NASHVILLE -- This will come as a surprise to nobody, but it looks like Nashville is a sure bet to nab a spot in Major League Soccer.
MLS Commissioner Don Garber will be in the Music City to make a "significant announcement" about the future of the sport in Nashville at 4 p.m. (Central time) Wednesday, according to a news release. Nashville Mayor Megan Barry, Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam and John R. Ingram with Nashville Soccer Holdings LLC will also be present at the news conference.
BREAKING: The MLS Commissioner will be in Nashville tomorrow for a big announcement! He'll be joined by @MayorMeganBarry and Gov. @BillHaslam. Interpret that how you wish @NC5 pic.twitter.com/nG5qhWOwQ2
— Dan Kennedy (@NC5_DanKennedy) December 19, 2017
There's no word yet on which other team, of Sacramento, Cincinnati or Detroit, will earn the second coveted MLS slot. FC Cincinnati officials were in New York City earlier this month to plead their team's case before MLS officials, who were scheduled to meet on Dec. 14 to make a decision on which two teams would join the league.
At the end of their visit to the Big Apple, FC Cincinnati Vice President and General Manager Jeff Berding said he was optimistic about the Orange and Blue's chances.
Berding said FC Cincinnati based its pitch on the club's remarkable attendance in its first two years, its plan to build and fund a soccer stadium in Oakley, and its strong ownership group.
"We have said for some time we are a proven market. We are not a projection. That is certainly a strength of ours," Berding said.
"We are confident that we showed that we absolutely have a commitment and an ability to build that stadium."
