BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. • Major League Soccer officials and owners on Wednesday again praised St. Louis’ bid for an expansion team. But they also said it was unlikely they would pick the league’s 28th team this week at their spring board meeting here, as impatient fans had long hoped.

Owners from across North America, meeting in this swanky city, are scheduled for a 60- to 90-minute session on Thursday to discuss league expansion and the hot race for the last team spot this year.

Neither of the two front-runners — ownership groups from St. Louis and Sacramento, Calif. — is scheduled to present, league officials confirmed Wednesday.

And several owners said they either didn’t have enough information to pick between the two or didn’t want to tip their hands. Others continued to encourage St. Louis’ effort, now in its seventh month.

“I think the league is really excited about the opportunity there,” said Clark Hunt, owner of FC Dallas and the National Football League’s Kansas City Chiefs.