On 700 WLW, Bill Cunningham mentions a possible FC Cincinnati-MLS announcement.

700-WLW radio host Bill Cunningham said Monday afternoon that, according to Futbol Club Cincinnati President and General Manager Jeff Berding, news about a potential visit to Cincinnati by Major League Soccer would arrive within a week.

Cunningham issued the verbal report during his weekday show Monday afternoon, saying, "By the way, I'm told by Jeff Berding, by Memorial Day, the big deal will be announced. And I said, 'Jeff, Memorial Day is Monday.' A week. So, he said, 'I know.' So, we'll see what happens there."

However, FC Cincinnati Vice President of Communications Lizz Summers clarified Cunningham's remarks, noting the club anticipates scheduling the date of MLS Commissioner Don Garber and league executives' visit to Cincinnati before Memorial Day, not a potential MLS expansion announcement.

As FC Cincinnati indicated in an early May statement, there were still several outstanding items to check off on the to-do list for its MLS expansion bid.

Some of those items, such as final approval by West End representatives and Cincinnati City Council of a community benefits package, have been completed.

Others might be hanging in the balance, such as an MLS survey of the team's proposed West End stadium site.

An MLS spokesman last week told The Enquirer the league office wasn't aware of any visits to survey the stadium site by Garber.

An MLS visit to Cincinnati at this juncture could still signal the winding down of the process.

The club is now in the 16th month of the formal expansion process but has been working with industry experts and consultants in pursuit of MLS since winter 2015.

Moving forward with expansion now would also be in line with FC Cincinnati's desire to join the league as soon as possible in order to reap the benefits of personnel-related mechanisms afforded to first-year teams.

Joining the league in 2019 versus 2020 would result in some competitive advantages FC Cincinnati would prefer to not miss out on, such as the possibility of additiional expansion draft picks and the guaranteed No. 1-overall MLS SuperDraft selection.