The Major League Soccer League will expand into Philadelphia in 2010.  They will become the league's 16th franchise. The team will play in an 18,500 seat soccer stadium that is being built along the Delaware River.  The team’s name and logo will be announced at a later date.

    It's fantastic," Real Salt Lake general manager Garth Lagerwey said. "It will set up regional rivalries with fan bases traveling all over the place. Philadelphia is a great market for soccer." MLS officials are looking at Philadelphia as an excellent addition to the league. ''It took 12 long years to bring this sport to the city of Philadelphia,'' MLS Commissioner Don Garber.  The MLS is expanding in 2009 to 15 teams when Seattle begins play.  The MLS has expanded quite a bit in the past few years.  With the additions of Philadelphia, Seattle, San Jose, RSL, Chivas USA and Toronto in the past few years the league is looking stronger. St. Louis and Miami are also looking like possible destinations for expansion in the future.

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    Expansion fees are $30 million. "The league has made significant changes to counterbalance that, including allowing more foreign players," Lagerwey said. "It just shows how healthy and robust the league is. We have cities competing to join. Franchise fees are increasing and stadiums are being built."

The MLS has TV contracts with ABC and ESPN. The league also has deals with Univision Communications Inc. and HDNet. Both of those really help add to the league’s coffers as does the expansion money.

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