Sacramento Republic FC fans have endured some emotional ups and downs over the last few days courtesy of David Beckham and Major League Soccer.
First, on Thursday, MLS Commissioner Don Garber told Sacramento fans chomping at the bit for an expansion team to be patient and that the league was focused more on Miami. Then, on Friday it was reported that Beckham had finally closed in on a spot to build a stadium for his future Miami MLS team, effectively ending any hopes that Republic fans had of his complete and total failure bringing Sacramento in as team 24. So those are the lows on the emotional… ride of some sort.
But fortunately the high did not wait long to come around. On Saturday, MLS owners met ahead of Sunday’s MLS Cup and announced their support for the league expanding to 28 teams, something that many people believed was going to happen after the possibility of expansion beyond 24 teams was mentioned way back in March. The owners also announced many other things, including their support for Beckham’s stadium spot. But that isn’t really important.
What is important is that with MLS looking at expansion to 28 teams, it all but guarantees that Sacramento Republic FC is going to the top tier of US (and Canadian) soccer in the future. Just when it will happen is not certain, though, as there is not yet a timetable for this next round of expansion.
What is certain is that Sacramento Republic FC is ready whenever MLS is. They have an amazing stadium plan ready to go at the drop of a hat, one that could be ready as quickly as the 2018 MLS season.
The announcement of an eventual expansion to 28 teams was not just good news for Sacramento fans, it was welcomed by fans in many cities vying for MLS expansion. One of the more notable among those groups of fans were those in a city that may very well join Sacramento as one of the teams in the next round, San Antonio.
With the number of new expansion teams now set at 28, the question now becomes one of timelines. With MLS not yet ready to commit to a timeline, it is a question that is essentially wide open. Will the league give Sacramento a chance to come in around 2018, when they could have their shiny Railyards stadium ready? Or will the Republic need to wait until Atlanta, Minnesota, and Miami all have their stadiums in order and their entry dates set to get an invitation to the party?
Frankly, nobody knows.
What we do know is that Sacramento remains the most ready of just about any team not currently in MLS right now, but despite that, there is still some waiting to do. The door to MLS is shut for the time being, but it will open again. When it does, Sacramento will be the first in line.
We will be in MLS. It’s only a matter of time. Or, as we’ve been told over and over again, a matter of when, not if.
What are your thoughts on the latest news about MLS Expansion? Let us know on Twitter, on Facebook, or in the comments below.
