Could The Big Apple Support Three MLS Clubs?

                                          

The New York City metropolitan area is home to more professional sports teams than any other city in the United States of America.  It has over 20,000,000 residents in its sprawl and easily supports multiple teams in the big four sports leagues.  MLS will soon have two teams into the New York area, but could the city support three teams?  The New York Red Bulls draw average attendance in a 25,000 seat arena and New York City FC will eventually have a 25,000 seat stadium of their own in the coming years.  Three teams representing one city would be unprecedented in modern sports leagues in this country.  The New York Cosmos ownership group has very deep pockets and our very ambitious.  They have won the NASL in their first season back as a club with a team compiled of MLS cast-offs and a highly paid Spanish legend named Marcos Senna.  The club has submitted plans  for a 25,000 seat stadium in Long Island and want to be the talk of the town.  It is still hard to be considered big time if you play in the second division or minor leagues of any sport in America and a move to MLS is a must.  Most people believed the Cosmos were on their way to MLS when there were talks of another team being added to New York City.  The Cosmos ownership group played some serious hard ball and the league looked at other options before rewarding the expansion to the Manchester City/Yankee ownership and New York City FC.  The Cosmos brand is too enticing not to be include in the league if a stadium deal is passed.  The unique dynamics of New York City and the sheer size of the city could allow it to support three clubs.  The Red Bulls would be a club that attached to the New Jersey section of the New York City metro because they play there.  Manhattan and the Bronx would attach to the newly founded New York City FC, with a stadium deal being discussed in those boroughs.  If the Cosmos were ever accepted into MLS they would attach to Long Island, having already played there this season and their stadium being planned there.  It could be a stretch, but those teams pulling from only that specific third of the New York City metro, still have more of a populace to pull from almost every MLS team.