By Clemente Lisi – NEW YORK, NY (Feb 5, 2018) US Soccer Players – Many North American cities are lining up to put on their best faces to win the soccer expansion sweepstakes. The recent addition of Miami, spearheaded by David Beckham, brings to fruition a promise MLS had made years ago. Further down the soccer pyramid, leagues such as the USL and NPSL have also added teams on a minor-league level in the hopes of capitalizing on the game's popularity.

The trend in American sports has been to gamble on entertainment centers like Las Vegas. The NHL has found success with the Golden Knights during its inaugural season the past few months. Last year, the NFL approved the relocation of the Raiders from Oakland to Sin City by 2020. The WNBA will feature the Las Vegas Aces later this year, while the 51s, a AAA team affiliated with the New York Mets, has given Major League Baseball a place in the market. For the longest time, Las Vegas seemed taboo given its legalized sports gambling and the impact it could potentially have on pro sports. That's changing. Sports leagues appear to be lining up to grab a foothold in this metropolitan area that boasts a population of 632,000 and a number of annual visitors that tops 42 million annually.

Soccer isn’t too far behind. The USL, which has a history of plopping teams in small and medium-sized markets, will have a franchise in Las Vegas with Lights FC starting in March. Vegas isn’t the only gambling mecca getting in on the soccer act. The semi-pro NPSL recently announced the addition of a team in Atlantic City starting in May called Atlantic City FC. The team’s main sponsor, Tropicana Atlantic City, a casino operator, was instrumental in helping the team get off the ground and plans to house the players.

Is placing soccer clubs in the same place as casinos a gamble that will pay off? Cities like Las Vegas and Atlantic City, known for drawing a large number of visitors for conventions as well as entertainment options during their visits, are betting the world’s game will compliment other traditional options like concerts and musicals. Before it plays in the USL, the Las Vegas Lights FC will take on three MLS teams during preseason. The team will host the Montreal Impact at Cashman Field on February 10, Vancouver Whitecaps a week later and DC United on Feb. 24. Cashman field is also home to the 51s.

“Together with our fans we will create an authentic soccer experience similar to that seen around the globe – singing, dancing, chanting, drumming, flag waving – you name it," said Lights founder Brett Lashbrook. “Simply put, we are bringing the world’s most popular sport to the center of the world’s greatest city – and we couldn’t be more excited to bring professional soccer to Las Vegas.”

In 2012, Real Madrid played Santos Laguna of Mexico in a preseason friendly at Sam Boyd Stadium, attracting a crowd of nearly 30,000. In 2016, Mexico played Iceland at the same venue in a friendly that drew a soccer-record crowd of 30,617. Can a USL team ultimately lead to pro soccer coming to Las Vegas? Some local politicians think it’s a possibility.

“We really just want to see this grow. We want to prove Las Vegas is a home for soccer,” Mayor Carolyn Goodman told the Las Vegas Review-Journal. “Ultimately, a few years out, the goal will be MLS.”

The league had flirted with the possibility of awarding a franchise to Las Vegas when a group headed by former US National Team star Paul Caligiuri floated a plan in 2007. There was even talk about making Las Vegas a permanent home to the MLS Cup Final. None of these plans ever came to fruition. In 2015, MLS Commissioner Don Garber said MLS had no plans to award Las Vegas a franchise. The last time Las Vegas featured a pro soccer team was during the NASL when the Quicksilvers, featuring Portuguese star Eusebio, played just one season in 1977.

Whether a minor-league experiment in places like Las Vegas and Atlantic City can succeed remains to be seen. This year will give a clear indication of the potential future of two cities looking to capitalize on the game’s popularity. It’s not just soccer, with American pro sports looking to see if they can turn a tourist city into a sports city. If they can, it's a new market that soccer won't ignore.

Clemente Lisi is a regular contributor to US Soccer Players. He is also the author of A History of the World Cup: 1930-2014. Find him on Twitter:http://twitter.com/ClementeLisi.

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