US football league finds money, growth entering 11th season

Major League Soccer opens its 11th season on Saturday with the 12-team US football league seeing signs of growth and stability despite major changes for two founding clubs

Major League Soccer opens its 11th season on Saturday with the 12-team US football league seeing signs of growth and stability despite major changes for two founding clubs.

Gone are the San Jose Earthquakes, who moved to Texas and became the Houston Dynamo after an ill-fated nickname choice of "1836", which honored the city's founding year but upset Hispanic fans mindful of Mexican secession that year.

The MetroStars, who struggled for support in the New York market, are now Red Bull New York. New Austrian owners plan to build a smaller new stadium in the same mold as parks that have been vital to survival for other MLS clubs.

Chicago Fire, who visit FC Dallas in Saturday's opener, must begin the season with nine away games until their new stadium opens.

The Fire will join Columbus, FC Dallas and two Los Angeles clubs with exclusive stadiums with other clubs hopeful of similar moves to boost their bottom lines and ensure stability.

MLS will not take a break during the World Cup, hopeful teams without top talent can lure crowds inspired by the global showdown in Germany.

The league develops top US and Latin American talent but much of the American World Cup squad will be comprised of players from European clubs.

Reigning champion Los Angeles Galaxy faces a setback after the death of general manager Doug Hamilton of a heart attack on March 9

Reigning champion Los Angeles Galaxy faces a setback after the death of general manager Doug Hamilton of a heart attack on March 9.

Los Angeles-based Chivas revamped a largely Mexican squad that flopped at 4-22 with six drawn last year in its debut season, hoping new coach Bob Bradley and forward Ante Razov can improve the only club worse than Real Salt Lake, which added Eddie Pope and Jeff Cunningham.

D.C. United boasts reverse Freddy Adu, the teen standout whose US World Cup tryout ended quickly, while the New England Revolution and Kansas City Wizards figure to lose the most talent to the US World Cup team.

The Revolution reached last year's MLS final and 2005 MLS Most Valuable Player Taylor Twellman and US World Cup veteran Clint Dempsey will lead the squad once again.

MLS has paid for television coverage the past decade but signed a deal that will bring some rights fee revenues as well as pass along production costs.

And expansion is on the horizon with Toronto being awarded a club expected to begin play next year.