![]() "In professional soccer, with all the things that are going on, I'm not sure that 30 teams is the ultimate end goal for for Major League Soccer."Īs soccer grows and develops in the U.S. But it's also driven in many ways by the geography of our country and dilution from a player pool and dilution of large national revenue distribution," Garber said. "If you look at the fact that every other top major league in our country is 30 or 32 teams, that in many ways is driven by conference setup. Garber did offer a tiny glimmer of hope for Phoenix, however. Phoenix doesn't appear to be at that point. Las Vegas might be ready to commit to that very soon. And in an environment like that, temperature being what it is, that would be what I would say would have to happen in order for Phoenix to be a great first division team in Major League Soccer." "In Las Vegas you could conceivably see a soccer stadium that looks like a mini version of Allegiant (Stadium, home of the Raiders and this year's sold-out Gold Cup final), or a mini version of your stadium for your football team in Arizona. Think about what could happen in Las Vegas," Garber said when asked what Phoenix needs to strengthen its bid. "Really what we need is a great facility. ![]() But Las Vegas has apparently emerged as the favored option as MLS looks to add a team to the Western Conference. The Valley has hosted several CONCACAF Gold Cup matches, most involving Mexico's national team in front of huge crowds at State Farm Stadium. There was a time, pre-pandemic, when the Phoenix market seemed more of an attractive destination for MLS, with its TV market size, large Latino population and growing youth participation in the sport. Las Vegas also has a team in the USL Championship, Lights FC. Phoenix Rising FC, which plays in the second division of American soccer in the USL Championship, confirmed Tuesday that it is still in talks with MLS about expansion, but offered no further comment. "I think the interest in Major League Soccer continues to grow, the value that investors look at when they're determining how they want to engage with professional soccer or professional sports overall is at an all-time high." "I want to point out that we're still in discussions with other markets, both Phoenix and San Diego," Garber said. An announcement about soccer facilities there involving MLS could come in the next few months, a plan that seems much further ahead of where the Phoenix bid stands. Garber said MLS is making progress with and is excited about Las Vegas, now a more attractive sports franchise destination with the instant success of the Vegas Golden Knights of the NHL and the NFL's Raiders. Garber hopes to name a 30th team within the next year, with no timetable for when it starts playing. MLS welcomes its 28th team, Charlotte FC, next season, and 29th team, St. ![]() Garber, speaking via video conference in his state of the league address to begin the week of the MLS Cup final that is set for Saturday in Portland, brought up Phoenix when asked about further league expansion for the 27-team league. Chung Mong-gyu, Korean Football Association President, said the cooling technology could spread throughout Asia after 2022.The Phoenix market is still in the conversation when it comes to Major League Soccer expansion. But the Valley has taken a back seat to Las Vegas, which is regarded as the front runner to become the league's 30th franchise when it decides to add a team, commissioner Don Garber said Tuesday. ![]() Tests with 48,000 fans at Khalifa International Stadium proved successful. The water cools air that is then pumped through nozzles into the stadium. The main thrust of these innovations has chilled water drawn to the stadium. Yet, engineers have successfully tested construction schemes to keep temperatures on the pitch at around 68-degrees and in the stands about 74-degrees. While planners set the games for the winter months, temperatures still can get to 86-degrees F. Designers also oriented the pitch and stands to encourage shade.įor any other concerns, stadium planners can look at heat measures taken for the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar. Then it gets more sophisticated, with water walls and mists catching the wind guided into the stadium. Cooling features start with curtains and canopies. Team leaders got an agreement for a site just 10 miles out of town, northeast of Arizona State University.
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