As you may know by now, there are 12 cities looking to possibly get MLS teams: Charlotte, Nashville, Indianapolis, Detroit, Phoenix, St. Louis, Raleigh/Durham, San Antonio, Sacramento, Cincinnati, Tampa and San Diego.
These three destinations in particular provide the most realistic options when it comes to the MLS.
Phoenix
Phoenix is an obvious choice. The city already has a sense of professional soccer, as the USL's Phoenix Rising have been able to play out of Phoenix and accumulate fans. The state of Arizona is not blind to the MLS either, as they have been hosting the Desert Diamond Cup preseason tournament in Tucson for the past six years.
Arizona has successfully been a home to the Arizona Cardinals (NFL), Phoenix Suns (NBA), Arizona/Phoenix Coyotes (NHL), and the Arizona Diamondbacks (MLB).
Phoenix's MLS team would get a new climate-controlled soccer-specific stadium on a 45-acre site that would be under contract. Plans for the stadium also included the club's academy, as well as a light-rail system for fans throughout the valley.
San Antonio
San Antonio also has a USL team, who sit in the middle of the pack in the standings at the current time of the USL season with an overall record of 10-12-8.
The MLS team would be owned and operated by the Spurs Sports & Entertainment, which, when it comes to the city of San Antonio as a community, would be fantastic for the city. Spurs Sports & Entertainment owns the San Antonio Spurs of the NBA, San Antonio Rampage of the American Hockey League (AHL), San Antonio Stars (WNBA), Austin Spurs (NBA D-League), and of course San Antonio FC of the USL.
Sacramento
Quite possibly the strongest candidate for a new MLS expansion team would have to be the city of Sacramento.
Sacramento is the home to the USL Western Conference-leading Sacramento Republic FC. Founded in 2012, Sacramento Republic FC won the USL Cup in 2014.
Sacramento would be a successful MLS expansion city because Sacramento Republic has been so successful.
