Speaking in his 2011 State of the League teleconference, Garber outlined that MLS had hired a full-time staff member, along with a host of consultants, to explore potential stadium sites in New York and boost the expansion process. The league has been determined to create a rival team to the New York Red Bulls and the recent resurrection of the New York Cosmos franchise had led many to believe they would land an expansion franchise. Recent changes in ownership of the Cosmos, where Saudi Arabian company Sela Sport are now in full control, have clouded the issue and Garber admitted they are not the only party in the running for the 20th franchise.
Garber met with a group representing Orlando City on Thursday and added there is interest from Las Vegas and Detroit. Stating he will meet with Sela Sport at the forthcoming MLS Cup, Garber said: “We’ll continue to work with (the Cosmos), but also with many others,” he said. “I think people think we throw that out just to have leverage. People in New York know that there are several potential ownership groups and, until we’re further along in the process, we’re going to speak to as many people as we can because that’s the best way to ensure that we get an ownership group that will have resources and be able to make the commitments to be good partners in Major League Soccer.”
Meanwhile, Garber has stated the addition of the league’s 19th team will not result in additional games due to the logistical challenges presented by such a move. The Montreal Impact will make their debut in March as the league’s newest franchise, but MLS will not move to a balanced 36-game schedule for each team. Garber cited the example of 2011 expansion franchise the Vancouver Whitecaps, which clocked up nearly 60,000 miles to travel to their games. Adding that the clubs who travel least still register around 30,000 miles, the MLS chief stated calendar expansion was not possible, despite the clamour for extra games from fans.
“We will have a 34-game schedule and it will be unbalanced,” Garber said. “It’s simple math: 389 games would almost be impossible for us to execute with the other competitions we’re required to play, the weather issues we have, the challenges in a handful of markets, the FIFA dates. All the things we have to do differently in the United States from a competitive standpoint, along with the travel impact that exists in our country.”
In other news, the Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football (CONCACAF) has announced that the United States will host its 2012 men's Olympic qualifying tournament. The cities of Carson, Nashville and Kansas City will stage the event from March 22 to April 2, which will determine CONCACAF’s two representatives at the 2012 Olympic Games in London. One of the four-team groups will be contested at The Home Depot Center in Carson, while the other group will play in Nashville's LP Field, home to the National Football League’s Tennessee Titans. The semi-finals and final will be played at Livestrong Sporting Park, which opened in June and is home to MLS franchise Sporting Kansas City.
