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The city known more for country music than
soccer was named the league's 24th franchise by MLS Commissioner
Don Garber during a news conference at the Country Music Hall of
Fame, but a decision has not yet been made on when the team will
begin to play.
"Nashville is a rising city with a passionate soccer fan base, a
dedicated ownership group and civic leaders that truly believe
in this sport," Garber said in a statement.
"Nashville continues its ascent as one of America's most dynamic
communities, with its incredible energy and creativity. For us,
that makes it a perfect place for MLS expansion."
In January, MLS said Nashville was among 12 cities vying to
secure a team in a league that began with 10 clubs in 1996. MLS
said at the time that two expansion teams would be announced by
the end of 2017 and begin playing in 2020.
The Nashville team, which will play in a new, 27,500-seat soccer
stadium at The Fairgrounds, is owned by a group that includes
the Wilf brothers who own the National Football League's
Minnesota Vikings.
Despite not having a team to call their own until now, the city
of Nashville has embraced soccer in impressive numbers in recent
years.
The CONCACAF Gold Cup match between the U.S. and Panama in July
drew a crowd of more than 47,000. Later that month, a
state-record 56,232 fans attended a game between Premier League
clubs Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur.
Nashville already has two major league sports franchises -- the
Tennessee Titans of the NFL and Nashville Predators of the
National Hockey League.
(Reporting by Frank Pingue in Toronto,; Editing by Neville
Dalton)
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