Being one of the cities designated for MLS expansion is dependent on several factors -- getting the stadium plan approved and underway, garnering local corporate support, staying in MLS' ear and lobbying etc etc. First things first though. Raleigh needs to show MLS that it's a more attractive candidate than Charlotte. Before we worry about the likes of Cincinnati and Nashville and Sacramento et al, we must first knock off the in-state rival.
READ MORE: Raleigh puts best foot forward for MLS; is it enough?
To that end - good things happened last night. Mecklenburg County Commissioners met last night to discuss funding construction of a new soccer stadium for the purposes of attracting an MLS expansion team. The meeting was loud, rancorous and often confusing. Eventually though - they voted down the notion of paying for a new stadium, some of them taking offense that Marcus Smith, the son of racetrack billionaire Bruton Smith would even ask for public funding. Either way, it was a good result for Raleigh as the winds seem to be blowing out of town in Charlotte.
#MeckBOCC;
— Joe Bruno (@JoeBrunoWSOC9) August 3, 2017
January- We'll fund #MLS4CLT
June- We'll fund #MLS4CLT if #CLTCC does
August- We're not going to fund #MLS4CLT @wsoctv
North Carolina FC owner Steve Malik and team president Curt Johnson were both in attendance at the MLS All-Star game in Chicago last night. During the halftime broadcast of that event - MLS Commissioner Don Garber was asked where the league is hoping to land in the next round of expansion. Here's his response:
Here's MLS Commissioner Don Garber when asked where the league is headed in expansion: pic.twitter.com/uAR7lamgh6
— Mark Armstrong (@ArmstrongABC11) August 3, 2017
Read into that what you will.