AEG, which owns 50% of the MLS Dynamo, “will begin actively looking for a local buyer for its share of the team after the Dynamo's new downtown stadium opens in May,” according to Mark Berman of KRIV-Fox. Because AEG also owns the Galaxy, “there was a conflict when the two teams met for the MLS Cup championship last month, which the Galaxy won 1-0.” MLS Commissioner Don Garber has asked that AEG “eliminate that conflict and at the same time find local ownership for the Dynamo, which is also co-owned by former boxing great Oscar de la Hoya and Los Angeles businessman Gabriel Brener.” AEG President & CEO Tim Leiweke said, "We know the commissioner would prefer that we sell our interest and get out of the conflict. …This team needs local ownership. We get that. That is going to be easy to do once we open up the stadium and we have the financial strength and wherewithal.” He added, “We've already been approached by two or three people. What we've told everyone is 'let us get it open' and then we know we got to go through this process and we will, but we are going to find the right owner” (MYFOXHOUSTON.com, 12/14). FOXSPORTSHOUSTON.com’s Glenn Davis wrote having local owners “could be healthy and will lead to even more exciting times for professional soccer here in Houston and for the Dynamo.” The team since ‘06 has been “the most successful franchise in the league in terms of winning MLS Cups.” Local ownership “brings new levels of community, emotional connection and more.” Davis: “One needs [to] look no farther than to Sporting Kansas City where local ownership is led by Rob Heinemann who engineered the building of a state of the art soccer stadium that has enticed the casual fan to support a soccer team in the heartland of America” (FOXSPORTSHOUSTON.com, 12/14).
