Portland or Seattle look to get MLS club

Michael Keston, who holds exclusive MLS rights for expansion into the Pacific Northwest, is looking at Seattle, Wash. and Portland, Ore. as possible sites for a new club.

Keston, owner and CEO of Encino, Calif.-based Larwin Co., said he is in talks with Paul Allen's First & Goal Inc., a company that operates 67,000-seat Qwest Field. Allen had earlier denied a report he was looking to invest in an English football club.

"We've had eight to 10 meetings with First & Goal in the last four months," Keston said. "They seem very interested in bringing soccer to Seattle. Conversations are continuing and I expect they will dramatically increase over the next 30 to 45 days."

Keston's remarks contradict an earlier report by the Oregonian, a Portland daily newspaper in which a Seattle Seahawks NFL spokeswoman denied there were any talks between Keston and First & Goal.

Keston said he is in talks with Portland's city leaders. He said a variety of factors will lead him to pick the franchise's new home, including revenue generation through suites, signage, parking, concessions and corporate sponsorships.

And, in the case of the potential stadiums, Keston is looking at smaller being better. Portland's PGE Park holds 20,000 while Seattle's Qwest Stadium can seat 67,000.

"One of the things we're discussing with First & Goal is how to make Qwest Field more intimate," Keston said. "The lower bowl alone is ideal for an MLS crowd."

Source: euFootball.BIZ © Copyright 2006 - All rights reserved.