Montreal drops out of MLS expansion race

LOS ANGELES — Montreal withdrew its bid for a MLS expansion team, commissioner Don Garber said Friday in his state-of-the-league address.

"They're out for the next round of expansion," Garber said. "I don't think it's gone forever but it's gone for now."

Other cities bidding for expansion teams are Atlanta, Miami, St. Louis, Vancouver, Ottawa and Portland, Ore. Representatives from Miami, Portland, Vancouver and Ottawa met with member of the MLS board this week, Garber said.

Seattle will join the league next year, followed by Philadelphia in 2010.

Garber said that Montreal's delegation — led by Joey Saputo and George Gillett, who owns Liverpool FC in England's Premier League and the NHL's Montreal Canadiens — had informed him within the past week of possible trouble.

— Staff and wire reports