Major League Soccer on Monday made it clear that all the talk surrounding expansion to Miami is premature.
In a statement on Monday evening, an MLS spokesperson refuted a Sunday report that claimed the league was "pushing hard for Miami expansion team" with Stephen Ross, chairman of RSE Ventures and owner of the Miami Dolphins.
"We have not had any formal discussions with RSE Ventures," the MLS spokesperson said. “We remain focused on securing a 20th team for Major League Soccer in New York, but we do believe we will have an MLS team in the Southeast at some point.
"As it relates specifically to potential Florida markets, we have had ongoing discussions with Orlando City SC about expansion in Central Florida, and we know that South Florida is one of the most passionate soccer markets in North America."
Earlier on Monday, the Dolphins' CEO, Mike Dee, also confirmed the absence of "formal discussions" via Twitter, while adding that the team is open to potential proposals. "While we've not taken part in formal discussions re ownership of a MLS team, we'd certainly keep an open mind w/r/t any proposals that could bring an MLS franchise to Miami," Dee tweeted.
“We have a good relationship with RSE Ventures through our commercial arm, Soccer United Marketing," the MLS spokesperson said, "but we have not had any formal discussions with RSE or the Dolphins regarding a future expansion team in Miami. We believe we will have an MLS team in South Florida someday, but our current focus remains on securing an expansion team for New York.”
