MLS Prepares For 18th Season
Major League Soccer is holding at 19 franchises, with eyes to putting Team #20 in Flushing, NY, in the borough of Queens.
That has been the plan for several years. A second team, along with the New Jersey based New York Red Bulls, in the New York media market. In fact, the New York Cosmos, now playing in the North American Soccer League, wants to be #20 and has built its franchise around making “the return of the Cosmos to New York” happen.
However, there is a growing effort to make Central Florida home of Team #20. It is an effort by the Orlando City Lions, currently playing in the USL PRO league.
Major League Soccer has not had a team south of Washington, D.C. since the league closed down the Miami Fusion and the Tampa Bay Mutiny in 2001.
Lots of Floridians feel the time is right for a return to the Sunshine State, including Orlando City president Phil Rawlins and the team’s newest owner/investor, Brazilian entrepreneur Flavio Augusto da Silva.
Even MLS president Don Garber……sort of.
Garber, speaking to reporters at the ” Rivalry Week” game between D.C. United and New York at Red Bull Arena, responded to a question about the delay in getting a suitable stadium built in Flushing Meadow-Corona Park for a second NY franchise.
“It needs to get done so that we can move on with our expansion plans,” said Garber. “I’m not going to put any timing on that, but we’ve got to finalize our expansion plan.
“There’s a lot of activity in Orlando and we’ve got to figure out where that fits in with our expansion timing.”
The plan is for Augusto da Silva to become the principal owner of Orlando City. Getting a stadium for the club, with would replace the caverous 70,000-seat Florida Citrus Bowl, was a primary question he addressed when introduced as a new owner.
“Orlando is a very special city, because it is very close to the South American market and close to the European market, two regions that really love soccer.
“We were researching a franchise in another place, but we believe Orlando is a really good city to invest.”
Quietly, the city of Orlando has begun to buy up downtown property, which could be the site of a new soccer specific stadium. Recent local newspaper reports have chronicled statements of support by local and state government and have outlined a preliminary funding plan for the new stadium.
Garber visited with Orlando City officials last year, and said all the right things. Now, the discussion has gotten more specific.
“We are focused with Florida more so than we’ve ever been in the past,” Garber said. “There are about 80 million people in that part of the country and we don’t have any representation lower than D.C., so Florida has become a bit more of a priority.”
It all may come down to who is the first to build a new stadium where Team #20 can play!