NEWSFLASH-Rojas signed and probable starters listed

[SoccerPrime]

The word is Club America is going to announce they are getting a MLS team. Rumor-mill...

[Jim Umber]

At least that would make sense to have the announcement in the US, then. Hey, bring'em on! The more the merrier.

[SoccerPrime]

Big question is even if Club America thinks they are getting a MLS team, is it an expansion team (next round is 2007 season) or an existing MLS team (I believe the list is DC United, SQ Quakes, KC Wizards and Chicago Fire). If its an existing team I believe they cannot move them until 2006 season.

[jasoncox]

Are the Fire for sale? If so, I guess I've been asleep on that one. Didn't they just break ground on their new stadium? Seems an odd time to be selling.

[SoccerPrime]

United, Fire and Quakes are owned by AEG, who have publicly mentioned they want to control only 2 teams. Since the MetroStars and Galaxy are in the 2 biggest markets, many people assume that they want to keep those. But thats just a guess. They have publicly mentioned that they want to sell DC and SJ.
And Hunt owns the Wizs and we all know he wants to sell them (he also owns Crew & Dallas).

[Deuce]

Chelsea are looking to buy Smurfquakes so it will most likely not be them!

A secret approach has been made by a top English club to buy a franchise in the American MLS League. (Sunday Express)

and this

The next phase of Chelsea's bid for world domination looks likely to be a
partnership with American club San Jose Earthquakes.

After an agreement with Corinthians in South America that could bring
Brazilian talents like Robinho to Stamford Bridge, Chelsea are planning to
gain a foothold in the rest of the continent. Alexei Lalas, the bearded defender of USA94 and now general manager of the Earthquakes, was due in London last week [mid-December] for talks with Blues' Chief Executive Peter Kenyon. But Lalas and former US team-mate Eric Wynalda, acting as a consultant, postponed the trip when the proposals leaked out in America.

The idea is far from dead, however. The Earthquakes, owned by the Anschutz Entertainment Group, whose other interests include the Millennium Dome, are strugglers desperate for a purpose-built stadium to keep the franchise in San Jose.

AEG are keen to sell outright but Chelsea's input would probably be no more than covering the club's costs. Whether an outright purchase follows or not, Chelsea want to set up in the Bay Area, where there is a big, football-mad Hispanic community.

An additional incentive would be the chance to work with adidas, who have a kit deal with MLS. Kenyon is in the process of securing lucrative new
sponsorship to fit the club's higher global profile and is looking at
alternatives to his old employers, Umbro.

Originally Posted by SoccerPrime

United, Fire and Quakes are owned by AEG, who have publicly mentioned they want to control only 2 teams. Since the MetroStars and Galaxy are in the 2 biggest markets, many people assume that they want to keep those. But thats just a guess. They have publicly mentioned that they want to sell DC and SJ.
And Hunt owns the Wizs and we all know he wants to sell them (he also owns Crew & Dallas).

[SoccerPrime]

Whatever, I'll believe Chelski is buying the Quakes when I see it.
Til then, Quakes are on the chopping block for whoever has the money.

[Rover]

Big difference between agreements between teams to share players/schedule friendlies and buying the team. I'm also not convinced international money is eager to buy into MLS' single entity investor/operator structure. But then I was surprised when Daddy Cheese in Guadalajara decided to stick baby cheese in LA. So anything's possible.