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MLS to Portland Thread

Whatever happened to thr rumor or idea of making MLS and USL first division work like the English system where the teams move up or down depending on performance from one season to the next?

Either way, I'd hope a MLS team could be called the Timbers.
 
I think making it more like the English system would be great. However, Portland being Portland, it needs to start with a team in the top league. With the soccer excitement here, it isn't unrealistic to think that they could draw really well, and make enough attendance money that would allow them to draw in talent, and would help them compete for the top spot every year.
 
One guy at talktimbers.com who sometimes picks up on things is considering the possibility that the current owner of the Beavers and Timbers could be an investor. If that's the case, the team would almost certainly be Timbers. It's all a matter of whether Abe Alizadeh thinks he can soak people for a few bucks by selling the name.

I know Don Garber has expressed that it (best way to put it) might be nice for MLS to use promotion and relegation. I'd LOVE to see it. However, I'm willing to put money on "not in America in my lifetime." Owners and cities here don't throw a few million into team and stadium to end up in the second division.
 
Relegation might work against the Timbers. Last season was awful. We may have been sent down to a lower level under relegation rules.
 
http://www.oregonlive.com/timbers/oregonian/index.ssf?/base/sports/1175225143168950.xml&coll=7

This is gaining more traction. That surprises me.

I should mention something else... I forget if this has been mentioned on PSUfans or not. Probably within a couple months, San Jose State and Oakland A's owner Lew Wolff will announce an agreement to replace Spartan Stadium with a new structure right next to the current one (which will be taken down). Wolff will resurrect the San Jose Earthquakes in MLS. The sticking point right now... MLS wants a smaller capacity, probably on the order of 23,000 seats, while San Jose State wants a minimum of 30,000 seats. The compromise is supposed to be a section of seats (probably at one end) that is removable, and I'm guessing that the deliberation over this is what prevents the project from already being made public, since it's a very ill-kept secret in San Jose.

I've gone on a couple boards and discussed some options. One of my dreams is not only a shared stadium, but an arrangement where PSU would have a FieldTurf surface for football, then a large "grass tray" could be floated or rolled over it for soccer... kind of like Sapporo Dome, Veltins Stadium in Gelsenkirchen, Germany, or the new Arizona Cardinals stadium. Only the Sapporo Dome features an artificial surface (for baseball) and the grass pitch for soccer floated over it. As with San Jose, the problem is that MLS probably prefers something smaller than what PSU will want... IF we go 1-A.

To that point... if you dropped a carbon copy of Louisville's Papa Johns Stadium in Portland tomorrow, Portland State is far more likely to get visited by even Oregon State, and maybe even Oregon. 30,000 won't do it, 45,000 could. Moreover, even in years where OSU doesn't drop in against Portland State, as long as Reser is at a similar capacity, they will probably rent such a stadium once a year in September (before school starts) and "bring the show to Portland." That's rent money you don't want to miss, but it won't happen sharing with MLS (should this all turn out in favor).

Just throwing this out there, if nothing else.
 
http://www.oregonlive.com/timbers/oregonian/index.ssf?/base/sports/1178078117254420.xml&coll=7

I'll repost what I posted over at talktimbers.com:

John Doussard, spokesman for Portland Mayor Tom Potter, said Tuesday that the city is very interested in helping the owner of an MLS franchise become a tenant at PGE Park and help pay for upgrades of the facility. City officials have said replacing the 7-year-old NeXturf playing surface probably would be necessary. Other needed upgrades include boosting seating capacity from 19,566 to 25,000, adding more restrooms and concession areas and upgrading the locker rooms and press boxes, Keston said.

The city, however, has a good lease with the Timbers and Beavers, Doussard said, "and we wouldn't want to do anything that would compromise that agreement."
Click to expand...


MLS won't bite for that arrangement. That's why Keston is talking suburbs. The city is foolish to think that way... except I'm pretty sure they know better and Doussard speaks to the public more than to the facts here. I think we all know MLS and USL-1 won't co-exist here. MLS won't tolerate being a second fiddle to AAA ball, and the Pacific Coast League won't tolerate any compromise to the current situation.
 
Pounder said:
http://www.oregonlive.com/timbers/oregonian/index.ssf?/base/sports/1178078117254420.xml&coll=7

I'll repost what I posted over at talktimbers.com:

John Doussard, spokesman for Portland Mayor Tom Potter, said Tuesday that the city is very interested in helping the owner of an MLS franchise become a tenant at PGE Park and help pay for upgrades of the facility. City officials have said replacing the 7-year-old NeXturf playing surface probably would be necessary. Other needed upgrades include boosting seating capacity from 19,566 to 25,000, adding more restrooms and concession areas and upgrading the locker rooms and press boxes, Keston said.

The city, however, has a good lease with the Timbers and Beavers, Doussard said, "and we wouldn't want to do anything that would compromise that agreement."
Click to expand...

MLS won't bite for that arrangement. That's why Keston is talking suburbs. The city is foolish to think that way... except I'm pretty sure they know better and Doussard speaks to the public more than to the facts here. I think we all know MLS and USL-1 won't co-exist here. MLS won't tolerate being a second fiddle to AAA ball, and the Pacific Coast League won't tolerate any compromise to the current situation.
Click to expand...

I saw this and instantly thought of PSU. Let me say this - if something gets PGE to a capacity of 25k, then I'm all for it, especially if it could get baseball out of the way.
 
Interesting....

http://timbers.theoffside.com/team-news/mayor-elect-sam-adams-supportive-of-portlands-mls-efforts.html
 
http://www.navadi.com/m2p.html

New website launched in wake of MLS announcing addition of two more teams (#s 17 and 18) by 2011. If I understand correctly, the intent is for teams to start play in 2011, which would mean franchises being awarded ahead of that time.
 
Portland, Paulson to submit application for MLS expansion franchise

http://blog.oregonlive.com/sportsupdates/2008/07/portland_paulson_to_submit_app.html

Merritt Paulson, owner and president of the Portland Timbers and Portland Beavers, today announced plans to submit an application for a Major League Soccer (MLS) expansion franchise that would play at PGE Park..

MLS today announced the timeline and application process for the league's next two expansion teams, with plans to add two clubs by 2011 to bring the league to 18 teams. MLS, which will consider markets in the United States and Canada, has set an Oct. 15, 2008, deadline for applications.

MLS has indicated that an announcement regarding the next two expansion clubs will take place during the fourth quarter of 2008 or the first quarter of 2009.

MLS is headquartered in New York City. It is the top-flight professional soccer league in the United States and features many stars from the U.S. and around the world. Now in its 13th season, the 14 teams in MLS are: the Chicago Fire, Colorado Rapids, Chivas USA, Columbus Crew, D.C. United, FC Dallas, Houston Dynamo, Kansas City Wizards, Los Angeles Galaxy, New York Red Bulls, New England Revolution, Real Salt Lake, San Jose Earthquakes and Toronto FC. Seattle Sounders FC will join the League in 2009 and a Philadelphia expansion team will debut in 2010.
 
Portland could know MLS fate by fall
The soccer league needs applications by Oct. 15 from eight cities seeking the next two expansion franchises -

http://www.oregonlive.com/soccer/oregonian/index.ssf?/base/sports/12175611133930.xml&coll=7

"Portland State football would remain a tenant in the revamped PGE Park."
 
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