According to several sources on Friday, Major League Soccer could be coming to the Pacific Northwest as soon as the 2009 season if, as was reported, Seattle becomes home to the U.S. soccer league's 14th franchise.
San Jose, it was previously announced in July, will rejoin the league beginning next season. MLS has already made public its goal is to reach 16 franchises by 2010.
The story surrounding the Seattle choice was originally filed by Ives Galarcep of the Herald News of New Jersey and followed up by SI.com's Jonah Freedman. The league would not confirm or deny any impending accouncement on a Seattle franchise, but MLS spokesman Dan Courtemanche did note that MLS "anticipates it will have an official announcement regarding the 15th and 16th MLS teams by the end of the year or in the first quarter of 2008."
He also acknowledged that Seattle is "one of a dozen markets through North America that Major League Soccer is currently in discussions with regarding future MLS expansion."
With a loyal and built-in soccer fanbase, Seattle has long been mentioned as a possible expansion locale. Among other cities either pursuing a team or prominently mentioned as possibilities include St. Louis, Philadelphia and Portland, Ore.
Seattle currently fields a USL First Division team, the Sounders, who were to play in the championship game against Atlanta on Saturday.
It is likely that any MLS team in Seattle would play in Qwest Field, where the Sounders currently play, and the building the Seattle Seahawks of the NFL call home.
