Local Soccer Organizations Agree To Joint MLS Bid

SACRAMENTO (CBS13) -- For fans of the beautiful game, this was a beautiful day.
"Having a united bid and having the two owners work together, is very relieving for all of us fans, said Don Gibson.

He has supported the Sacramento Republic FC soccer team since day one - even attending their first game.

So when this week's expansion bid was submitted to Major League Soccer without any mention of the local team, the diehards were left in the dark.

"We were confused, shocked, sacred when we heard there were negotiations with the different ownership groups. So, we didn't know if our MLS bid would continue," explained Gibson.

But thanks to a soccer summit by Sacramento Mayor Darrel Steinberg, the team seems to be back on track. And fans are taking note.

"He sat them down and said, this is Sacramento. And we are going to make this happen. And he made it happen," said soccer fan and local resident,  Christopher Lovin, of Mayor Steinberg.

The financial terms haven't been disclosed, but after 12 hours of behind-closed-doors negotiations, Steinberg said in a statement that Sacramento now, "stands before MLS as one team and one community.:

At issue was who would own the team? After two days of marathon negotiations, the ownership dispute seems to be settled, at least in principle.

Founder Warren Smith will continue to own and operate the team. Kevin Nagle – the lead investor - will take over as owner if the team gets picked to join MLS. He will also oversee the team's expansion bid.

"It probably took too long than what I wanted, but as long as were are able to come together at the end of the day, we are really happy!" said Gibson.

Steinberg thanked Smith for "pouring his blood, sweat and tears into this city." And for bring professional soccer to Sacramento.

He also thanked Nagle for investing in Sacramento saying, "Without you… we would not be on the cusp of securing and building a state-of-the-art MLS stadium."

As for the actual bid, Major League Soccer is looking to expand by adding four new teams. They plan to announce two teams later this year. Sacramento hopes to be one of them.

Joining Major League Soccer requires Nagle's deep pockets and the investor team he's put together. The group includes Meg Whitman, the CEO of Hewlett Packard, who also previously served as CEO of eBay, San Francisco 49ers CEO Jed York, as well as Sacramento Kings.

They in turn need the fans base that Warren has nurtured over the past few years. The team's expansion bid is linked to the Republic's success, which is tied to their devoted fan base, which will likely play onto MLS's decision.

"Their symbol being the California flag, a symbol which many of us identify with, they have done nearly everything right to brand this and make it feel like a local project," said Gibson of the team's branding.

A formal agreement is expected to be signed by Nagel and Smith in the coming weeks.

Fans hope the rift doesn't derail the deal.