FILE - In this Dec. 9, 2016, file photo, MLS Commissioner Don Garber holds a state of the league news conference in Toronto. Four cities are in the running to join Major League Soccer. MLS announced Wednesday, Nov. 29, 2017, that Cincinnati; Detroit; Nashville, Tennessee; and Sacramento, California, are finalists for two expansion clubs. Owners and officials representing the expansion markets will make presentations to MLS Commissioner Don Garber and the league's expansion committee on Dec. 6 in New York. (Chris Young/The Canadian Press via AP, File)
FILE - In this Dec. 9, 2016, file photo, MLS Commissioner Don Garber holds a state of the league news conference in Toronto. Four cities are in the running to join Major League Soccer. MLS announced Wednesday, Nov. 29, 2017, that Cincinnati; Detroit; Nashville, Tennessee; and Sacramento, California, are finalists for two expansion clubs. Owners and officials representing the expansion markets will make presentations to MLS Commissioner Don Garber and the league's expansion committee on Dec. 6 in New York. (Chris Young/The Canadian Press via AP, File) Credit: ap file — Chris Young

New York — Nashville, Tenn., is among four finalists for a pair of Major League Soccer expansion teams after government financing for a new stadium was approved this month.

Sacramento, Calif., is considered a frontrunner along with Nashville for the teams, which the league intends to award next month. Each winner will pay a $150 million expansion fee.

Cincinnati and Detroit also remain in contention, but without firm plans for new stadiums, they are viewed as long shots.

Presentations to the league’s expansion committee are scheduled for Wednesday, and MLS owners will discuss expansion when they meet eight days later in New York.

Eight areas were cut from the list on Wednesday but remain in contention for later expansion teams: Charlotte, N.C.; Indianapolis; Phoenix; Raleigh/Durham, N.C.; St. Louis; San Antonio; San Diego; and Tampa/St. Petersburg, Fla.

The Metro Nashville City Council on Nov. 7 approved $225 million in revenue bonds to construct a 27,500-seat soccer stadium and an additional $50 million in bonds for renovations and improvements around the site at the current fairgrounds. The Sacramento group said in July it was starting pre-construction activity for a 19,621-seat downtown stadium.

MLS has 22 teams this season, and Los Angeles FC is to start play in March at a new stadium under construction near the Coliseum. Former Manchester United, Real Madrid and LA Galaxy star David Beckham was tentatively awarded a Miami team in 2014, but that is contingent on a stadium site he has thus far failed to secure.

The league in 2015 announced plans to expand to 28 teams and said last December that teams 25 and 26 will start play by 2020.

Wednesday’s Match

TFC 1, Crew 0

Toronto — Jozy Altidore scored in the 60th minute and Toronto FC advanced to the MLS Cup final for the second straight year with a victory over Columbus in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference final.

Toronto will host the Seattle Sounders or Houston Dynamo in the Dec. 9 MLS Cup final. The Sounders, who took the title from Toronto in a penalty shootout last year, lead the Western Conference final 2-0 going into Game 2 in Seattle tonight.

After a scoreless tie in Game 1 last week in Ohio, Columbus needed a win or draw with goals to advance. But Altidore, limping on a bum ankle, came through for Toronto before a sellout crowd of 30,392 on a crisp night at BMO Field.

The goal started with Alex Bono’s goal kick that found Sebastian Giovinco deep in Columbus territory. The diminutive Italian held off several defenders and backheeled the ball to Altidore, who stabbed it to Victor Vazquez. The Spanish midfielder paused and then dinked a pass to Altidore for a right-footed shot past Zack Steffen.

It was Toronto’s first goal in 258 minutes. The last score came almost a month ago — on Oct. 30, via Giovinco’s free kick in the 72nd minute of a 2-1 victory at Red Bull Arena.

Columbus striker Ola Kamara nearly tied it in the 87th minute, but couldn’t get a boot to the ball on a raking cross. Bono then beat Kamara to a cross in stoppage time.

Altidore had seemed destined for an early night after suffering an ankle injury in the 50th minute in a collision with Crew wingback Harrison Afful. The big man needed treatment on and off the field and Toronto prepared to send in substitute Armando Cooper.

But Altidore stayed on, finally limping off eight minutes after the goal.