MLS officials meet with United, Vikings; Twins owner sits in with first group

High-ranking officials with Major League Soccer, including Commissioner Don Garber, met in the Twin Cities recently with representatives from both local groups vying for an MLS expansion franchise in Minnesota.

Garber met with a group led by Minnesota United and its owner, former UnitedHealth executive William McGuire. That group also includes Twins owner Jim Pohlad, a source confirmed to the Star Tribune.

SI.com reported that Timberwolves owner Glen Taylor is also part of the group and that Pohlad and Taylor attended the meeting with Garber while he was in town Sept. 22-23. Taylor, who also owns the Star Tribune, did not return a message seeking comment. Twins officials declined to comment.

Minnesota United plays in the second-division North American Soccer League, and securing an MLS franchise would mean building anoutdoor soccer-specific stadium.

Garber also met with the Vikings, who are vying to secure a team to play in their new stadium slated to open in 2016.

Minneapolis is a strong contender to land an MLS franchise, though the league also is considering other markets such as Sacramento. MLS, which has a goal of expanding from 19 teams to 24 teams by 2020, could make an expansion decision by the end of the year — perhaps as soon as Dec. 7, when the league's board of governors will be gathered for the MLS Cup final.

Vikings Vice President Lester Bagley characterized the recent meeting with Garber as "a continuation of our ongoing dialogue with MLS," and noted that MLS leaders were making the rounds to various cities. Indeed, officials from the league were in Sacramento shortly before visiting Minnesota.

United President Nick Rogers would not confirm his group met with MLS leaders, continuing that group's preference to work behind the scenes.

"We have been focused on building a great football club," said Rogers, whose team won the NASL spring championship. "I think our achievements this year speak to that approach."

The two sides have been battling to gain the upper hand for several months and appear to have no interest in joining forces on a unified bid for a team that would play in the Vikings stadium.

Privately, members of the United group are confident that if Minneapolis is awarded an expansion franchise, their group will get it. The biggest obstacle remains securing a stadium site and funding, though the inclusion of billionaires Pohlad and Taylor in their group enhances their position. The United group has renderings for an outdoor downtown stadium near the Farmers Market, though the drawings have not been made public.