Before the sale, the Manchester firm AFL drew up a proposal that the new owners hated. Then Dallas-based HKS proposed an expensive, futuristic stadium. Both firms are to come back with new proposals and present them to the owners in New York on Jan. 9. Hicks says there will be 110 suites, and team plans to move in for the 2011-12 season.

"We looked to make it as big as 80,000 but I think for our marketplace, probably the right size would be somewhere between 70,000 and 73,000,'' Hicks said. "That would be the third-biggest in England behind Wembley and Old Trafford.''

Its fan base is worldwide. Before the big match, Liverpool had its first million-pound ($2 million) week of merchandise sales - and in England, clubs don't share licensing income.

Matches are beamed to Asia and the United States. Out in California, Oakland Athletics general manager Billy Beane - a Tottenham Hotspur supporter - gets up at 4:45 a.m. to watch the EPL.

"I think I view it as a fan. I view it with fresh eyes. For me, I'm a neophyte, I'm been following it the last few years,'' said Beane, whose baseball owner leads the group that operates San Jose's new Major League Soccer franchise. "The more you watch it, the more you get an appreciation as a former athlete for the athleticism when you see the best in the world.''

Hicks could have purchased Dallas' MLS franchise but decided not to. "In hindsight, I probably made the wrong decision,'' he said.

There's synergy to be gained with his U.S. franchises - Carlsberg at the ballpark, anyone? - but he doesn't foresee any regular-season matches being moved to the United States, just perhaps another preseason tour in 2009.

Other clubs could attract Americans. Stan Kroenke, who controls the NBA's Denver Nuggets, the NHL's Colorado Avalanche and MLS's Colorado Rapids, already owns 12 percent of Arsenal. Yankees senior vice president Hank Steinbrenner said in the 1980s his family was approached about purchasing one-third of Tottenham.

"We should have done it. It was at a time before the big money hit European soccer,'' Steinbrenner said, adding that the EPL still intrigues him. "I haven't ruled out doing that.''

Scudamore welcomes the Americans.

"They bring sort of a fresh commercialism to it, which is always good,'' he said. "There's a degree of enthusiasm. There's a degree of positive attitude. There's a degree of can do. ... But I think all of them have been very cognizant of the fact that they don't know everything there is to know about football and, therefore, they've gone about it in a way that has been respectful to the other clubs and the traditions of the league.''

But in the end, the mark of success will be measured in trophies. That's what the supporters crave. That's what drives everyone from the players to the fans in the highest row of the Kop.

"It is their club,'' Hicks said. "The last family had it 51 years, and it's been around 115. Hopefully, we'll have it for a long time as well.''

MORE FROM SOCCER

Soccer Section Front

Germany goalkeeper dies at age 32 Injured Ronaldo ruled out of playoffs by Portugal Ronaldo receives libel damages over drink story US player Charlie Davies released from hospital Maradona to attend FIFA disciplinary hearing   Video: Ponytail takedown sparks outrage Slideshow: The life of Beckham on and off the field MLS scores, schedules, standings, more Vote: Who will be MLS champions? Scores from England, Spain, Italy, more Soccer Section Front   Add Soccer headlines to your news reader: