NEW YORK — Montreal will join Major League Soccer as its 19th team in 2012, and commissioner Don Garber hopes to add a second New York club as early as 2013.
Montreal was announced at a news conference Friday and will be owned by the Saputo family, which runs the Montreal Impact of the U.S. Soccer Federation D-2 Pro League. It will play primarily in Saputo Stadium, which opened two years ago and is to undergo about $22 million in renovations. Its capacity will increase from 13,000 to 20,000.
Some games will be in Olympic Stadium, the home of the Montreal Expos from 1977-04. Olympic Stadium, which holds more than 50,000, will host an exhibition between the Impact and AC Milan on June 2.
MLS currently has 16 teams. Portland, Ore., and Vancouver, British Columbia, were announced in March 2009 as expansion teams for 2011. Toronto FC started play in 2007.
FC Dallas defender suspended
NEW YORK — FC Dallas defenseman Jair Benitez has been suspended one game and fined $250 by MLS for an incident with Houston forward Dominic Odura earlier in the week. Benitez’s actions in the 26th minute of FC Dallas’ 1-0 win on Wednesday night were not seen by the officials and he was not penalized. The MLS disciplinary committee reviewed the play and determined it deserved a red card, and annouced the suspension and fine on Friday. Benitez was ejected later in the game after receiving a red card in the 73rd minute for a challenge against Dynamo forward Luis Angel Landin. As a result, Benitez will miss FC Dallas’ next two matches.
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