Austin In MLS Future?
By: Jeremy | April 6th, 2009
Major League Soccer has seen tremendous growth over the past few seasons and has welcomed Houston, Salt Lake, Seattle, and San Jose (again) but the additions are far from over. Next year we will see Philadelphia added to the mix and two more teams the following year with expansion to Portland and Vancouver. The growth is a tremendous accomplishment in today’s economy but please, please do not stop until Austin, TX is rewarded with an MLS franchise.
But why would this be important to a Houston fan? Well, it should be just as important to Dallas fans, too, because all sports thrive on great rivalries. Sure, Houston and Dallas have classic battles every season, but let’s make it a Texas triple threat.
Like Vancouver, Portland, and Seattle in the northwest, Texas could easily support three MLS teams. Afterall, there would be a greater distance among these Texas teams and the cities are much larger as well. So let’s make this happen. I’m sure the Austin Aztex would be willing to make the jump.
Category: Team News
Comments
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that’d be awesome.
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Please, please, please… NO. I’m sorry, but I don’t see that working. I’m a native Texan, and live southwest of Fort Worth. But FCD has a lot of trouble getting fans, and I don’t see a smaller market doing better. I see Austin as more of a UT-driven market, who also follows the Cowboys and other professional sports. Don’t see Austin being in the MLS picture at all. There are too many other good candidates, starting with Montreal.
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it will not happen until, the B12 allows for division 1 men’s soccer and UT can promote players to the first team.
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I guess you didn’t see the news on April 1! Don Garber announced MLS expansion in Austin for 2013, with Beckham in the ownership group and Sven Goran-Eriksson’s to manage. Full details at: http://aztexan.net/2009/04/mls-announces-austin-expansion-for-2013.html .
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Aztexan Great April Fools Loved it. Are you in Austin ? and do you go to the games ? If so see you there. I am at every game. Jeremy great idea but I see a MLS team in San Antonio first. I think the only way smaller markets could get in to MLS and USL went to promotion and regulation system which I would like but do not see happening anytime soon if ever. Also did you make the trip when Houston played Austin great game.
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I haven’t seen Austin play yet but they also have a U23 team in the PDL. I’ll probably see them when they play Houston Leones. Their “stadium” is just down the street from me.
And the idea of MLS making residence in Austin is a very long shot, but I can dream, right? It would be great if it happened though.
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“Promoting” a USL team has been a fantastic thing for Seattle. They included just enough USL guys in the roster for this to feel like part of our heritage. And giving expansion teams to Portland and Vancouver is brilliant, because there are already built-in rivalries.
I could see something like this working in Texas, but I’d be kind of surprised to see a third franchise awarded to one state (regardless of how big it is) before the league reaches places like Florida.
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Tim, you bet I go to the games! I’ll usually be in the supporters’ section (roughly the top half of section “A”). Glad you liked the April Fools bit. That aside, I don’t see MLS coming to Austin for a very long time, if ever. Not that I wouldn’t want that to happen, I just don’t think there would be enough support here for it to be big enough. But maybe after the Aztex win a few Open Cups and USL-1 seasons, it will be a different story…
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Maybe fixing FC Dallas would be priority #1. Then again, I am a Red Bull fan. So who am I to talk.
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