ATLANTA -- Major League Soccer is closing in on a deal with Falcons owner Arthur Blank to bring an expansion franchise to Atlantas new downtown stadium. DJ Chark Jersey . The team would likely begin play in 2017, when the $1 billion retractable roof stadium is set to open next to the Georgia Dome to provide a new home for the NFL Falcons. "Our discussions with Major League Soccer continue, but we do not have a final agreement at this time," Kim Shreckengost, the chief administrative officer for Blanks AMB Group, said Tuesday in an email to The Associated Press. "We hope to complete the agreement soon, at which time we will make a formal announcement." The Atlanta Journal-Constitution has reported that a new team will be announced April 16. "We are continuing discussions with Arthur Blank to bring a Major League Soccer expansion team to Atlanta," said Dan Courtemanche, a spokesman for MLS. "However, we have not finalized an agreement at this time." The MLS has long coveted the Atlanta market, the largest in the U.S. without a team, as it moves toward its goal of expanding to 24 franchises. The 19-team league has already announced expansion franchises in New York City and Orlando that are scheduled to begin play next season, in addition to a provisional franchise in Miami owned by a group that includes David Beckham. That team is contingent on a deal for a new soccer-specific stadium in south Florida. There are no such concerns in Atlanta, where the Falcons new stadium was designed to accommodate an MLS team, providing Blank with additional revenue streams for the elaborate facility. While most MLS teams are moving toward smaller stadiums that are built solely for soccer, the Atlanta franchise would follow the model of teams in Seattle and Vancouver, which play in larger facilities downsized to provide a more intimate setting. For instance, Vancouvers BC Place has a curtain system that blocks off the upper deck, reducing capacity from 54,000 to 21,000. Atlantas new stadium will likely have a similar capability. Atlanta had two franchises in the old North American Soccer League. The Chiefs won the leagues first championship in 1968 but folded after the 1973 season, having spent their final year known as the Apollos. The Chiefs returned to the NASL in 1979 when the Colorado Caribous moved to Atlanta. That incarnation lasted only three seasons, never drawing as many as 8,000 fans a game before folding due to heavy financial losses. Atlanta has a team in a new version of the NASL, a league that ranks below MLS on the U.S. soccer ladder. The Silverbacks play at a 7,500-seat stadium on the outskirts of the city and are apparently not involved in talks on the MLS expansion team. Dede Westbrook Jersey .Y. -- First, Ryan Miller. Calais Campbell Jersey . Chief prosecutor Gerrie Nel also accused Pistorius of tailoring his testimony to fit the evidence at the scene. Pistorius denied the accusations. Nel alleged that the Olympic runner changed his aim with his 9 mm pistol to ensure that he hit Steenkamp as she fell back against a magazine rack in a toilet cubicle. http://www.thejaguarsfansshop.com/Jaguars-Barry-Church-Draft-Jersey/ . HEROES P.K. Subban – Scored the overtime winner and assisted on Montreal’s earlier goal, both on the power play, in a 2-1 win over Nashville.LONDON -- Tottenham, Fiorentina and Red Bull Salzburg made it four group wins out of four in the Europa League on Thursday to qualify for the knockout phase with two games to spare. Record-signing Erik Lamela scored his first Tottenham goal before winning the penalty that Jermain Defoe converted to clinch a 2-1 victory over Sheriff Tiraspol in Group K. In Romania, Fiorentina won by the same score at Pandurii Targu Jiu after Matos Ryder and Borja Valero scored for the Group E leader, while second-place Dnipro of Ukraine advanced by beating Pacos Ferreira 2-0. Two teams are also through already from Group C, with leader Red Bull Salzburg winning 3-1 at Standard Liege and Esbjerg edging Elfsborg 1-0. Valencia went to the top of Group A with a 3-2 win over St. Gallen, and will advance to the last 32 along with Russian side Rubin Kazan, Dnipro of Ukraine, and Ludogorets of Bulgaria. At White Hart Lane, Lamela finally made his mark more than two months after joining from Roma for up to 35 million euros ($47 million). The 21-year-old Lamela has been used sparingly by Andre Villas-Boas and is yet to start an English Premier League game for Spurs but he showed his attacking prowess against the Moldovan champions. Lamela knocked home the opener from close range on the hour before being tripped shortly afterwards in the penalty area, Defoe scored from the penalty spot in the 67th. Although Ismail Isa struck a late consolation, there was no comeback to deny Tottenham a fourth straight Group K win. "Lamela was unbelievable tonight, good on the ball, strong," Defoe said. "Sometimes it is difficult coming to a new club at such a young age." Tottenham will have to wait to confirm its status as group winner after second-placed Anzhi Makhachkala beat Tromso 1-0 in Norway. In Group A, late goals from Pablo Piatti and Sergio Canales helped Valencia come from behind to beat 10-man St. Gallen 3-2 in Switzerland and replace Swansea as leader after the Welsh side drew at Kuban Krasnodar. Taven Bryan Jersey. Bulgarians Ludogorets lost its 100 per cent record and conceded its first goal in Group B, but a 1-1 home draw with Chornomorets was enough for it to qualify. Second-placed PSV Eindhoven closed the gap at the top to three points with a 2-0 home win over Dinamo Zagreb. Rubin Kazan has all but done enough in Group D after beating English second-tier side Wigan 1-0 in Russia to go five points clear. Belgian side Zulte-Waregem gave itself hope of snatching second place with a 1-0 win over Maribor in Slovenia. In Group F, leader Eintracht Frankfurt surprisingly lost 4-2 in Israel to Maccabi Tel Aviv, which is two points behind in second. APOEL Nicosia moved off the bottom with a 2-1 win over Bordeaux. Trabzonspor all but booked its passage from Group J by winning 2-0 win at bottom-placed Legia Warsaw. Lazio remain hot on the leaders heels after a 2-1 win over Apollon in Rome. In Group I, Chuli scored in stoppage time for Real Betis to clinch a 1-0 victory over Vitoria Guimaraes in Portugal, lifting the Spanish side to top spot as former leader Lyon was held to 1-1 at Rijeka. Betis city rival Sevilla continued to edge towards qualification from Group H after a 1-1 home draw against Slovan Liberec. Also in Group H, Freiburgs Karim Guede and Nicolas Hofler were sent off in the final four minutes but the team managed to hang on for 0-0 with Estoril in Portugal. Dynamo Kyiv also shrugged off a numerical disadvantage as an own goal from Lukas Schenkel and a free kick from Andriy Yarmolenko clinched a 2-0 victory at Thun in Group G, despite the 17th-minute dismissal of Dieumerci Mbokani. Genks lead in the group was cut to a single point after a 2-2 draw at Rapid Vienna. AZ Alkmaar went top of Group L with a 1-0 win over Shakhter Karagandy, replacing PAOK, which drew 0-0 with Maccabi Haifa. 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