St. Louis en D1 en 2008?
Publié : 13 janvier 2007 3:32
http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/sports ... 72610017CD 24?OpenDocument
Cooper vows area will have pro soccer in '08
By Tom Timmermann
ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH
01/12/2007
Jeff Cooper, an Alton attorney leading the effort to bring an MLS expansion team to St. Louis, said Thursday that there will be a team in the St. Louis area soon. At what level is uncertain.
"We're going to play pro soccer in St. Louis in 2008 no matter what,'' he said. "We're working hard to get a proper stadium and get the league to have a reasonable number for the expansion fee. At the same time, we're working with the USL (United Soccer Leagues) Division I and youth organizations and trying to put that together."
Cooper's group and the city of Collinsville are in discussions about a stadium, but it would need funding from the state of Illinois. MLS has 13 teams and would like to add three more in the next several years before stopping expansion for awhile. Though the start of the 2008 season is about 16 months away, Cooper thinks there is still enough time to get a stadium built for that season, though the team might have to start its season with a series of road games.
It's also possible St. Louis could have a team in the WUSA, the women's professional league that might be restarted in the next few years. "We are very heavily involved in the re-establishment of the WUSA," Cooper said.
Cooper vows area will have pro soccer in '08
By Tom Timmermann
ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH
01/12/2007
Jeff Cooper, an Alton attorney leading the effort to bring an MLS expansion team to St. Louis, said Thursday that there will be a team in the St. Louis area soon. At what level is uncertain.
"We're going to play pro soccer in St. Louis in 2008 no matter what,'' he said. "We're working hard to get a proper stadium and get the league to have a reasonable number for the expansion fee. At the same time, we're working with the USL (United Soccer Leagues) Division I and youth organizations and trying to put that together."
Cooper's group and the city of Collinsville are in discussions about a stadium, but it would need funding from the state of Illinois. MLS has 13 teams and would like to add three more in the next several years before stopping expansion for awhile. Though the start of the 2008 season is about 16 months away, Cooper thinks there is still enough time to get a stadium built for that season, though the team might have to start its season with a series of road games.
It's also possible St. Louis could have a team in the WUSA, the women's professional league that might be restarted in the next few years. "We are very heavily involved in the re-establishment of the WUSA," Cooper said.