Could Pittsburgh get a Major League Soccer expansion team by 2020?

Jul 31, 2013; Kansas City, KS, USA; MLS All Star midfielder Mike Magee (3) of the Chicago Fire chases after the ball AS Roma midfielder Michael Bradley (4) during the second half of the 2013 MLS All Star Game at Sporting Park. AS Roma won 3-1. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports

Since the construction of new Highmark Stadium, Pittsburgh Riverhounds ownership hasn’t been shy about expressing its long-term goal of bringing a Major League Soccer expansion franchise to the Steel City.

If MLS commissioner Don Garber is to be believed, Pittsburgh soccer fans may have a timetable for the arrival of the continent’s top league on the Monongahela River.

As reported by FanSided parent company SI.com and other media sources, Garber revealed at halftime of Wednesday’s MLS All-Star Game in Kansas City that the league’s growth plan includes the addition of four new expansion teams by 2020. The MLS is currently a 19-team league, with the Manchester City and New York Yankees-owned New York City FC set to make it an even 20 in 2015.

It’s an aggressive plan, as MLS shrunk to a mere 10 clubs in the middle of the previous decade. On the other hand, according to Garber, the strength of the MLS brand has never been better:

"“As MLS enters a period of accelerated growth,” Garber said, “the addition of new teams will allow us to expand our geographic coverage, grow our fan base and help us achieve our vision of being among the best leagues in the world…[E]xpansion clubs have contributed to the vitality of our league, bringing passionate fans, new traditions and committed owners with new ideas.”"

The above article mentions Miami, Atlanta, Sacramento, Orlando, Detroit and Minneapolis/St. Paul as possible locations for the four new teams, with Pittsburgh notable for its absence. As Riverhounds CEO Jason Kutney told City of Champions in April, the Riverhounds’ revitalization in the second-tier USL PRO league is aimed as establishing Pittsburgh as a “viable Major League Soccer marketplace.”

Highmark Stadium has drawn tens of thousands of soccer fans to Station Square this season, giving hope to those dreams. The facility would have to be renovated to accommodate an MLS franchise – with additional seats being the main priority – but Pittsburgh’s embrace of the Riverhounds’ rebirth should give Garber and Co. an intriguing possibility for the next wave of expansion.

As Kutney has said, the ‘Hounds need to continue to build on this season’s momentum. The next couple years could determine whether Pittsburgh joins the MLS family by 2020, or is forced to wait to take that major step.

UPDATE (3:35 p.m.): City of Champions reached out to Kutney for comment on Pittsburgh’s MLS chances. He was in Kansas City this week to participate in USL PRO leadership meetings and explore the atmosphere in one of America’s great soccer towns.

Here’s what the Riverhounds CEO had to say via email, including a compliment his franchise received from United States Soccer Federation president Sunil Gulati:

"Having just returned from Kansas City, and having spent hours in meetings regarding this specific topic, I can state that the Riverhounds have turned MANY heads over the course of this year. As a highlight during my time in KC, Sunil Gulati referred to Pittsburgh as an amazing soccer success story for 2013. That certainly made the hairs stand up on the back of my neck.The MLS has expanded in an intelligent and sustainable manner. We would be honored to be in consideration, but we have work to do in order to reach that point. Having seen the Kansas City marketplace, I do believe it is achievable in Pittsburgh and we departed KC with many, many ideas on how to grow the soccer fervor in Pittsburgh.The goals for Pittsburgh are still the same: fill the stadium, expand seating, fill the stadium. Right now, we’re working through that first part.  Obviously after step 1 is step 2 and that means we are presently looking at our first wave of seating expansion.The next 5 years will determine a lot."