Why D.C. United plays Messi in Baltimore — and wants to expand there

State of play: Tix start at $74 at the 71,000-seat M&T Stadium — 3.5x larger than Audi Field.

• "The demand is there to fill that stadium," D.C. United CEO Jason Levien tells Axios. "And it's also showing the passion for soccer in Maryland."
• The team (1-1) began its season with a win against Philadelphia last month, hoping to turnaround a few lackluster years.

The big picture: Levien took my call from Annapolis, where he was making the rounds to press for his 12,000-seat soccer stadium in Baltimore.

• The $200 million digs would catalyze United's vision of creating a new professional women's soccer team, a minor league men's team and a youth academy.
• Levien teamed up with former NBA star and Baltimore native Carmelo Anthony, who'd likely lead the ownership team for the new women's squad. It would compete in the newer USL Super League (a different league than the NWSL, where the Spirit play).

Zoom out: Levien's long-term ambition is to hype Baltimore enough that Charm City eventually gets its own pro MLS team.

• "We're building up the soccer infrastructure ecosystem in the DMV," he says.
• Cue the I-95 Derby!