by Paul Kennedy @pkedit, Jun 28, 2017

FC Cincinnati, which hosts the Chicago Fire Wednesday in a round-of-16 of the U.S. Open Cup televised on ESPN and ESPN Deportes, has come out of nowhere to become a hot favorite for MLS expansion. None of the six MLS clubs that began as minor-league teams came close to enjoying the support FC Cincinnati enjoys.In 2017, FC Cincinnati is averaging 19,678 fans a game, better than that of half of the 22 teams in MLS and up almost 14 percent from 2016 when it shattered every USL attendance record. It also drew a crowd of 30,160 fans for its 1-0 Open Cup defeat of Columbus Crew SC, a record for the competition exclusive of the final.Six MLS teams were "promoted" from the USL or NASL ranks. Seattle, Portland and Vancouver had roots going back to the old NASL in the 1970s. Montreal had been around for more than a decade. Minnesota United spent six years in the NASL. Only Orlando City was a relative newcomer, winning an MLS expansion franchise after its third USL season.Only Montreal, which averaged 12,033 in its last season before being awarded an MLS team, comes remotely close to approaching FC Cincinnati's success at the gate. The other five clubs averaged less than half FC Cincinnati is averaging in their pre-approval years.FC Cincinnati's challenge is the same that has held back other cities on the MLS expansion list of 12 markets. It needs to find a stadium solution as Nippert Stadium is owned by the University of Cincinnati, which it uses for football. The need for MLS teams to control their revenue streams has forced FC Cincinnati to consider other options besides Nippert Stadium.FC Cincinnati recently unveiled designs for a soccer stadium -- a 25,000-seat horseshoe-shaped stadium -- and sites under consideration include Cincinnati's West End and the Oakley neighborhood and a site in nearby Kentucky. Securing funding for the $200 million stadium won't be easy, though.





Of the six MLS teams that moved up from the USL or NASL, only Portland and Montreal stayed in the stadiums in which they were playing, but both stadiums needed work for which the clubs received help from local governments. Seattle moved into the home of the NFL Seahawks. Vancouver and Orlando had temporary homes for one and two seasons, respectively, while they moved into their current venues. Minnesota United is expected to be in its temporary for two seasons before moving into its soccer stadium in St. Paul.



Seattle Sounders (approved: November 2007)

Average attendance (2007): 3,396. League: USL First Division (2007).

Stadium: Memorial Stadium. Capacity: 12,000.



The Sounders were awarded MLS's first expansion team in the Pacific Northwest to begin in 2009. The ownership group included Adrian Hanauer, who in 2002 became the majority owner of the Sounders, who had been playing in the USL First Division since 1994 when it was known as the APSL. They were playing in Memorial Stadium, a local high school football stadium that had been their home for the NASL launch in 1974. The new Sounders had a business relationship with the NFL Seahawks and moved into Qwest Field (now CenturyLink Field) for their MLS launch. They have led MLS in attendance in all eight years, breaking the league record six times. (Expansion Atlanta United is on course to break that record in 2017.)



Portland Timbers (approved: March 2009)

Average attendance (2008): 8,567. League: USL First Division.

Stadium: PGE Park. Capacity: 19,566.



MLS awarded Merritt Paulson, son of former Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson and owner of the USL Timbers and minor-league baseball Beavers, the Portland franchise to begin in 2011. Merritt Paulson sold the Beavers, who moved to El Paso, and partnered with the city of Portland to fund renovations of $36 million on PGE Park, a baseball stadium built in 1926 and used for soccer going back to the NASL Timbers in 1975. The Timbers have sold out every home game at what is now Providence Park and plan to make $50 million in renovations to expand the stadium to 25,000.



Vancouver Whitecaps (approved: March 2009)

Average attendance (2008): 4,999. League: USL First Division.

Stadium: Swangard Stadium. Capacity: 5,288.



Vancouver joined MLS in 2011, the same year Portland began play in MLS. Like Seattle and Portland, Vancouver had a long history of pro soccer dating back to the NASL in the 1970s. The Whitecaps played their first MLS season at Empire Field, a temporary stadium built at the former site of Empire Stadium, and moved into 54,500-seat B.C. Place, which they share with the CFL Lions, in 2012. The Caps play with a reduced capacity of 22,120.



Montreal Impact (approved: May 2010)

Average attendance (2009): 12,033. League: USL First Division.

Stadium: Saputo Stadium. Capacity: 13,034.



After being spurned by MLS in favor of Portland and Vancouver for the league's 17th and 18th teams, the Impact was approved as an expansion team for the 2012 season. In its last seven seasons at the Division 2 level -- five in the USL First Division, one in the USSF D2 Pro League and one in the NASL -- the Impact averaged more than 11,000 fans a game, eclipsing the Rochester Rhinos as the highest-drawing minor-league team. Saputo Stadium was built at a cost of $16.9 million and opened in 2008, two years before the Impact owner Joey Saputo was awarded an MLS franchise.The government of Quebec funded the expansion of Saputo Stadium from 13,034 to 20,801 for the Impact's move into MLS.



Orlando City (approved: November 2013)

Average attendance (2013): 8,052. League: USL.

Stadium: Florida Citrus Bowl. Capacity: 65,438.



After only three seasons, Orlando City was awarded MLS's 21st team and began play in 2015. Chivas USA folded after the 2014 season, so New York City FC and Orlando City came in as the 19th and 20th teams. Orlando City joined the revised USL for its first season in 2011 after owner Phil Rawlins moved the team from Austin. Flavio Augusto da Silva became the majority owner in 2013 as Orlando City approached the finish line in its MLS expansion bid. It played in the Citrus Bowl in the USL and moved back into the football stadium after renovations were done for its MLS launch while its downtown soccer stadium was being built. Orlando City initially sought public funding but ended up building the stadium that opened in March with private funds and owns the stadium.

Minnesota United (approved: March 2015)

Average attendance (2014): 6,133. League: NASL.

Stadium: National Sports Center. Capacity: 10,000.



The Lions had the shortest time between approval as an MLS team and their first season in the league -- just 12 months. They are playing at the University of Minnesota's TCF Bank Stadium while the process of building a soccer stadium in St. Paul drags on. Minnesota United is expected to move into its new digs in 2019.