Boca Juniors Considers Starting an MLS Expansion Team
By: Bob | July 31st, 2007
Add another name into the possible MLS expansion mix. After touring around the United States as part of their preseason preparations, Argentine giants Boca Juniors are reportedly interested in starting their own team in MLS – Boca Juniors USA.
From Goal.com:
Orlando Salvestrini, the marketing director of Boca who initially presented the idea, believes that the American market would best benefit the Argentine club.
“The idea came after a study of the market we were doing to try to continue to enhance the “Boca brand” around the world. The places to explore are South America, Central America, and the United States, but more precisely New York, Miami, Los Angeles and Arizona”, said Salvestrini.
He continued “Major League Soccer is taking advantage of the impact of David Beckham’s arrival and we are here to talk about this”.
With Chivas already owning a team in MLS and Arsenal linked with Colorado, clearly the league is starting to be viewed as an attractive investment by some of the biggest clubs from around the world. I think this is only going to increase over time. It doesn’t take a genius to figure out that the US soccer market is potentially huge and as the big clubs fight for global dollars they have to make inroads in one of the world’s wealthiest countries.
The question I have, however, is whether the interests of clubs like Boca Juniors are in line with the interests of MLS and soccer in the US. Will they be committed to the league’s mandate of developing soccer US players or will they be more concerned with using the league to increase awareness of their brand? The two ideas aren’t mutually exclusive, of course, but they could be at odds.
What do you think? Is this type of investment good for MLS?
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Comments
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I’m on the fence on this one. Investment is good, but homegrown investment is better, I would think. Still, beggars can’t be choosers…
Posted from
United States
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If this brings a MLS franchise to Arizona or Florida (the realistic choices from the ones listed), I’m all for it. Imagine it – Boca USA v Chivas USA in the expanding-the-brand derby.
Posted from
United States -
I’m for it if they call the team Boca Juniors Junior. The academy team would then be Boca Juniors Junior Junior, which makes me smile.
Posted from
United States -
Boca Phoenix? Boca Miami? Well, I’m all for it. As long as the MLS puts their expansion sides in good cities like Miami, not frickin’ Milwaukee.
Posted from
Canada -
Yeah, not New York – I’m still waiting for a return of the Cosmos. Boca Phoenix or Boca Miami… I know there’s a sizable Argentinian population in Miami – what are the demographics of the Arizona cities (Phoenix, Tucson)?
Posted from
United States -
A team already failed in Miami and Florida is a bad summer sports state. NY has a ton of Argies. My guess is they would want to put their team there.
Posted from
United States -
Detroit Arsenal. Irony. End of story.
Posted from
United States -
Maybe they can start a nice rivalry with River Mississippi.
Posted from
United States -
River Mississippi… sounds good to me. But realisticly, Miami is one of the better areas demographically but the muggy, hurricane weather kills summer sports. They need to put it in Arizona, or I guess New York, but I want to see the MetroStars come back… I think that they should start a team between tampa and miami, with the fusion and mutiny busting. maybe combining midway would work.. build a monorail to the stadium from the cities.. typical florida style!
Posted from
United States -
As long as maladroga(maradona) is head coach they can go anywhere in the US.
Posted from
United States -
YEEESSSSSSS
Blue Devil Brad I agree with the Cosmos idea. But as a second choice I’d love to root for Boca New York. New York is screaming for a second team and I’m sick of supporting the Energy Drinks. I miss the MetroStars…
Posted from
United States -
How about Boca Boca Raton III? (sic)
Posted from
United States -
All we need now is an Ajax Canada and we’re set.
Posted from
Canada -
Ajax already owns a team in the United Soccer Leagues Premier Development League, Ajax Orlando. Crystal Palace also owns a team in Baltimore.
Posted from
United States -
Ha! We beat them to it. River Plate Puerto Rico, baby! Suavemente!!
Posted from
United States -
there are more argentines in ny and miami than anywhere else in the USA. i really feel that miami should be it. giving florida another chance. the league was young and it failed so its not the end of the world. hell, san jose is getting another team after they left for houston. and by the way… it would be miami juniors or arizona juniors. boca is the name of the neighborhood. they’ll have to come up with a good name hopefully not boca juniors USA.
Posted from
United States -
Just give me an expansion team in Miami and let me start enjoying life again.
Viva o Brasil !!!
Posted from
United States -
Celtic Atlanta, that’s what we need to serve the great fols of the South!
Posted from
United States -
I really hope that mls gives miami another franchise, we deserve it, the fans had to pay for the bad organization of the owner of our miami fusion, just by placing the team at lockhart stadium was the biggest mistake, everyone knew that hispanics weren’t going to travel all the way up north to watch them play, specially during the weekdays… miami traffic is the worst so people didnt want to deal with all the i-95 5-7pm miami rush hour traffic…
we need the team in miami, at the orange bowl, the hurricanes might now be playing there next season so we dont have to worry about the field being marked with american football yardlines……… they should buy out the franchise name and still keep the name “MIAMI FUSION”, i think everyone in south florida identified with that name because of the inmense diversity of ethnicities here in miami!! dale dale fusion!! vamos a ganar!!!!!!!!!!!!!! AFUCIONADO HASTA LA MUERTE!
Posted from
United States
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