MSL Still Searching for Answer : Soccer: League extends deadline on folding. Word on St. Louis, all-star concept encourages owners.

The MSL is in business--at least for another 10 days.

And maybe longer. Investors hoping to resurrect the dormant St. Louis Storm surfaced on Monday and breathed new life into the ailing league.

The five remaining owners had established Monday as a deadline to find a sixth team--which St. Louis would be--or fold. Because of assurances given by the new St. Louis group, MSL owners decided to give themselves 10 more days to pull together a 1992-93 season.

“In a nutshell, St. Louis is in and there will be an MSL,” said Cleveland owner George Hoffman. “St. Louis has assured us it can come up with the money. We are putting it on hold for 10 days while they straighten out their letter of credit.”

Oscar Ancira, Sockers’ managing general partner, didn’t sound so positive during a news conference outside the Sports Arena. He gave the league a 70% chance of survival.

In addition to St. Louis, it appears that if the league goes forward it will do so with a team comprising all-stars from Mexico’s first division. The team would play only road games, but the results would count in the standings.

Ancira has been working on the plan for several weeks.

“It (the Mexican team) has been confirmed,” Ancira said. “We’re working out a schedule on how (the team can be added).”

In another matter, MSL Commissioner Earl Foreman said he met over the weekend with representatives of a club team from Montreal that has expressed interest in barnstorming the league in the same manner as the Mexican team.

Foreman, however, downplayed that meeting.

“We’ve met with them, and we’re talking with them, but I wouldn’t say that is something I’m optimistic about doing for this year,” Foreman said. “We will give as much time as we have available to it, but there are other things that require more immediate attention.”

Despite the uncertainty, Foreman has asked all teams to submit arena dates for the coming season--which will go 40 games for a second consecutive season. Foreman said he wants the dates now so a season can be configured that will allow for the playoffs to conclude before the NBA and NHL playoffs begin.

That would mean playing more games in a shorter time frame than usual, but doing so would allow the league to plan for an abbreviated summer schedule.

“We are considering the potential of a summer schedule for those clubs who want to play in the summertime,” Foreman said, alluding to work being done by Dallas Sidekicks owner Donald Carter, who also owns the NBA Mavericks.

If the MSL does double up for a summer league in 1993, it would be one of three indoor soccer leagues to do so. Last week the Arena Soccer League announced it would start in 1993. The Continental Indoor Soccer League said the same thing Monday.

The CISL would be in direct competition for franchises with the MSL. It is being organized by Jerry Buss, Lakers owner.

Buss, who owned the MSL Lazers from 1982-89, said he has several other NBA owners ready to commit to his low-budget league, but Foreman isn’t so sure.

Monday’s USA Today listed Los Angeles, Phoenix, Sacramento, Portland, Houston, Miami, Denver, New York, Detroit, Minneapolis, Atlanta and Charlotte as NBA cities ready to join the fledging circuit. Only Los Angeles, Phoenix and Sacramento have formally committed, however.

“The only league in soccer who truthfully says ‘this is all we’ve got’ is us,” Foreman joked.

Nevertheless, Foreman said that despite the CISL’s announcement, the MSL still hopes to add expansion teams from NBA cities for its proposed summer fling.

Failing that, Ancira said there is a possibility that some MSL teams will combine with the CISL during the summer.

“We’re going to make it optional,” Ancira said. “If the CISL already has the momentum and is building and putting everything together, we’ll go to them and say, hey, we can add a few more teams to your league.

“We’re very seriously looking at it.”

Ancira also said eventually the sport must stop pulling itself in several different directions.

“We have to reach a compromise,” he said about the MSL and CISL in particular. “We play with them in the summer, and eventually they can add a few teams to our league in the winter. That’s the goal. . . . Eventually we have to find a compromise because in order to be successful, you have to have the same thing they have in baseball and the same thing they have in basketball--one league.”