Even though the NASL eventually folded in 1984, the weight of that history carried over when professional soccer in the U.S. was revived 10 years later—under the banner of Major League Soccer (MLS), the top-flight league that operates today. With it came the return of the San Jose team, too, albeit with new owners, which also hosted the league’s inaugural match in 1996.
And there in the South Bay, top-flight soccer in Northern California has remained, complete with a new soccer-specific stadium (Paypal Park) built in 2015 and generations of fans to fill it.
Even if a San Francisco group wanted to join the MLS today, there isn’t exactly an open invitation to do so.
In 2019, Carolina Panthers owner David Tepper paid $325 million into MLS just for permission to start developing the league’s 28th team—Charlotte FC. That’s before factoring in the costs of building or renovating a stadium, which the league requires, and recruiting and paying for players and staff.
The 49ers had to answer some of the same questions in the late 2000s when the team explored a new home after 40-plus years at Candlestick Park. They found that the land, money and political will in SF were suddenly in short supply.
In other words, the MLS ship sailed a long time ago. And it would take an obscene amount of money to see it again.
Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source link
