Wednesday, March 18, 2009

MLS: Vancouver In, Portland Waits

The Vancouver Whitecaps got the nod from MLS today to begin play in the top league in 2011 in (yuck) the BC Place football stadium.  But, they are still trying to get a waterfront stadium built in five years (how cool would that be with Grouse Mountain in the background?).

MLS Commissioner Don Garber stated that the league hopes to announce the other expansion franchise 'shortly.'  Both the Ottawa and St. Louis bids have serious problems and, lets be real, they suck.  St. Louis is a sports saturated medium-sized market with a failing team across the state in KC.  Ottawa is smaller, colder, less-interesting and Canadian.  Actually the last bit is a good think, there is more passion for soccer in Canada and they are more ready to embrace the sport.  But my grandmother hails from Smiths Falls, Ontario and I have family in Ottawa, so I know of what I speak when I say - go for a wonderful summer vacation, but don't put a soccer team there.  Actually, Ottawa is a delightful city (in the summer) but a pretty small market and Ontario already has a team, so I don't think it is a good move for the league.

Why wait? MLS should give Portland the nod now!

UPDATE: Portland Biz Journal reports that an announcement awarding MLS to PDX may come Friday.

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