Phoenix Rising passed over by MLS for expansion team in Austin

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https://www.azcentral.com/story/spo...ccer-expansion-austin-not-phoenix/2586010002/

AUSTIN – Major League Soccer Commissioner Don Garber formally announced Tuesday that Austin will receive an expansion franchise for the 2021 season.

That leaves the Phoenix Rising FC's MLS expansion dreams in limbo with only one more team expected to be added to the league.

 

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PRFC team President Berke Bakay released the following statement:

“In our discussions with MLS Commissioner Don Garber, he informed us of the possibility that the owner of the Columbus Crew franchise would potentially move his team to Austin, and the MLS would backfill a team in Columbus to honor that community’s history of commitment to the league. During MLS’ recent visit to Phoenix, they again shared the probability of adding Austin to the league. This, combined with MLS Commissioner Garber’s announcement at the MLS final that the league would not cap its expansion to only 28 teams, is more good news for us in Phoenix. In fact, the addition of Austin makes Phoenix even more important to MLS, in order to balance the number of teams in the western United States. All of us at Phoenix Rising FC congratulate Austin on its entry to the MLS, and we greatly look forward to having them on our match schedule when we join them in the league.”