved by the City of Collinsville in January. Groundbreaking at the site will take place once a professional franchise has been awarded to St. Louis.

Cooper's vision for professional soccer in St. Louis was driven by the desire to acquire an MLS team, but also includes a layering of other soccer opportunities. In 2007, Cooper was awarded a franchise in the new Women¹s Soccer League, which begins play in April. The St. Louis WPS team will play on the Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville campus until the new stadium in Collinsville is complete.

The new stadium will also aim to play host to a variety of major soccer activities, such as international friendlies and World Cup qualifiers, high school tournaments, the renewal of the Bronze Boot match between Saint Louis University and SIU-Edwardsville, and many other blue chip soccer attractions.

The St. Louis metropolitan area has always been a region keenly interested in soccer and ranks among the top major metropolitan areas in the United States with respect to soccer participation. Approximately 10.2 percent of St. Louis area residents participate in soccer, compared to a national average of approximately 7.1 percent. This participation rate places St. Louis as the fourth highest metropolitan area in terms of soccer participation and would rank as the highest participation rank among current MLS markets.

[Trident]

quote:Originally posted by Free kick

We also played WCQ's in Swangard and on the facility in Winnipeg ( built for the Pan Am games) in 2000. They also play WCQ's in Hazley Crawford stadium in Jamaica but does that mean that all those facilities would be suitable for MLS or or to run a club that has salary requirements of $2.3 million per year? Concacaf and FIFA's requirements for a stadium are not the same as those requirements for a club soccer operation to be a successful going concern. That should be pretty obvious to anybody.

FIFA and Concacaf standards relate to things like surface, safety and infrastructures but standards for a professional operation relate equally or more to the financial aspect( ie.: a stadium's ability to generates revenues and control costs). From what I saw of Stade Saputo it falls way short on many fronts of revenue generation.

Didn't someone crunch the numbers and realised that montreal made 700k+ with the few non league games we had?

[CanadianSoccerFan]

Richard Legendre said on SoccerCentral a few weeks ago they'd put a matching stand in the open end and then fill in the two corners opposite the covered stand for $15 million. Hopefully that'll be enough to wet Garber's appetite. Garber was alluding to improvements needed to the overall quality of the stadium when he was in Montreal in the spring. When you compare it to Rio Tinto, Red Bull Arena, Home Depot Center, Toyota Park and all the new stadiums to come it's easy to see why. Stadium standards have been raised and Montreal's saving grace is that it's already a physical structure rather than just blueprints.

[the biologist]

quote:Originally posted by CanadianSoccerFan

Stadium standards have been raised and Montreal's saving grace is that it's already a physical structure rather than just blueprints.

And it SHOULD be a real advantage over other bidders, but the way MLS is run at the moment, I really think it won't.

[Tuscan]

I have to say, that St. Louis stadium looks fabulous in the renderings. It would be something to have a covered stadium similar to those like Walkers Stadium (Leicester City) or St. Mary's Stadium (Southampton).

[Daniel]

It's not only about capacity, but especially with surrounding environment. The current understands is NOTHING. A few tents.