MLS expansion seems settled at 20

The most powerful and prestigious soccer leagues in the world have stopped at 20. From a huge country like Brazil to a relatively small one like England, 20 clubs seem to be the limit for even the strongest circuits. Whether it’s to keep the number of games manageable, maintain the depth of the talent pool or simply a trend, 20 has become the standard.

MLS president Mark Abbott, for the time being, seems to be content with 20, too, raising the bar significantly for those markets or investors keen to join the league.

While other major American pro sports leagues have expanded to 30 teams and beyond, Abbott told Sporting News that 20 is suitable for MLS.

The Montreal Impact will ascend from the second-division NASL to become club No. 19 next year, while MLS has targeted New York City as the site for No. 20.

“Our focus right now is the 20th team in New York and we have not yet set a timeline for expansion beyond that, or even (determined) if we’re going to expand beyond that,” Abbott said. “There’s no place we need to be. Even at the size we are, we have a tremendous national footprint and are at the size that soccer leagues typically are. We feel good about the size we’re at. Other markets could be very successful as MLS markets, but (expanding beyond 20) wouldn’t be out of need. We don’t need to grow beyond where we are.”

The league’s growth has been explosive. Following the 2001 season (its sixth) MLS contracted the clubs in Tampa and South Florida, cutting membership to 10 teams. It climbed to 12 in 2005, with six more coming aboard over the next six years, including the Portland Timbers in 2011.

Meanwhile, the league continues to tinker with its player acquisition rules and give teams increasing leeway to determine how much money they want to spend and to determine their player development and acquisition priorities. The average MLS player salary has risen 81.5 percent since 2006.

It’s a lot to handle, and the changes may be enough for MLS executives to conclude that it’s time to let everything settle in for a few years. Commissioner Don Garber has said on several occasions that he is tired of the annual changes in schedule and competition format, and that establishing consistency and stability is crucial.

That puts cities, supporter groups and minor league clubs hoping to play in MLS on the furthest of back burners.

The competition for the New York City team will command the headlines over the next couple of years. While the New York Cosmos appear to be the frontrunner thanks to a branding blitz that landed the organization an exhibition against Manchester United last month, both MLS and the Cosmos confirmed that there are other interested bidders.

“It’s not just the Cosmos. All you guys think it’s the Cosmos that are going to be buying that team when they get a stadium. They’re one of many ownership groups,” Garber said at July’s All-Star Game at Red Bull Arena, just across the Hudson River from New York.

And getting that stadium is no easy task. Cosmos vice chairman Terry Byrne told Sporting News in late June that his group has narrowed the number of potential sites to four, and that while the Cosmos have the financial resources to get it done, several hurdles remain.

“On a level of 1 to 10, we’re at a 4—10 being in the MLS, a stadium, up and running with an all-singing, all-dancing team. I think we’re just about to hit 4,” Byrne said, adding that he expects to make significant progress over the next couple of months.

Not even a team that played Manchester United is a shoo-in.

The expansion bar already had been set higher by MLS. Portland, Montreal and the Seattle Sounders had a long tradition of minor league success and support. Philadelphia Union fans showed up en masse to league events before the franchise was even awarded. To enter MLS in the near future, considering its satisfaction with 20, would take an exceptionally special case. There would need to be a wealthy ownership group in place (the expansion fee alone could approach $100 million), a stadium plan (preferably soccer-specific) and a proven level of support.

Minnesota Vikings owner Zygi Wilf has said he’s interested in an MLS team if he’s successful in securing a new stadium for his NFL team. A developer named Christopher Milam was given permission to conduct feasibility and design studies for a stadium complex in Henderson, Nev., several miles south of Las Vegas. The plan includes a 25,000-seat soccer facility.

Orlando is going the minor league route. A little more than a week ago, Orlando City won the USL Pro (third division) championship before more than 11,000 fans at the Citrus Bowl. Drawing five figures to a game two tiers below MLS is something that City co-owner Phil Rawlins hopes will earn respect at MLS headquarters.

“Don Garber’s going to have no shortage of applications crossing his desk from all sorts of different areas,” Rawlins said, mentioning Atlanta and Miami as other interested markets. MLS lacks a team in the southeast U.S. and has spoken to groups in all three cities.

“We’ve met with Garber and Abbott and they’ve laid out a road map for expansion. It’s going to come down to the right ownership group, the right fan base, the right TV marketplace with the right exposure for them,” Rawlins said.

Orlando, like several other markets, has its work cut out.