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ORLANDO, Fla. Joe Vellano Super Bowl Jersey . -- Orlando City Soccer has become Major League Soccers next expansion franchise. MLS commissioner Don Garber announced the franchise agreement with Orlando City on Tuesday at a community celebration near the site where a new downtown stadium will be constructed. Cheers, chants and dancing created a carnival-like atmosphere inside a venue in the heart of Orlandos downtown for the official announcement. It had been in the works since local officials approved a $20 million contribution last month to help the team build an $84 million, 18,000-seat stadium. Once construction is completed, the team will begin playing in MLS in the 2015 season. "Look, around you. Youre seeing history happening right now," Orlando City Soccer owner Flavio Augusto da Silva told a crowd of a few thousand purple-clad fans. "Youre all a part of it." Orlando City becomes MLS 21st franchise. It is the latest of four new franchises that Garber said in August that the league planned to add by 2020. New York is also getting a team in 2015. Garber said a final number is being worked out, but that he expects Orlando City to pay the same $70 million franchise expansion fee that recent previous MLS additions have paid. Both city and county officials previously approved the use of tourism taxes in recent months to help fund the construction costs for the new downtown soccer-specific stadium. That was the final hurdle the MLS said the city needed to clear to be awarded a team. The team was playing in the outdated Florida Citrus Bowl, which is configured primarily as a football venue with more than 60,000 seats. Tuesdays celebration was held at Cheyenne Saloon at Orlandos Church Street Station, which was also the location for the announcement of the citys other professional sports franchise -- the NBAs Orlando Magic -- in 1989. After relocating the team from Texas in 2011, Orlando City president Phil Rawlins made no secret that MLS expansion was the goal, predicting that it could happen within five years. But since its arrival, the team has developed a solid fan base playing the past three years as members of the minor league US Pro League, winning a pair of championships. Garber said capitalizing on that energy was a big key on expanding to Orlando now. "Orlando was ready," Garber said. "They were just aggressive with how quickly they wanted to come into the league. They were engaged with detailed negotiations with the city, the county and the state. All those pieces were coming together, and we wanted to ride that wave and capture the momentum." Rawlins said his prognostication in 2011 wasnt about wishful thinking, but more about belief in Orlando as a market. He echoed that sentiment on Tuesday. "When we moved here, people told me Orlando wasnt cool. They told me Orlando wasnt hip. Boy were they wrong," Rawlins said. Rawlins improved the teams financial standing significantly in February when he added da Silva, Brazilian native and businessman, as an investor and owner. Together they then ratcheted up his overtures to the city to work out public and private stadium partnership plan. That plan in the end calls for Orlando City to pay 50 per cent of the costs for construction of the new stadium, as well as for any cost overruns. The city and county will contribute a portion of its tourism taxes, and in turn own and operate the facility. The team will get all ticket revenue for its events and the city will retain money from events it holds there. As an expansion team, MLS also guarantees Orlando will host the leagues all-start game within five years. Akeem Ayers Jersey . During the morning loop on TSN, SportsCentre presents Purple Hearts, a TSN Original feature on Daron Richardson, daughter of former NHL defenceman Luke Richardson, who took her own life at the age of 14. Tedy Bruschi Jersey . Buck finished with two hits for the Indians, while starter Mitch Talbot threw 5 1/3 innings. He gave up two runs (one earned) on three hits and three walks, while striking out two. Niko Gallego and Tony Abreu had RBI doubles for Arizona.RALEIGH, N.C. -- Coach Kirk Muller and the rest of the Carolina Hurricanes are making the most of a makeshift lineup. Without No. 1 goalie Cam Ward and captain Eric Staal, the Hurricanes stretched their winning streak to a season-high four games with a 2-1 victory over the Nashville Predators on Sunday night. "Momentum is a big thing," Muller said. Alexander Semin and Jeff Skinner both had a goal and an assist, and Anton Khudobin made 31 saves. Skinner netted the winner with 3:31 left on a shot from the right wing that slipped under goalie Carter Huttons pads for his team-leading 20th goal. He has scored six times during the winning streak. "Were just trying to keep this thing going right now," Skinner said. "Were being consistent in our game and playing solid for all 60 minutes." Patric Hornqvist had tied it for Nashville with a power-play goal at 6:46 of the third period when he tipped in the puck at the right post for his ninth goal. But the Predators, who had earned points in four straight games, dropped their third in a row. The Hurricanes took a 1-0 lead on Semins goal 4:28 into the game. Semin gathered the puck from behind the net and sent a shot in off of Huttons back. Nashville coach Barry Trotz wasnt pleased with either goal allowed by Hutton. "I thought we really held them down to no chances," Trotz said. "We got zero saves. (Skinners goal) wasnt much of a shot at all." The Predators will now return to Nashville for a five-game homestand after an 0-3 trip. "We should have had five or six points out of this trip," Trotz said. "We camee away with two, and thats discouraging. Chris Jones Super Bowl Jersey. We put ourselves in the position to get points, so we just need a save." Staal sat out after he sustained a lower-body injury Saturday night in a win at the New York Islanders. He could be sidelined for a few more days. Nashville, which avoided its first shutout against the Hurricanes, held a 32-25 shots advantage. The Predators went 1 for 2 on the power play and killed Carolinas two man-advantages. Khudobin, filling in for Ward, improved to 5-0 this season and helped the Hurricanes win both ends of a back-to-back set for the first time this season. "It wasnt easy at all," Khudobin said. "I was just doing my job, trying to stop the pucks. We know the situation right now with every game being important." Khudobin started his third straight game after missing 33 because of an ankle injury. Muller said it was a risk to go back to him after Khudobins 38-save effort against the Islanders. "We took a chance, three in four nights for him, but hes been playing well," Muller said. "We just went for it." The Hurricanes, in their third game in four nights, played well without Staal in the lineup. Staal, who missed his first game since Feb. 26, 2011, had played in 191 consecutive regular-season games -- the third longest streak in franchise history. He holds the team record of 349 straight games. NOTES: Skinner extended his point streak to five games. ... The Hurricanes activated D Jay Harrison from the injured list and placed Ward on it, retroactive to Dec. 31. ... Hornqvist moved into a tie for seventh place on the Predators career goal list. cheap jerseys cheap jerseys from china ' ' ' |
