It seems everyone wants a piece of the MLS expansion pie.
MLS Commissioner Don Garber will head to San Antonio on Tuesday to meet with mayor Julian Castro and Gordon Hartman, the owner of NASL's Scorpions, to discuss the possibility of an expansion bid, according to a report from the San Antonio Express-News. Garber was reportedly scheduled to meet with Castro in New York in November but was forced to cancel, and will now arrive in San Antonio ahead of Wednesday's friendly between Mexico and South Korea at the Alamodome.
“He's certainly aware of growing popularity of the sport in San Antonio, and he's excited to learn more during the visit,” MLS spokesman Dan Courtemanche told the Express-News. “Clearly the Scorpions have been a tremendous success at the lower divisions, as illustrated by their strong support. It's something all of us in the American soccer community has noticed.”
The Scorpions, who play their matches at the soccer-specific Toyota Field, have been largely successful since their debut in 2012, averaging 9,176 fans that season while finishing in first place during the NASL regular season, then 6,957 in 2013.
MLS announced in 2013 that the league would grow to 24 teams by the end of the decade. The league will move to 21 teams in 2015 with the additions of New York City FC and Orlando City SC, while David Beckham's ownership group continues to pursue an expansion club in Miami.
