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If they can get this approved within the next year or so, I wouldn't be surprised to see Detroit be named the 20th team. MLS really wants the Cosmos, but with them being unable to secure anything in New York, it's not working out for them.
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If I may veer this thread into the topic of MLS expansion for a moment, what are the other realistic choices? I know before the whole Madoff thing hit Wilpon, there was a lot of mutual interest to put a team in Flushing, and Arthur Blank has vaguely expressed an interest for putting a team in suburban Atlanta, but it seems like Detroit is the front runner. They have as strong of a history with US soccer as any other city.
Still, even without Wilpon, there is still a possibility of a 2nd New York team, and Atlanta remains perfectly viable due to the available space and money with which to build a SSS.
I would hate to see Brotroit get screwed over but I think all three options could work.
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Does Atlanta actually have people who would support soccer?
Outside of American football, their fan support seems "meh" at best. The Braves have been a competitive franchise for what feels like decades now, were in it till the final day of the regular season and yet they were 16th in attendance filling out only 60% of Turner Field.
The Thrashers couldn't get fans to save themselves, so for the 2nd time in 30 years a hockey team leaves the city.
The Hawks finished 5th in the East last year, but were 22nd in attendance.
MLS is 3rd tier football at best right now when you look at things globally. You really need true support for this to work because what's seen is not always easy to appreciate and it's going to be some time before the quality really gets better.
Blank might be interested, but he may be much like Bob Kraft where he uses the team to simply add more dates to Gillette's calendar and skimp out on taxes from what I've read, that's not an ideal situation to grow a fan base and it shows in NE.
I don't see Atlanta as a fit at all.
Detroit seems like a much better option as they'd have a natural rival in the Chicago Fire and could develop a good rivalry with Toronto as these cities are intertwined in other sports as well.
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That building looks sick......if Detroit gets a MLS team watch out, and if the Red Wings are involved for that hockey rink, that will be amazing.
Even if they don't get the Wings, they can still have their minor league team there, not sure where Detroit's AHL team is at currently.....
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I can't see the Wings moving out there unless they are pretty much forced to because they can't get a rink downtown. I believe Illitch wants to keep the Wings in the city and there was even talk of him purchasing the Pistons to bring them back as well. Pontiac is 30 miles outside of the downtown area.
As for their AHL team, it's currently stationed in Grand Rapids, Mi, so that would be a viable option to use the hockey rink in Pontiac. I'd attend the random AHL game out their but I can't see myself making an effort to pay $50 a ticket to go out and see the Wings. I've been to one Piston game in my life time and the tickets were free.
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St. Louis, Phoenix, Vegas are three other cities. San Diego possibly, but rumor has it that Chivas might be still trying to move out there.
The MLS wants bank from the next team. Upwards of a 100 Mil to join the league.
St. Louis is what everyone who doesn't work for the MLS wants. It's basically the Mecca of US Soccer, and has been ignored because no one is willing to front the cash for the city to have a team.Comment
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