[dropcap]T[/dropcap]he largest city in the United States without a Major League Soccer team? Now, and officially in 2017, that title heads elsewhere.
In a press conference held Wednesday afternoon, Atlanta was announced as the newest MLS franchise, joining Orlando City SC and New York City FC in the latest phase of the league’s expansion.
“This is such an historic day for the city, for the sport, for the state of Georgia, and for all of us engaged in the sport in North America, ” MLS Commissioner Don Garber said.
Although a number of league supporters have become skeptical, for some merited reasons, over the association of an MLS franchise with the NFL, the expansion to Atlanta was made possible by Atlanta Falcons owner Arthur Blank, who will pay a cost of somewhere between $70-100 million as part of the expansion fee. Blank, also the co-founder of Home Depot, has reportedly been trying to bring a franchise to Atlanta for over a decade
“We think Atlanta is a natural fit for Major League Soccer,” Blank said. “We’ll do everything we can to focus on the fans to make sure we create the right atmosphere, make sure that technically we have the best players, the best coaches.”
A great deal of debate prior to the announcement has centered around the sharing of a new stadium that’s to be shared by the Falcons and the new MLS franchise, estimated at a cost of roughly $1.2 billion. Blank explained that the facility will accommodate the appropriate capacities and spacial needs for soccer, even though the stadium will hold over 70,000 for Falcons games. That design includes retractable seats to make room for a larger playing surface, among other features.
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