The Montreal Impact turned a lot of heads with their performance and massive fan support during the CONCACAF Champions League last season. (Graham Hughes/Canadian Press)

Montreal soccer fans shouldn't get their hopes up about seeing Major League Soccer come to town in 2011.

League commissioner Don Garber confirmed Montreal will not receive an expansion franchise in two years time.

Reports surfaced earlier this week that Joey Saputo, the owner of the Montreal Impact (who compete in the USL-1, one division below MLS), was in discussion with Garber over joining the league as soon as 2011.

But Garber downplayed the prospect of MLS expansion into Montreal in 2011 during half time of Friday night's Real Madrid-Toronto FC exhibition game. The commissioner told reporters that the Saputo family must secure public funding in order to expand the capacity of 13,000-seat Saputo Stadium, the current home of the Impact, before Montreal is granted an MLS team.

"We're in discussions with Joey Saputo and his family, and the next step for us is to work with them on trying to get public support to expand and renovate that stadium," Garber explained.

"Without that, we're not going to be able to go to" Montreal.

Garber did, however, state that he could eventually see MLS in Montreal.

"We'll continue those discussions," Garber said. "It's not happening in 2011. It'll happen sometime after that, but I'd like to see three teams in Canada.

Vancouver will become the second Canadian franchise in MLS in 2011, joining Toronto FC, which entered the league in 2007.

Garber also said the league wants to add a 19th team after the arrival of Vancouver's Whitecaps and the Portland Timbers in 2011. The newly christened Philadelphia Union will start MLS play in 2010.

Montreal was one of the front-runners to join in 2011, but the franchise pulled out when Joey Saputo and former Canadiens owner George Gillett hesitated to pay the expansion fee.