MLS set to expand to Montreal

(espn.go.com 5-6-10)

NEW YORK -- Major League Soccer has called a Friday news conference to announce it is awarding an expansion team to Montreal.

The team will start play in 2012 and be the league's 19th city, a person familiar with the decision said Thursday, speaking on condition of anonymity because the announcement had not been made. The team will be owned by the Saputo family, which currently runs the Montreal Impact of the U.S. Soccer Federation D-2 Pro League.

MLS currently has 16 teams. Portland, Ore., and Vancouver, British Columbia, were announced in March 2009 as expansion teams for 2011.

MLS commissioner Don Garber had said on April 22 that adding a third team in Canada was likely. Toronto FC started play in 2007.

"We're confident that we'll be able to announce a 19th team shortly, and our hope is that 19th team will be in Montreal," Garber said during a meeting with the Associated Press Sports Editors.

MLS started play with 10 teams in 1996: Colorado, Columbus, Dallas, D.C., Kansas City, Los Angeles, New England, New York-New Jersey, San Jose and Tampa Bay.

The league added Chicago and Miami for 1998, then dropped back to 10 teams when Miami and Tampa Bay were eliminated after the 2001 season.

There has been repeated expansion in recent years, starting when Chivas USA and Real Salt Lake began play in 2005. After the original San Jose team moved to Houston for the 2006 season, Toronto FC started the following year, and a replacement Earthquakes took the field for 2008. Seattle was added for 2009 and Philadelphia for this year.