By Ben Nicholson
January 20 – MLS Commissioner Don Garber (pictured) recently commented that the prospects for an MLS franchise in St. Louis and Sacramento are good, while San Diego needs to “figure itself out”. He intimated that the NFL’s decisions to move into and leave areas, influences the MLS’ franchise decisions.
Garber specifically cited the recent NFL movement away from St. Louis as making the area an opportunistic market. He stated that St. Louis had been “on the radar” of the MLS since the league’s inception, and they have simply been biding their time for the right ownership and stadium package to avail itself.
Sitting alongside St. Louis as race favourites is Sacramento. Sacramento’s on-field success in the USL, its motivated ownership group, record breaking attendances, and prospective soccer-specific stadium means that the city is likely to be one of the four additional expansion areas that will bring the league up to 28 teams.
Sliding down the list, at least at the time of interviewing, was San Diego. Garber saw the city’s state of limbo, regarding whether the NFL team the Rams will move to Los Angeles or stay in San Diego, as reason enough to pour cold water on their ambitions.
However, if as largely believed, the Rams do exit San Diego, the MLS may come to look more favourably on the city, seeing opportunity in the absence of the NFL monster. As Garber cautioned, the expansion process is like a 5,000-meter race: the first guy out of the gate does not always win the race.
Garber reiterated the importance of prospective franchises having “its own stadium,” making solid plans for construction a necessity for successful expansion bids. He stated that the MLS’ ambition is to have all clubs playing inside their own soccer-specific stadiums.
Garber took the opportunity to address other points about the MLS’ future, which are listed below:
· On the MLS draft, Garber stated that as long as college soccer is being played the MLS will be signing as many players through the draft systems as it needs. He did, however, concede that the nature of the drafted players may change. He cited how now many foreign players are studying in the U.S. and are entering the MLS via U.S. colleges.
· Garber laid out his vision for having video replay in the MLS in 2017. He mentioned plans to introduce replays into the USL for 2016, in view of working out the logistical aspects so that the system can be incorporated into MLS games. He said he is a “big believer” in the technology and does not think it is right that people at home know more about what is going on than the people on the pitch. He believes this does not make the game any more or less “pure”.
· Garber refused to endorse any specific FIFA Presidential candidate. He did, however, say he likes Prince Ali bin Hussein, and commented that Gianni Infantino is “very capable”. He stated that he did not know Jérôme Champagne or Salman Bin Ibrahim Al-Khalifa very well. Tokyo Sexwale’s name failed to come up. Garber said he was “hopeful but not confident that there will be a new world order which we can be proud of.”
· Garber stated that the current scheduling of the CONCACAF Champions League is “unfair” and not conducive to achieving the “best competition”. Since games are played in February, when the MLS is in pre-season mode, he said that the MLS is at a competitive disadvantage. He hopes that CONCACAF will consider altering the schedule for the best interests of the tournament, its quality, its fans, and its broadcasters.
· Lastly, he stated that the MLS’ “best days are still ahead”.
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