Pros

Garber speaks out on expansion, the World Cup and an SSS in Boston? By Andrew Hush at the MLS Cup Final
November 12, 2005
In a question and answer session held here in Frisco with fans yesterday, MLS Commissioner, Don Garber, spoke candidly about the future of the league regarding expansion but was coy when asked about the prospect of a soccer specific stadium for the Revolution. Graber also commented on the plans for fixture scheduling during the 2006 World Cup and outlined his hopes to expand eventually the league to eighteen clubs.

Garber is expected to officially announce today that the thirteenth MLS team will be in Toronto and will join the league in 2007. He let on as much yesterday and, in addition, mentioned thaere are several other interested parties from major markets that are present here this weekend:

Don Garber

“Here, in Frisco, we have representatives from investor groups from Philadelphia, Tulsa, Atlanta, Milwaukee, Houston and Cleveland. Each represent great prospects for our 14th team and beyond and we'll work hard to try and finalize those deals as quickly as possible.”

Garber also responded to rumors that FC Barcelona is interested in possibly becoming involved in MLS at some level:

“Joan Laporta, the president of F.C. Barcelona, along with six members of the FCB board are attending Sunday's game and will be in Frisco all weekend. FCB has a real interest in MLS. How that interest materializes into a relationship is still a long ways from being finalized. Foreign investment does not mean we become a feeder for those teams. If anything, it has the potential to be the opposite.”

With a club against country clash an inevitability once again next year, the commissioner confirmed that the league will not close down during the tournament in Germany. Instead, he said that MLS ‘Lite’ will be the order of the day, whereby the number of games scheduled during the tournament will be reduced. In response to a follow-up question concerning clashes between domestic and international fixtures, Garber did concede that concessions to the international calendar will have to be made at some point:

“At some point we will have to conform with the international calendar for international dates and international competitions such as World Cup. Before we reach that point, we're forced to squeeze 40 or 50 games in a tight window that doesn't conform with the schedule that the rest of the world plays with. However, as more stadiums come on line, our fan base becomes more mature, we should be in position to consider conforming.”

The subject of ‘soccer specific stadia’ is a hot topic this weekend, particularly given the venue for Sunday’s final. Pizza Hut Park is an impressive facility and is sure to be used as an advert for the merits of teams owning their own grounds. With attendances low once again at Gillette Stadium throughout the regular season and speculation about the potential for a new home for the Revs in South Boston still bubbling, Garber was asked whether he would be in favor of a new home for the Revs:

“We think often about how great it would be for the league and the Revs to have a soccer stadium in Boston. Yet, it is perhaps one of the most densely populated markets in the country. Therefore, the available sites are few and far between.”

Garber finished the Q and A session by rejecting claims that a single league table would be better than the current east and west organization:

“I keep getting this single-table question and I don't understand why people continue to believe why, without promotion and relegation, a single table makes sense. Let's just think about it: if your team is 10, 14, 18 points away from qualifying from the Cup, and you're only halfway through the season, you might as well write off any interest in the team at that time. We can't afford, at this stage, to not have ongoing interest in our teams for as long as we possibly can.”

Those comments are particularly relevant given the continuing uncertainty over the futures of the franchises in Kansas City and San Jose. Garber and he colleagues on the league’s governing board are due to meet today to discuss whether the Wizards and the Earthquakes can continue to exist in their current forms. The Commissioner stated that commitments are required towards a stadium for each team. In addition, local ownership and a committed fan base would also need to be seen. If these conditions are not satisfied, both franchises may be moved before the 2006 season kicks off.

Commissioner’s Notes

- The importance of developing youth academies was emphasized and Garber mentioned that one incentive would be that clubs would be able to retain the rights to those youth players to bring them more into line with the club system in existence throughout the world.

- The league hopes to announce soon that a long-term English and Spanish television rights deal with ABC/ESPN and Univision has been agreed.

- In summing up, Garber spoke with pride at what the league has achieved in its first ten years and with confidence over the future:

“The roots of the league, Major League Soccer, and professional soccer have clearly been deeply established here in our country. We're rapidly becoming and reaching that goal - our dream -that our early investor-operators had ten years ago: to create a true soccer nation.”