Patrick Brennan

pbrennan@enquirer.com

Update: A report that Major League's Soccer's new expansion fee could reach as high as $200 million doesn't appear to have fazed Futbol Club Cincinnati's leadership from its lofty goals.

In an email to The Enquirer, FC Cincinnati President and General Manager Jeff Berding reaffirmed principle owner Carl Lindner III's and the club's commitment to "bring pro soccer at the highest level to our region."

"The USL is an aspirational league, and we hope to follow Orlando, Portland and others in making a future jump to the MLS," Berding said when asked to respond to the possible fee and any contact he's had with the league. "We are following MLS expansion closely, and there is nothing that we have learned from MLS that discourages us from our goals.”

The statement comes in the wake of a Monday report from Bloomberg that MLS could nearly double its expansion fee to about $200 million. The story quoted Mark Abbott, the president and deputy commissioner of MLS. The expansion fee was discussed last week by the league's board of governors during a closed-door meeting at the MLS All-Star Game festivities in San Jose.

"There has been incredible interest from cities across the country in acquiring a Major League Soccer expansion club and we continue to have productive discussions with a number of prospective ownership groups,” Abbott said in a provided statement. “Following the Board of Governors meeting, the league is continuing to work on the timetable and the details, including pricing, for future expansion and no decisions have been made. Based on the increasing value of MLS clubs, expansion fees could be as high as $200 million.”

The new fee isn't guaranteed to be $200 million and has not been finalized, Dan Courtemanche, executive vice president of communications for MLS, told The Enquirer in a Tuesday email.

Still, it seems likely the new fee will surpass previous record expansion fees, including the $110 million paid in 2014 for the impending reboot of the MLS's second Los Angeles franchise, Los Angeles FC (formerly Chivas USA).

The average value of MLS teams – an estimated $157 million each, according to Forbes – should also factor in setting the new fee.

FC Cincinnati representatives spent time at the MLS All-Star Game festivities last week networking and researching for its own possible leap to MLS. The All-Star Game activities overlapped with the United Soccer League's annual board of governors meeting held in downtown San Jose.

Berding said the trip was productive and also made the path forward more clear.

FC Cincinnati receives praise at MLS All-Star Game

The expansion landscape

MLS opened the 2016 season with 20 teams but announced this year its intent to eventually expand to 28. The vacancies are already filling up.

Atlanta United FC and Los Angeles FC are set to come online in 2017 and 2018, respectively. Minnesota United FC is scheduled for a 2018 MLS launch and, as always, former international soccer star David Beckham's project to bring MLS to the city of Miami is considered a virtual lock for an expansion slot.

Those four expansion projects would fill MLS out to 24 teams.

MLS expansion appears imminent for Sacramento Republic FC, which currently plays in the USL with FC Cincinnati. MLS Commissioner Don Garber has previously called Republic FC "MLS ready." That makes 25 teams, potentially.

Three spots would then remain for the likes of Cincinnati, Detroit, St. Louis, San Diego, San Antonio and other prospective groups. A Detroit-backed ownership group has already had a public appearance with Garber. St. Louis is also considered a leading contender for MLS. It's unclear if existing lower-league clubs in those respective cities would be part of the expansion efforts there.

In San Jose last week, Berding told The Enquirer he's happy his organization is part of the conversation after about a year in existence.

"We had no expectation that we would rise to the top of these discussions. We're thrilled to be a part of the consideration and I think that's a great achievement for year one," Berding told The Enquirer.

FC Cincinnati's candidacy

It remains to be seen if FC Cincinnati will reach the heights of MLS, but its candidacy is increasingly strong.

Even during his time in San Jose last week when he was mingling with MLS officials, Berding's approach to MLS has been a humble and modest one. He's mostly shied away from politicking for attention from the league and has instead allowed the results of his organization's work do all the talking.

The strategy appears to be working as Cincinnati's success on and off the field has resulted in praise from MLS officials on numerous occasions.

The team is improving its infrastructure on numerous fronts, including soccer-minded renovations coming to the University of Cincinnati's Nippert Stadium this offseason. The organization is also netting attendance figures competitive with MLS. FC Cincinnati averages about 17,000 fans per home game – more than five MLS teams.

The club eclipsed the 200,000 mark for season attendance this past weekend. With 203,489 fans for league matches (247,218 including a U.S. Open Cup home match and the sold out July 16 Crystal Palace FC friendly), FC Cincinnati is out-drawing every club in the second-division North American Soccer League, as well as eight MLS teams.

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