Barca planning American adventure

Barcelona president Joan Laporta has admitted that the Spanish side are planning to form a team to compete in Major League Soccer (MLS) in the United States.

The idea is part of Barcelona’s long-term plan to expand around the world.

“Barcelona have a lot of plans,” Laporta said in Mexico. “One of them is that Barcelona play their own team in the MLS but now it is at the development stage.

“The MLS’s characteristics are very different from the Spanish league but we want to play in United States. Although we doe not understand the rules.”

The MLS currently has 12 teams divided into two zones – the East and West Conferences.

Jorge Vergara, president of Mexican side Chivas from Guadalajara, bought a franchise last year and established a new MLS team which played in the league this current season under the name “Chivas USA”.

The squad had both American and Mexican players but were the worst team in the MLS regular season – finishing in last position in the Western Conference, with only 18 points from 32 matches.