An Open Letter to St. Louis Soccer United
March 23, 2009
Jeff Cooper
Chairman, St. Louis Soccer United
707 Berkshire Blvd
East Alton, IL 62024
Dear Mr. Cooper,
Saint Louis Athletica
By now, you’ve heard the news that Major League Soccer has awarded the cities of Vancouver and Portland expansion franchises for 2011 . While MLS commissioner Don Garber opened up the possibility of more franchises in 2012 — maybe — I suspect your initial reaction to this news will still be disappointment. After all, the city of St. Louis is considered by many to be the “Soccer Capital of America,” and over the years, its fans have come out in support of college teams, MISL teams and more. The Women’s Professional Soccer League saw fit to put a team in St. Louis for its inaugural season. Plus, St. Louis has arguably the best youth soccer system in the country. So why does Major League Soccer recognize the potential in this city and grant it a franchise?
I would propose to you that this is the wrong question. The correct question is, “Why do you wish to join a league that won’t put your city first?”
I would like to present an argument to you that the United Soccer Leagues First Division is a much better fit for the city of St. Louis than MLS. Yes, at first glance, the USL might seem like a fledgling league. It’s not the official top flight of American soccer, and not all of its clubs have survived over the years. However, as the Puerto Rico Islanders and Montreal Impact have proven recently, the USL is quite serious about competing with MLS on the pitch and in the marketplace. Here are several reasons why you should consider postponing your quest for an MLS franchise and joining USL now:
1.) $40 million goes much further in USL.
In these trying economic teams, MLS won’t budge from its expansion fee of $40 million. Keep in mind this is $40 million just to join the league. It doesn’t include stadium costs, marketing costs, player and employee salaries or other expenses.
Think for a moment about what you could do with $40 million in USL. You could build a stadium complex as grand as Montreal’s Saputo Stadium for about $14 million — and thanks to your recent acquisition of the Anheiser-Busch Center, you probably wouldn’t have to spend nearly that much. Even if you did, though, that would leave a whopping $26 million for start-up costs, marketing, a Premier Development League (PDL) side and, most importantly, player salaries. USL clubs have spent the last few years luring underpaid, underappreciated talent away from MLS. A soccer-crazed city like St. Louis would be an attractive landing spot for many of these players.
2.) USL clubs are just as competitive as MLS clubs on the pitch.
You might have noticed that two USL clubs made it to the quarterfinals of the CONCACAF Champions League, while only one out of four MLS clubs did the same, while two of the four MLS clubs in the competition couldn’t even get into the group stage. Admittedly, Puerto Rico and Montreal have a much easier time getting to the Champions League than the American USL clubs, who can only get in by winning the U.S. Open Cup. However, over the last two seasons, USL clubs have won 11 out of 23 Open Cup matches against MLS franchises. That includes three wins by USL Second Division clubs, including the Richmond Kickers’ infamous 1-0 win over the Los Angeles Galaxy in 2007. The Charleston Battery beat two MLS clubs to reach the U.S. Open Cup Final last season, despite the fact that they only finished 6th in USL-1 and lost in the quarterfinals of the playoffs.
It stands to reason that a well-funded, well-run USL club could easily build a side capable of winning the Open Cup and doing quite well in the CONCACAF Champions League — and not just in terms of success on the pitch. 55,571 people went to Olympic Stadium in Montreal for the first leg of the quarterfinals between the Impact and Santos Laguna. Imagine selling out the 66,965-seat Edward Jones Dome for a U.S. Open Cup Final or a Champions League quarterfinal. A USL club in St. Louis could pull that off.
3.) USL clubs have more freedom to develop players.
Because MLS operates as a single-entity system, its franchises don’t fully control player contracts. Plus, those franchises have to deal with all sorts of arcane rules and regulations — salary caps, allocation money, draft picks, discovery rights, etc. The league had to pull teeth to grant Brian McBride his wish to finish his career in Chicago.
USL, however, takes a much more grass-roots approach, allowing clubs much more freedom to sign players and develop talent within their own systems. That’s something that could be appreciated in St. Louis. Thanks to the city’s fantastic youth soccer system, the amount of talent that has come out of St. Louis in recent years has been quite impressive. A USL club would be far more able to tap those resources and help nurture that talent than any MLS club can do now. You could run a USL club more like a European or South American club. MLS will never let you do this.
4.) USL clubs will have much lower travel costs.
Yes, MLS is raiding two very successful USL markets by awarding franchises to Portland and Vancouver. For many USL clubs, however, this could be a blessing in disguise. Come 2011, USL clubs on the East Coast won’t have to travel any further west than Austin, Texas. That will help those clubs save money, which could, in turn, be used to offer more competitive salaries to better players.
5.) USL clubs are attracting international investment.
The Austin Aztex, who will begin play in USL-1, are partially owned by Premier League club Stoke City, while Coca-Cola Championship side Crystal Palace has a USL-2 club in Baltimore that’s looking to move up to USL-1 in the near future. Another Championship side, Burnley, recently partnered with Next Level Academy in Cary, NC, which runs a USL Premier Development League club now known as the Cary Clarets. Mexican clubs are looking to USL to develop a presence in American soccer as well. This is in part because USL has fewer restrictions on international players — and in part because these clubs are beginning to recognize USL’s potential for competing on the international stage, something that doesn’t seem to concern MLS all that much.
6.) MLS is tapping successful USL markets for expansion.
Buoyed by its recent successes in CONCACAF, USL has made some noise about competing at the same level as MLS. The Saputo family, which owns the Montreal Impact, managed to fill Olympic Stadium just months after MLS rejected Montreal’s expansion bid. Just a few weeks later, MLS tapped two prime USL markets for expansion. Buzz about an MLS franchise in Seattle also grew after more than 10,000 showed up at Qwest Field for a U.S. Open Cup semifinal against FC Dallas in 2007. By comparison, less than 10,000 showed up at RFK Stadium for D.C. United’s U.S. Open Cup final victory over Charleston last year.
Coincidences? Perhaps, but I have my doubts.
This move, however, has not stopped USL from continuing to add clubs in new cities. A USL-1 club in New York City will begin play in 2010. (And it’s entirely possible their proposed stadium in Queens will be completed before Red Bull Arena in New Jersey.) The reborn Tampa Bay Rowdies will also join USL-1 in 2010, and there’s talk of Pachuca building a club in Orlando as well. The Cleveland City Stars moved up from USL-2 to USL-1 this year, and USL-2 clubs in Baltimore and Pittsburgh could eventually do the same. These are not minor-league markets. A cynic would suggest that these are all test beds for future MLS franchises, but others would say that the USL is becoming the AFL to Major League Soccer’s NFL, and as soccer continues to grow in America, that’s not such a bad place to be.
There are many who would argue, of course, that joining USL means settling for something less than the best, because MLS is the recognized top flight in American soccer. I would counter that MLS is really the top flight in name only. It’s a closed, single-entity league that is more concerned with its marketing strategies than its actual level of play. USL, meanwhile, continues to grow into a respectable league with quality clubs who clearly care more about the product on the pitch, which is all that really matters in the long run.
USL and its member clubs would love to welcome a great soccer city like St. Louis into its fold. MLS, on the other hand, seems to be sending the message that it doesn’t need your city. Perhaps this is an opportunity for you and SLSU to let MLS know that right now, your city doesn’t need MLS, either.
Sincerely,
David J. Warner
Durham, NC
Member, Triangle Soccer Fanatics
About the Author
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Hear hear, excellent article! I hope the fine folks in St. Louis take that advice to heart. I’d hope, however, that if St. Louis joins USL, that it’s on a long-term basis, and not as some kind of temporary stepping-stone to MLS.
Sing it! I support all the people working in soccer period including MLS but I fear their business model (single-entity) is a dead end that will ultimately stunt soccer in the US, not grow it.
Question: How does the USL treat transfer fees compared to MLS? Say St. Louis were to develop a Franck Ribery or Fernando Torres and sell him to a big Euro club for $15 million dollars. In MLS believe the league keeps almost all of that money. In USL the club would keep the money, right?
I believe the transfer fee goes directly to the USL club. The Atlanta Silverbacks — or at least, their owner — got $150,000 for Mac Kandji from the New York Red Bulls, and I never heard anything about USL taking a share of that. (Not to say that they didn’t, but it was assumed that Silverbacks owner Boris Jerkunica got the bulk of the cash from that deal.)
That’s one of my primary beefs with MLS, actually. The league simply doesn’t allow clubs to have enough control over player development. I say get rid of the SuperDraft and the player allocation rules and all that crap and let the clubs open their own academies and control their own destinies. That would do more for American soccer than adding expansion franchises, IMHO.
A nicely written editorial with an obvious USL bias.
I’m pretty sure that MLS isn’t in St. Louis because:
a. No real money (MLS wants 40 mill, and its getting 40 mill from these new clubs)
b. No true stadium plan
c. No investment group
d. No known supporters group on the level of the Timbers Army or Sons of Ben to help give the bid some life and press.
I mostly agree with your points here. But, despite a shiny website and lots of History, St. Louis should PROVE it’s the soccer capital of the USA it says it is. USL would be a great fit and starting point for an eventual move “up” to MLS.
Dave,
Glad to see you still writing about soccer, and I miss your blog. Let me start by saying that I think it would be a great thing to see a USL1 club in St. Louis, and that their is a definite place for ambitious lateral thinkers in that league. Let me also say that I am a huge FC Dallas fan and have my own prejudices as to American soccer.
That said, and I do admire your consistency, you still have ideas that are absolutely nutty (internet hyperbole there, folks — not to worry) about the comparison between USL and MLS. I am completely comfortable saying that a USL side would not make the playoffs playing a full MLS schedule. The USOC and CCL results also say more about MLS HQ’s messed up priorities than they do about the relative strength of the squads.
Your biases also show through in your neglecting to mention the fact that USL continues to be internally unstable, with the Rhinos hanging on by a thread and Atlanta “taking a break” for year. Also, I think you’re exaggerating quite a lot when you talk about stadiums in New York. To the best of my knowledge, the new USL team is planning to play on Long Island while it tries to find a stadium location, and meanwhile Red Bull Park is well into construction. Finally, let’s try to remember which league has one all but one USOC’s since 1996 and which one managed to eke out a couple of CONCACAF titles in 1998 and 2000 (hint: think of real estate databases).
I love that we have USL, am always impressed at your support of the Railhawks, and would love to get to an Austin Aztex match sometime. I also think a USL side in St. Louis could be massive. You make a great case with 5 of your 6 points, but in my opinion, saying “USL clubs are just as competitive as MLS clubs on the pitch” is just misleading.
Again, glad to see you on one of my regular haunts!
I also promise that I know the difference between “one” and “won,” as my post above and being an FC Dallas fan may have brought that into doubt.
I agree that St. Louis and USL would be a great combination.
However, Michael D. Lamb is demonstrably wrong on all four of his points.
a) Jeff Cooper’s personal net worth is upwards of $200 million. He’s stated the group has no problem paying the fee. Which, by the way, has been negotiated down to $35 million for Portland and Vancouver. I would have expected someone with such strong opinions to know that.
b) No, no true stadium plan…except the one in Collinsville that had all funds committed to it as long ago as September 2007. St. Louis has been ready to roll the bulldozers for 18 months now. The only reason the focus might shift to another site is because it might be more attractive to that elusive final investor. Speaking of which…
c) The investment group also includes Albert Pujols and, according to media reports, at least one other multimillionaire. It’s not as well-funded as MLS would like, but it exists.
d) Despite the several dozen singing, chanting members present at the MLS draft in January, Eads Brigade is not as large or prominent as of Sons of Ben. But then neither is the Whitecaps’ supporters’ group. And they’ve had a team to support all along. As has the Timbers’ Army. No surprise that some supporters’ groups for existing teams might be bigger than some supporters’ groups for nonexistent teams. No other MLS expansion team has ever had anything like Sons of Ben, and that didn’t stop them from getting teams. Sons of Ben are a wonderful anomaly, not the new standard.
I have to wonder if you bothered looking into any of this before you shot your mouth off, or if you’ve been asleep for two years.
For the record, the Aztex are NOT partially owned by Stoke City. The Aztex owner is a part owner of Stoke, and because of that, there’s a relationship between them, but it’s not accurate to say Stoke is a part owner of the Aztex.
While it may be subtle, there is a difference.:)
Oh, and, more power to ya. It’d be awesome to have St. Louis in USL-1.
Well written.
Will:
First, the NYC stadium thing was a gag, if not a particularly well-formed one. The opening of Red Bull Arena has been delayed more times than Duke Nukem Forever.
Second, I don’t think MLS can claim USL’s recent record against them in the Open Cup was entirely a result of MLS clubs not taking the competition seriously. In the case of RBNY, it probably is, because they never bid on Open Cup matches. Renting out Giants Stadium for a game in which only 5,000 people will show up is bad business. On the other hand, what was your club’s excuse against the Charleston Battery last year? ;^)
I do expect MLS to put up a better showing in the next CCL, just because Garber did the right thing (for once) and changed the Superliga qualification rules. As for the Open Cup, you would think MLS would care enough to hold onto that particular CCL bid. We’ll see. If nothing else, bringing Vancouver into the fold will double MLS’ chances of getting the Canadian bid.
I stopped reading early on. It’s sour grapes.
They didn’t give you a team because your ownership group isn’t strong enough. But, rather than have your kid actually study harder to get an A, you accept that he’s going to get a C or you try to get them to pass him anyway just because he’s cute.
From a spectators-ponying-up-for-pro-soccer perspective, St. Louis’ history is sketchy. Yes, yes, yes, Steamers back in the day, Ambush for awhile – what else? Ever? Soccer Capital of the USA? I know YOU people like to think so, but I don’t think the rest of the country does. Were it not for the 1950 World Cup team…well, I don’t know what to tell you.
You sound like the people who whined about how San Jose was too good for MLS when the ‘Quakes moved to Houston. They were just hurt and scorned. You are, too.
Get over it.
Jason: Not really sure what you’re talking about. I have no affiliation with SLSU or the city of St. Louis. I live in North Carolina, and I have a USL club to support here, so I have no reason to be hurt or sour. I’m merely suggesting that USL-1 is a fine alternative to MLS for a city like St. Louis, and I hope they consider it.
Gotta click those links, Jason.
Dave loves him some USL, but like he said, he’s not one of the StL fans. Fans who are understandably frustrated that nothing their potential ownership group does seems to be good enough. I’m not saying they have some god-given right to a franchise or that MLS is even making a bad call, just that I understand their frustration.
Dave: I probably should have spotted the NY thing as a joke; it’s just so darned nice that the Pink Cows finally HAVE a clear path to their stadium being completed.
Well said. You make a strong case for USL1 in St. Louis. Let’s make it happen!
You make a very compelling case.
I wonder if there’s anyway to have Marcos approach the St. Louis group with a proposal?
Good idea. I’d like to see more cities take a look at joining USL. Especially the ones on the MLS bubble that can’t make it over the hump.
The USL is a safe, reasonably profitable business venture. Only three MLS teams are in the black. The USL allows itself to expand and contract annually, as is normal and healthy in nascent sports leagues. The MLS subsidizes incompetently-run franchises with exorbitant franchise fees and an unnaturally powerful commissioner’s office. Average attendance at USL-1 games has doubled since the inception of the league. MLS’s crowds have remained largely stagnant.
Basically what I am saying is, maybe St. Louis, Montreal, Ottawa, Atlanta, and all the other current contenders for MLS franchises actually SHOULD invest in the USL. Several extant leagues jockeying with each other for pre-eminence is a constant in the development of professionalism in practically every sport. We saw it with the NFL and the AFL, the legions of baseball leagues in the late 19th century, etc.
Wow, all of these Portland and Vancouver fans already on a Saint Louis site making excuses for when their franchises fail miserably. There has not been a professional franchise in either city that has been very good in any sport in the long run. Minor league baseball teams have failed. Vancouver had a basketball team that couldn’t last 5 years because no fans. The Trail Blazers lose millions every year, and the only reason they are still there is Paul Allen. He tried to give the team away to a local owner and nobody wanted ot take it. WHAT A JOKE!!!
Portland is a very small city and television market. The only people who care about the city are the ones who live there. The team is going to play in a minor league baseball stadium. The players are going to very happy when they see those dressing rooms. That is a sad statement of the city’s commitment to the game.The expenses of running a team in the MLS are continuing to go through the roof, and the decision to place all three teams at nearly the same time is baffling. Somebody in Portand must have pictures of Don Garber!! The Northwest market is oversaturated with three teams. I have been to games in Seattle , Portland, and Vancouver. Does Portland have a supporters group? Yes, but a very small one and the game in Vancouver had no atmosphere at all. I have been to louder funerals. More people attend Saint Louis University soccer games than in either city. The new women’s team in Saint Louis sold out it’s first game. Is there a major college team in Portland or Vancouver, I have never heard of one!! For that matter, I have looked over the MLS rosters and can not find anybody from Portland or Vancouver. Isn’t that interesting.
Vancover isn’t even worth talking about, they will FAIL. Every sports teams in that city, other than the hockey team, has failed miserably. It is a hockey city and nothing else. When the owners start losing boat loads of money, like the basketball team, they will move as well. The stadium was so quiet I could hear the players yelling at each other like they were seating next to me.
Saint Louis is soccer capital of the US because of the players the city has produced. The MLS rosters are full of players from Saint Louis or who played for the Saint Louis University Billikens. They have an on campus stadium that has a better pitch that at least half of the MLS teams. They regularly lead the nation in attendance and have won 12 national championships. Every major college soccer team recruits religously in the Saint Louis area. How many National championsips has Indiana won with rosters full of Saint Louis players. The club teams have dominated on the national scene for years and the high school teams are in of the top in country every year. We were playing soccer before Portland and Vancouver had heard of the game.
“More people attend Saint Louis University soccer games than in either (Portland or Vancouver).”
In the case of Portland, this couldn’t possibly be true. The Timbers averaged 8,568 for league matches last season. Hermann Stadium at St. Louis University only seats 6,050. As for the Whitecaps, they averaged 4,999 in a 5,288-seat stadium, which doesn’t exactly suck.
“Does Portland have a supporters group? Yes, but a very small one…”
That’s a little disingenuous. We here in central NC would be *thrilled* to have a supporters group as big as the Timbers Army.
Besides, if St. Louis natives dominate American soccer so much, why not start a USL club filled with St. Louis players who want to represent their hometown? Don’t tell us why St. Louis is better than Portland and Vancouver. Show us.
The truth hurts dosen’t it!!! I went to game in Portland last year and the attendance was half the average, if they were lucky. It must have been an off night for the”timbers army” because there were very few of them there or maybe they were just being very quiet. The numbers for both Portland and Vancouver are greatly exaggerated, all you have to do is eliminate their games against Seattle. The “average” number of fans per game drops dramatically. A couple of years ago I went to game in Vancouver while in town on a business trip, and there MIGHT have been 1500 at that game. I have been to louder wakes than the game in Vancouver. A guy outside the stadium practically begged me to buy the ticket from him at less than half price. Giving away tickets and then counting them in the number of tickets sold hardly impresses me. It is just bad business. Wow, a pofessional soccer stadium that seats 5,000, they are expecting lots of fans. Minor league thinking for a minor league city to play in a minor league stadium. The city of Portland is so excited about their team that they are giving them a stadium a minor league baseball team didn’t want. YOU ARE RIGHT THAT IS COMMITMENT. Vancouver and Seattle are going to play as second tenants in football stadiums. At least I can present reasons why Saint Louis is better, you have “SHOWN ME NOTHING”. So your arguement is that these cities are more deserving because their “professional teams” might slightly outdraw a college team in Saint Louis. Saint Louis will build a beautiful state of the art soccer specific stadium and Portland can have their old oudated minor league baseball field. Perhaps they can organize a baseball game after the soccer game to attract more fans. More of the same “coast elitism” is all that comes from your mouth. All of you who live on the coasts only know about the states around you and on the opposite coast. The rest of the country is just what we fly over on the way home,and they can not possibly be as good as us at anything. You just a New York snob with a southern drawl. You probably couldn’t even find Missouri, least yet Saint Louis, on a map.
Tony Glavine is trying to bring a USL team to St Charles county , and has had a very successful PDL team out there for several years. I have attended more than a few of the games. The pitch at Hermann Stadium is better than what half the MLS teams play on currently. That stadium is much nicer than anything in Portland or Vancouver already.The numbers you give do not include “standing room only” for Billikens games and they have to expand the seating for big games. Saint Louis has “shown” a commitment these other cities can only dream. We are ready to build a stadium and don’t have a team and they have one but refuse. The proof is in the pudding, so look at the number of players from Saint Louis in both leagues,and look at the number of players from Saint Louis University there are playing . Bring those players back to Saint Louis and we would field a playoff team the first year. MLS would never let that happen.
Based upon your logic there should be Major League Baseball teams in cities like Tidewater, Buffalo and Pawtucket. These are minor league cities that fill their minor league stadiums, so they should have a team over Miami(Marlins),Tampa(Rays), and Atlanta(Braves). None of these teams ever fills their stadiums,even for playoff games, but they are still MLB cities. I wonder why they haven’t been moved to Tidewater,Etc? They are minor league cities that only support minor league teams.The cities of Portland, Seattle and Vancouver are filled with one failed sports team after another. The only team that has succeeded in Vancouver is the hockey team. The Grizzilies left because of poor fan support and no support from the business community. The SuperSonics left Seattle for the same reasons, and they played in an old broken down arena. Minor league baseball has been a failure in both Portland and Vancouver. They claim to be a hockey hotbed, yet there no NHL teams in Portland or Seattle. There are more professional teams in Florida than the Pacific Northwest. WHY? Wait until these “businessmen” owners get into old baseball stadiums(Portland), old football stadiums(Vancouver), and new football stadiums(Seattle) and they start seeing mounting losses from the rent and maintenance, lack of revenue from parking and concessions, and little to no TV money. Not to mention the fact, that the travel expenses for most MLS teams just doubled. USL travel budgets will be halved. More money spent traveling means less for marketing and development. The MLS has set up a small island in the middle of nowhere and put three teams there. There are no established rivals for any of these teams. The game will be over and they will be moved, sold or closed. You would think they would have leaned a lesson from the NASL, but the answer is no. In this economy, the league should be trying to help clubs cut their expenses, not double them. The NASL gave out teams based entirely on the balance sheet of the owners and went down in flames. The MLS did the same thing with their teams in Florida and we know what happened there. the very defintion of insanity is repeating the same same actions over afain, and expecting different results.
Don Garber can not be trusted. He speaks out of both sides of his mouth. He swore for years that the key to getting a franchise was a new soccer specific stadium.Not one of the expansion franchises has the financing or a plan for one. He lied!!! Philadelphia is a joke, I still think they don’t even know where the team will play its games. They can not get financing for a stadium? LOL. DC united plays in a sewer of a stadium and Dominic Kinnear is embarrassed of the pitch in Houston. It is not even high school soccer level of quality. The MLS wants Jeff Cooper gone. He could have all the money in the world but they will not let him in their club. He made his money as a trial attorney and these “businessmen” hate him because of that. The message is get someone other than Jeff and you can have a team. The people of Saint Louis will not stand for that and will push back. The first step will be to get AB to pull its support completely from the MLS and we are working on that. Once they pull their money the MLS will have to negoitate in good faith!!
Michael,
Cool your jets, dude. This isn’t BigSoccer.
Either you didn’t read my original post — that big open letter at the top — or you’ve just completely missed the point that I’m trying to make here. Do I think St. Louis is somehow undeserving of an MLS team? No, I do not. Disputing a couple of your attendance figures doesn’t make me a “coastal snob.” I think St. Louis had just as good an argument as anyone else.
My point is that ST. LOUIS DOESN’T NEED MLS TO START A CLUB. I mean, if you don’t think Don Garber can be trusted, why put your city’s footballing future in his hands? Hell, Garber probably thinks he’s putting the brakes on an upstart league by taking two of its cities away. Why not stick it to him by joining USL, a league that would welcome you with open arms and give you more freedom to operate as a club?
I support a USL club. I want this league to succeed. USL would be better if St. Louis joined us. That’s all I’m saying here.
thank you its a great letter
Please I need your help I want to play soccer in MLS in united states can you help me please.
very well said. its nice to see logical arguments!
i have to admit this does sound a bit like mls bashing by someone with an usl inferiority complex. but i admit st. louis does have a long soccer tradition and it has always surprised me that they haven’t been a part of the mls. but as for st. louis getting an mls expansion team … i think you can forget it for a long while. We all know now that the Philadelphia Union go the first one and Portland Timbers and Vancouver Whitecaps will be “moving” to the MLS so to speak in 2011 … and I am almost positive that before the year is out the Montreal Impact will also have worked out a stadium deal and also be an MLS expansion team in 2011 … there is no way that the MLS can ignore a team that is currently averaging (12,500) more than 6 of its own teams.
That would bring MLS to 19 teams and I think that 20 will be the long term goal (10 W / 10 E) which means there is only room for 1 more team from the East. Atlanta with Falcon’s owner Arthur Blank, Miami with some billionaire an FC Barcelona and Rochester Rhinos (the #2 attendance team in USL) are all ahead of St. Louis in the pecking order. But the answer is very very simple ….
Build a 20,000 seat soccer stadium, get a strong investment group and fan support group … AND STEAL THE KC Wizards!!!!
I mean you guys are in the same state … they suck, their attendance sucks … they are the team that should be in St. Louis so go and GET THEM!!
Sincerely,
Man Utd Fan
They’ll steal D.C. United before they steal the Wizards. The Screaming Eagles would be well-advised to start funding some city council candidates who could prevent this from looking quite so inevitable.
@Dave: not a chance … dc united just need to think more creatively about marketing in the nations capital. they should try more “men’s room stall dating night” and “win a senate page” and “take your mistress to a game” promotional nights. or have more private suites where clandestine lobbyist/congressperson meetings to exchange cash for legislation that screws regular people can take place. or maybe dc united should get ACORN to do an attendance drive?
Is St Louis really that big of a soccer city? I’ve been there a few times and didn’t realize they were that soccer mad…
I didn’t want to read and run.
I think that St. Louis and USL would be a great combination too.
This is one of my biggest issues with MLS. The league does not allow clubs to have enough control over player development. They should get rid of the Super Draft and the player allocation rules and let the clubs open their own academies and control their own destiny. That would do more for American soccer than adding expansion franchises. Also, id really love to see Oviedo get a little love! The homes there are just rediculous!!
The Athletic Department of Saint Louis University couldn’t schedule a doctor’s appointment, and lo and behold, the Grand Opening of the Centene Court at Chaifetz Arena at Saint Louis University of the United States of Father Lawrence Biondi of the Society of Jesus will be against the University of Missouri-Not-in-Columbia-but-the-local-campus-in-St. Louis-Tritons.
Local station CW11 won’t even broadcast this game, so so much for the grandiose dreams of the student body and alumni who were wishing for ESPN GameDay coverage.
You won’t see Dickie V body surfing among the twenty students and the 90 year-old trombone-playing priest who has been in the SLU Band longer than head coach Rick Majerus has been alive.
You won’t be watching Erin Andrews being schmoozed by members of the kicked-off-campus Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity, who have sworn their vengeance against Saint Louis University, in this life or the next.
So much for Digger Phelps rocking a Billiken Blue tie and matching highlighter, while watching Hubert Davis struggle to pronounce “Chaifetz.”
So much for finding Reece Davis hung over a Humphrey’s barstool at 3 A.M. while the bartenders scramble to get their digital pictures of him uploaded and sent to the editors at Deadspin. By internet phone