MSL to Pick New Owner for Sockers : Soccer: One group wants to be sure of league size.

Major Soccer League owners today are expected to approve one of two groups as new owner of the nine-time champion Sockers.

The question remains: Will the new Socker owner approve of the MSL?

A group headed by frozen food entrepreneur Oscar Ancira Jr. or one led by Tijuana attorney Wulfrano Ruiz, could receive the league’s OK to become the third owner of the Sockers in a conference call scheduled to begin at 1 p.m. (PDT) today.

But cloudy franchise pictures in Tacoma and Dallas could delay the action.

Ancira stressed that it is “quite critical to us the number of teams in the league.” He added: “I think it is going to drag on beyond (today).”

Ruiz refused to comment on his application, which he sent to New York earlier in the week.

MSL Commissioner Earl Foreman was traveling Thursday and could not be reached for comment. Aware of Ruiz’s interest, but not having seen his bid, Foreman on Wednesday praised the Ancira application, telling the San Diego Union: “Acceptance is a foregone conclusion.”

“I was startled when I read that,” said Randy Bernstein, Sockers’ vice president. “I didn’t think one of the groups was ahead of the other. I thought both groups would go into the conference call on an equal footing and Earl would go over the weak points and strong points of each group.

“Both groups are eager to be the next Sockers owner.”

Still, Ancira is believed to want at least eight teams in the league. Currently there are five teams committed for next season: Baltimore, Cleveland, Kansas City, Pittsburgh and St. Louis. If Dallas and Tacoma come on line, the Sockers would represent the eighth team.

But Tacoma has said it will hold off on a decision until July 30, the date of a self-imposed deadline to sell 4,000 season tickets. Currently, 1,400 have been sold. In addition, Tacoma players have embarked on a campaign to sell single-game tickets to local youth soccer clubs. They expect to sell an equivalent of 1,750 season tickets.

In Dallas, Gordon Jago, who has worked feverishly trying to secure an owner for an expansion team since the Sidekicks folded at the end of the season, said the eighth group he solicited began filling out an application Thursday afternoon.

Jago said the investors will clear up a few remaining issues this morning with Foreman and likely submit the application in time for it to be voted on during today’s conference call. The application will contain an escape clause if the group cannot agree with the city on a lease to play at Reunion Square Arena.

Jago said Alan Rothenberg, president of the U.S. Soccer Federation, and the NBA Mavericks have petitioned the city and asked that a favorable lease be granted.

Also to be discussed will be the Wichita Wings’ likely demise. Owners of the Wings have promised to fold the team if 5,000 season tickets are not sold by today. As of late Thursday, 4,002 had been sold.

Ancira, who grew up in Mexico, was asked whether he thought he was a front-runner for the franchise.

“I don’t know,” he said. “It looks like we’ll have--what’s the saying--a Mexican showdown?”

Ancira did say, however, if everything works out, his group has given Foreman assurances of at least a three-year commitment.

“We are expecting (financial) losses,” Ancira said.