MLS Expansion

I wonder what Paul Kemsley thinks about Sheik Mansour wading into the American soccer scene waving handfuls of greenbacks? Kemsley, a business associate of Tony Jimenez, has spearheaded the romantic revival of the New York Cosmos and the formation of Mansour's joint venture with the New York Yankees will be a real blow for the self-confessed Spurs nut and former director.

Cosmos with Pele, Carlos Alberto and Eric Cantona all on the payroll have poured a lot of money into the rebirth of the iconic 1970's franchise including a proposal for a gleaming new stadium in Belmont Park.

Which makes New York FC's approval as a MLS expansion team all the more stranger and hurried is they lack any plan for a stadium, something that has been compulsory for other MLS teams. In fact NY FC haven't even announced a temporary venue, although Flushing Meadows in Queens was named in the press release, it doesn't appear any more than a suggestion.

Cash is obviously not a problem for either the Yankees or Manchester City's owners and Flushing Meadows is already a super sports venue with the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, the current venue for the U.S. Open tennis tournament and Citi Field, the home of Yankees' rivals the New York Mets, all in it's confines. The timing of the announcement does perfectly usurp the Cosmos' first ever start to a season in August in the NASL.

The North American Soccer League pioneered soccer in the days of such legends as Giorgio Chinaglia, Pele, Franz Beckenbauer, Colin Powell, Mick Flanagan and of course the legendary Laurie Abrahams! After an almost two decade haitus in 2011 the NASL was sanctioned as the 2nd Division of professional soccer in the United States and already one side, Montreal Impact, have moved to become a MLS side.

The future now of the Cosmos, who are also joined by another old favourite Tampa Bay Rowdies in the NASL, is now unclear, mainly because the people behind it may well decide to take their money and their ambitions somewhere else.

Realists will look beyond the romantic razmataz of the Cosmos, and suggest that New York FC is a lot more sustainable. The MLS though are thrilled at the prospect of a city rivalry that can be found in established football cities all over the world. Nonetheless the New York Red Bulls, owned by the dynamic Austrian energy drinks company, have struggled to get many of the 20 million New Yorkers across the river to it's impressive new stadium in New Jersey half an hour away.

The Red Bulls despite the star attraction of Thierry Henry and Lloyd Sam average only around 18,000 not helped by the franchise having no or little success in it's 18-year history.

Ironically despite the MLS encouraging it's larger cities to buy-in to the professional soccer journey, prior to LA Galaxy's recent success trophies and cups have pretty much been the domain of teams in the smaller, less lucrative markets. My boys Chicago Fire can't even buy a trophy!

Finally on the New York FC thing, the only other team owned by a major international football club is Chivas. Their Mexican parents in Guadalajara are said to be extremely keen to rid themselves of the Californian club with Mexican billionaire Carlos Slim rumoured to be interested in jumping on the U.S. soccer bandwagon. No doubt MLS commissioner Don Garber will be all over that like a cheap suit.

All eyes are now on David Beckham as it sounds that he will almost certainly go through with his agreement to purchase a new MLS expansion team. The pre-agreed fee was $25m and New York FC cost $100m, so that alone will further propel Posh & Becks up the rich list.

I read, but can't find the link, that New York was always closed to Beckham and Miami is the clear favourite, which I would think would suit any lifestyle decision the Beckham's have to make. certainly the south-east of the country could do with a professional side and it would be welcomed by the millions of Latin Americans that call Southern Florida home.