It's hard to get a clear picture of all the moving parts in the Major League Soccer expansion process that prompted the league Thursday to announce it won't admit a second expansion team until 2018.

Except in Sacramento, where a death knell might have been dealt to that city's MLS hopes.

Several hours after MLS confirmed the three remaining expansion finalist cities would remain in consideration for a spot in America's top-rung soccer league into the new year, Republic FC announced the exit of billionaire Meg Whitman from its ownership group, according to multiple reports.

Whitman, the CEO of Hewlett Packard Enterprise, was announced as a co-owner of Republic FC mere hours before Sacramento's final expansion presentation to MLS officials in New York City on Dec. 6.

With Whitman's financial clout out of the picture, the Sacramento organization now faces a significant funding gap, team officials said Thursday, according to the reports.

Sacramento will attempt to execute a plan to close the funding gap, but it's unclear if the club's expansion bid can recover from Whitman's departure.

In a statement released on Twitter, MLS reiterated the three remaining cities – Cincinnati, Detroit and Sacramento – had impressive bids but that the league "will take additional time to review" them before a final decision is made in the new year.

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In a Thursday interview with Cincinnati media, MLS Commissioner Don Garber confirmed the announcement of the second expansion team for the ongoing round of expansion would be completed by the start of the 2018 MLS season in early spring.

“FC Cincinnati had an unbelievable pitch," Garber said. "They did a wonderful job. We’ve got great respect for Carl Lindner and his family and Scott Farmer, his partner. We’re totally intrigued and impressed with what’s been going on with FC Cincinnati."

Garber declined to comment on any issues facing FC Cincinnati in the expansion bid process and said he still liked all three of the stadium sites the club originally submitted to the league prior to taking the Oakley site to the club's final expansion presentation in New York City Dec. 6.

Asked specifically why the expansion process appeared to be missing the timeline established by the league at the outset of the expansion process, Garber said: "There really isn’t a hitch or an impasse in any way. You know, we want to have finalized agreements before we announce teams. Our expansion committee meeting was 10 days ago, and we are very confident that we are going to have that second team finalized but we’re not able to reach a final agreement.”

Amid conjecture that the holdup for Cincinnati could be the planned stadium site in Oakley, The Enquirer revisited two other rumored locations Thursday: the West End and Newport.

West End residents and property owners – including Cincinnati Public Schools – said it would be news to them if a stadium is headed there.

Stargel Stadium, adjacent to Taft Information Technology High School, has been at the center of speculation there, but CPS President Ericka Copeland-Dansby said in a statement to The Enquirer that "FC Cincinnati has not communicated with Cincinnati Public Schools about any potential interest in the use of Taft Stargel Stadium site."

"CPS would engage our stakeholders in a significant way before discussing any changes or proposals to the current use," the statement continued. "The CPS Board of Education would welcome future conversations with FC Cincinnati if they become an MLS expansion team."

Many West Enders said they would welcome the club to their neighborhood.

A smile crossed Deborah Glenn's face when she opened the door to her hair salon, Flamingo, a few blocks north of Stargel Stadium on Bauer Avenue. She thinks a soccer stadium on her property is a great idea: "Make me an offer I can't refuse."

The idea of a soccer stadium next to Revelation Missionary Baptist Church pleased the Rev. Todd Ingram.

"I can see FC flags flying down Central Parkway," Ingram said. "I can see them walking down Central Avenue and right into the stadium. It is just win-win."

If the stadium doesn't go to the West End or Oakley, that leaves Newport. The vacant Ovation property owned by Corporex – FC Cincinnati General Manager Jeff Berding's former employer – has been talked about as a possible location.

Corporex CEO Tom Banta had no comment Thursday afternoon.

Cincinnati reporter Hannah Sparling contributed to this report.