Don Garber: MLS focused on St. Louis for potential expansion
Major League Soccer is exploring the possibility of a club along the western bank of the Mississippi River.
Commissioner Don Garber announced that the league will begin searching for a stadium site in St. Louis and planning for its financing and operations immediately, saying it's the "right time" and revealing that a St. Louis-based club could play its inaugural season as early as 2020.
"We are very excited about the possibilities in St. Louis," Garber told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. "We've got a lot of work to do as it relates to determining a stadium solution, and figuring out who ultimately can be the owner of the team. But, overall, we're very focused on St. Louis as a potential expansion market."
In December, MLS declared that the league is willing to make room for four more clubs and divulged its support for future expansion to 28 clubs.
Related: MLS announces support for future expansion to 28 clubs
Beyond the 20 clubs that competed in MLS in 2015, three clubs will be joining the league in the coming years. They are:
- Atlanta United FC - 2017
- Los Angeles FC - 2018
- Minnesota United FC - 2018
David Beckham's ownership group, Miami Beckham United, finally secured a stadium development site in December, and Garber said MLS looks forward to "working with David and his partners to finalize plans to bring Major League Soccer to Miami."
Elsewhere, Sacramento Republic FC, which plays in the United Soccer League and is highly rated on Garber's list of clubs to join MLS, was made to wait on becoming part of the league.