Major League Soccer released the cities that submitted expansion bids and there a plenty of natural rivalries for Columbus Crew SC among the bidders. The following 12 cities Charlotte, Cincinnati, Detroit, Indianapolis, Nashville, Phoenix, Raleigh, Sacramento, St. Louis, San Antonio, San Diego, and Tampa submitted for consideration. The league will expand with Los Angeles FC joining in 2018 and Miami's expansion effort currently slated as the 24th team. The 12 will compete for four spots as the league expands to 28 teams over the next several years.
The eastern half of the United States is well represented with eight of the cities east of the Mississippi River (or straddle it in the case of St.