Weeks after making comments that indicated a sense of urgency with the proposal, MLS commissioner Don Garber is now expressing confidence that the league will complete an agreement in Miami.
Miami has long been expected to join the MLS as its 24th team in 2018, but the bid led by David Beckham and his group has hit roadblocks over the last several years. Most recently, the group has focused on building a stadium in the city’s Overtown neighborhood, but spent parts of 2016 seeking to attract additional investment.
In December, Garber said that there was a deadline on the Miami project, and that he and the league were seeking a resolution on the issue sooner rather than later. As the MLS continues to make plans for the 2018 season, Garber is now saying that he believes Miami will work out a solution to join the league as its 24th team. More from the Miami Herald:
Major League Soccer commissioner Don Garber sounded hopeful about David Beckham’s proposed Miami team when he spoke to reporters at the MLS Draft in Los Angeles on Friday.
“I am confident [Miami] will be our 24th team,” he said. “We’ll continue to work hard on finalizing a deal there. There are a lot of moving parts, but we are making progress. We need that team to get announced before we make any decisions going forward. We’ve got all hands on deck.”
What remains to be seen is the timing of the stadium. Depending on when a deal in Overtown is complete, the franchise could wind up playing a season or two at a temporary venue if it is to join the league by 2018.
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