Fansided

San Antonio continue their pursuit of MLS

By Marco D'Onofrio

Jun 17, 2014; Frisco, TX, USA; The San Antonio Scorpions fans cheer for their team during the game against FC Dallas at Toyota Stadium. FC Dallas shuts out the Scorpions 2-0. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports
Jun 17, 2014; Frisco, TX, USA; The San Antonio Scorpions fans cheer for their team during the game against FC Dallas at Toyota Stadium. FC Dallas shuts out the Scorpions 2-0. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports /
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The city of San Antonio bought Toyota Field from Scorpion’s owner, Gordon Hartman, in the hopes of landing an MLS team.

San Antonio have proven they could truly become one of America’s great soccer cities with the success of their North American Soccer League team, the San Antonio Scorpions. The second-tier side began play in 2012 and won the league’s most prestigious prize in 2014, setting a modern-era NASL Championship game attendance record when they hosted the Soccer Bowl at Toyota Field in front of 7, 847 fans last November.

On Wednesday, the city took a massive step forward in their pursuit of Major League Soccer by announcing an agreement that will see them acquire Toyota Field from Scorpions’ owner. Gordon Hartman. The plan is to lease out the stadium for the next 20 years to  Spurs Sports & Entertainment (SS&E), who also happen to own the NBA’s San Antonio Spurs.

SS&E  are working hard to secure the rights to an MLS expansion team for the city, with the league already suggesting they will not be stopping at the 24 teams they had originally intended to have.

“In the next six months, we’ve got to come together and develop a plan with our ownership to determine when we go further, because we will,” MLS Commissioner Don Garber said at a press conference in April. “We will expand this league beyond 24 teams. It’s not an if, it’s a when.”

While Toyota Field currently only has a capacity of 8,000, the stadium that was constructed in 2013 was designed so that it could be expanded to hold as much of 16,000 if required.

“San Antonio is serious about its pursuit of Major League Soccer and this deal takes us a step closer to bringing it here,” San Antonio Mayor Ivy R. Taylor said in a statement. “Fans may have to wait a few more years, but soccer has an international appeal and is a perfect fit for our city’s global outlook and economic strategy.”

San Antonio are far from the only city interested in MLS expansion though and could have quite the battle ahead of them with the likes of St. Louis, Sacramento, Las Vegas, and Indianapolis, also looking to bring in top flight soccer.

However, Wednesday has to be seen as an encouraging sign for soccer fans in San Antonio, with the city clearly showing their support by sending a real signal of intent.

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