Cue up "Empire State of Mind" by Jay-Z and Alicia Keys -- or maybe "New York, New York" by Frank Sinatra if you feel so inclined -- because MLS finally has a team in New York City.
On Tuesday, MLS announced the creation of New York City Football Club, which will become the league's 20th franchise. The team will officially join the league during the 2015 season and the deal brings together a partnership between Premier League giant Manchester City, MLS, and baseball's New York Yankees.
Following LA Galaxy training on Tuesday, New York native and LA Galaxy head coach Bruce Arena offered his thoughts on the new franchise.
"I think that it's great. That's where I'm from, that part of New York and it's a great spot for a new franchise," Arena said. "It's an area that supports the sport of soccer.The venues that they've discussed in Queens [Flushing Meadows-Corona Park] is a good one, but if that falls through then I'm sure that there will be some other options. I know that Belmont Park [in Long Island] was a possibility for the [NASL's New York] Cosmos, maybe it can be a possibility for an MLS team. If they get a suitable venue, it's going to be fabulous addition to the league."
The primary question that surrounds NYCFC is just where the team will actually be located. The team will off in 2015 in a temporary location as a permanent home is constructed -- Yankee Stadium is being floated as a potential option -- and may stay there for two to three years. But as NYCFC look for a venue, it certainly doesn't hurt to have the clout of the New York Yankees behind them, a team that is dear to Arena's heart.
"When you get the Yankees behind it, there is not a better organization in sports," said Arena, who attended the Yankees game against the Toronto Blue Jays last Thursday. "The Yankees are the Yankees. There's nothing like the Yankees."
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