The Vikings on Tuesday "pushed their case" to land an MLS team by releasing images showing how their new $1B stadium "could be reconfigured for soccer games," according to Mike Kaszuba of the Minneapolis STAR TRIBUNE. Vikings ownership explained how the venue "could morph from a 65,400-seat football stadium into a 20,000-seat soccer stadium by 'curtaining' seats with large panels and advertising boards." Vikings officials said soccer "will be equal" to the NFL inside the stadium. Meanwhile, NASL club Minnesota United FC Owner Bill McGuire's group "has said less publicly but reportedly wants to build a separate, soccer-only stadium near Target Field, and has enlisted the support" of Hennepin County BOD Chair Mike Opat. How soon Minnesota "might have an MLS team was, however, tempered somewhat Tuesday by MLS Commissioner Don Garber, who delivered his annual state-of the-league remarks" in N.Y. but was "vague on Minnesota’s chances of getting a team." Garber said that the league’s owners, in their upcoming meeting Saturday, "hoped to establish a 'point of view on timing' over when the next expansion teams would be announced" (Minneapolis STAR TRIBUNE, 12/3).
TIME TO BEND THE PLAN? David Beckham's
MLS ownership group yesterday said that plans to secure an expansion team in Miami "will happen and that they hope to have 'positive and exciting news' soon." REUTERS' Simon Evans noted the comments come after Garber on Tuesday said that the "search for a home for Beckham's proposed team 'can't go on forever' and noted a number of other cities were lining up for expansion spots" in the league. Evans noted it is "unclear whether Beckham's option would be able to be switched to another city with Garber declining to discuss that aspect" (
REUTERS, 12/3).
