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Not to be outdone by Portland, Vancouver is sending their mayor into the fray to try to persuade MLS to choose their Cascadia city over Portland and other competitors outside the region.
This comes courtesy of The Province.
More here...Vancouver Mayor Sam Sullivan has some 2010 business to attend to, but he's talking a little 2011 on the way.
En route to a meeting of Olympic city mayors in Switzerland, Sullivan is stopping off in New York today, in part to sit down with Major League Soccer commissioner Don Garber.
The Vancouver Whitecaps are one of eight cities in the running for the 17th and 18th MLS franchises, to begin play in 2011. The deadline for application is next week and the league is expected to announce the successful candidate cities in late November or early 2009.
"I'm not going to be addressing the details of the bid, but what I am going to say is that Vancouver loves soccer and that we want the franchise," said Sullivan. "If it comes right down to a close battle between bids, it's possible that me being there could be helpful. I'll do what I can."
Whitecaps president Bob Lenarduzzi said he was thankful for the mayor's visit.
Feh. Vancouver is a great city, but its "MLS Expansion Karma" is screwed by the fact that Steve Nash turned his back on Phoenix's MLS hopes depsite the love and support we Phonecians throw his way every day. We still love you Steve, but Canadian or not, this is just wrong.
Give the expansion team to Portland. In my book canadian cities should be picked last in expansion. We should make sure all the good American cities have teams and then think about going to the Canucks. Sorry Canadians but the league is for the USA
todd,
Nash just plays in Phoenix. He spends his off-season in New York and BC and when he retires you'll never see him in Phoenix again unless they want to retire his number.
Eh, I'd hate to see two teams in the Pacific Northwest play in giant football stadiums. I'd love to visit to sample the rivalry, but I'd much rather travel to Portland to see an MLS fixture with the Sounders in a packed PGE Park than go to some half full cavernous stadium. Indoors in Vancouver at that.
Give it to Portland!!!
"one of eight cities in the running for the 17th and 18th MLS franchises, to begin play in 2011."
What are the eight?
Another better to play in a baseball stadium than football stadium post. Awesome!
VBC is perfect in that it raises the profile of the league around the world, as the 2010 Winter Olympics coverage will mention it.
The PDX on the other hand will get great press during the AAA baseball season when the Beavers pbp guys can talk about the upgrade they get by leaving a near century old ballpark.
In all honesty, I'm hoping that both of my Cascadian neighbors join the league in 2011. Along with the best two other options. If PDX and VBC are allowed the same rights that Sounders FC had to their USL roster that would lessen the impact of bringing up 6 teams in 3 years.
With all due respect, the fact that a city in Oregon has to contend with a city in British Columbia for a spot in MLS makes me feel like puking. Gulati, do something about this.