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Off the scrap heap MLS optimistic entering eighth seasonPosted: Friday April 04, 2003 11:15 PMNEW YORK (Reuters) -- A year ago, Major League Soccer had shut down two faltering franchises and looked like a candidate for the sporting scrap heap. But as MLS kicks off its eighth season on Saturday with a match between champions Los Angeles Galaxy and the Columbus Crew, soccer in America appears suddenly in vogue. Robust talk of expansion follows a newfound respectability after the U.S. pushed it's way into the top 10 of the FIFA world rankings following a strong showing at the World Cup in Japan and South Korea last year. After a season of uncertainty there was plenty of upbeat news as MLS prepared to launch a new campaign. Season ticket sales are up throughout the 10-team league, two new stadiums are set to open this year -- a state-of-the-art facility in Los Angeles and a renovated Soldier Field in Chicago -- there has been increased corporate interest and a major new television deal is in place providing valuable exposure. "We are feeling very cautiously optimistic about our 2003 season," said MLS commissioner Dan Garber during a conference call. "We had a very positive offseason for our league, particularly positive when you compare it to our offseason last year when we made the tough decision to contract by two teams. "That decision was made to shore up our business, to focus our resources in areas where we felt that we would be more productive, in fact, it proved to be a decision that we're very pleased that we made. "The season last year was one of the best seasons in our history; certainly finishing up with one of the best games in professional soccer history here in this country with 61,000 fans attending our championship game at Gillette stadium in Foxboro. "It also was a year that so many of our players helped our country achieve the quarterfinals in the World Cup and woke many people up to soccer in this country." Energetic play Part of that awareness comes from a new generation of young homegrown stars, such as Landon Donovan and DaMarcus Beasley, whose energetic play has given MLS a recognizable face. The league has also made a determined effort to keep U.S. players at home -- Donovan recently rejecting an offer from German Bundesliga club Bayer Leverkusen to remain in MLS. Earnie Stewart, the longest serving European-based American, Joe-Max Moore, Frankie Hejduk and Brian McBride have also returned to MLS after playing overseas, adding further credibility to the league. In past attempts to establish the sport in North America, leagues recruited aging stars like Germany's Lothar Mattheus and Mexico's Luis Hernandez and before them Pele and Franz Beckenbauer to gain respectability and publicity. But in almost every case, their performances failed to match the hype. Instead of searching out players in the twilight of their careers the MLS is now focused on becoming a launching pad for new talent like the exciting 22-year-old Guatemalan Carlos Ruiz, who led the Galaxy to the title last season and picked up league MVP honors on the way. The MLS, however, still recognizes the value of foreign stars, Colorado signing former Arsenal defender Frenchman Gilles Grimandi and Los Angeles adding South Korean captain Hong Myung-Bo to their side. A year after contracting teams in Miami and Tampa, the league announced plans to add two new franchises for the 2005 season. Houston, Seattle, Cleveland, Rochester, New York, Tulsa, Oklahoma City and Toronto head an ever growing list of cities that have expressed interest in pursuing a franchise, which will run about $10 million each. While the MLS feels it can finally look forward to a bright future there are lingering clouds on the horizon. After seven seasons the MLS continues to bleed money and despite some enthusiastic interest investors are increasingly hard to find. Business model The MLS has a business model unique to the sporting world that sees three men own all 10 franchises. Billionaire Philip Anschutz operates six teams while wealthy oilman Lamar Hunt runs three and Jonathan Kraft, owner of the NFL's New England Patriots, includes the New England Revolution in his sporting portfolio. "We're losing less money than we have in previous years, significantly less than we did in 2001," said Garber. "It is a major priority not just to get new investors to come into expansion markets, but it's a high priority to get new investors to come in and either partner with or purchase some of the teams that our current investors have. "I think it's absolutely imperative that we get knew investors in the league. "But in order to secure investors we need to be a more viable business. "By the end of our season we will announce what we hope will
be two finalists that will secure MLS franchises to launch in
2005 and we're making progress in a handful of those different
stadiums."
Copyright 2003 Reuters Limited. All rights reserved. |
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