MLS meets, but Sacramento bid still not finalized

ORLANDO, Fla. — The Sacramento Bee is in Orlando, Florida, this week covering Major League Soccer’s board of governor’s meeting, where Sacramento’s expansion bid will be debated.

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Three months ago, upbeat Major League Soccer officials announced they were entering formal negotiations with a private investor group representing Sacramento in hopes of signing a deal as early as July to bring the capital city into the league.

That date has arrived, but no deal is signed, MLS Commissioner Don Garber said Wednesday, offering his first formal update since April.

Garber said he isn’t concerned the deal will fall through, and emphasized MLS and the Sacramento investment group continue talks on an almost daily basis. Mayor Darrell Steinberg is involved as well, Garber said.

Speaking at the league’s annual all-star game gathering here, Garber said it requires a huge investment of a half-billion dollars or more to enter the league.

“There are no hiccups,” Garber said. “These are lifetime decisions for an investor to make. These are massive commitments. It takes time.”

Garber said Sacramento’s talks will continue with no timeline for conclusion. “There is no rush,” he said.

The league’s Board of Governor’s meets again in December, he said, although a decision on allowing entry into the league could happen before that. “We have plenty of time for them ... to reach a final agreement with us.”

Garber said he plans to visit Sacramento in the near future, but did not provide a date or an agenda. He said he also will visit Charlotte, another city vying for a soccer franchise.

A new MLS franchise would replace Sacramento’s existing professional soccer team, Republic FC, which plays in the lower tier United Soccer League. The new team would retain the Republic FC name. Garber said he would expect Sacramento to begin play in MLS in 2022, if an agreement is reached.

Ben Gumpert, Republic FC president, said Wednesday there are no hang-ups. Instead, he said the deal, which will cost the private investor group more than a half-billion dollars, is complex and takes time.

“It’s a complicated process,” Gumpert said. “Every day is a step forward. We’re 100 percent committed to making it happen. We are in a good spot.”

Steinberg acknowledged the difficulty of the ongoing talks, but said he is “not concerned at all” by the lack of a resolution.