The long and short of Garber’s MLS CUP Address

MLS Commissioner Don Garber had to brag about having 18 soccer specific stadiums and growing. If not for being up for sports pioneer of the decade, there are several real estate develop awards for which Garber qualifies.

And make no doubt, MLS and Don Garber are building, and doing so in the ‘hip’ parts of some of the greatest cities. There are stadium difficulties in New York and Miami but as Garber noted, he went to three ground-breakings before there was Red Bull Arena. Garber’s comments could lead conspiracy theorist towards either direction.

Will NYCFC be in Yankee Stadium for decades, or will NYCFC and the New England Revolution both have new homes within the next six to seven years?

When asked about the NYCFC stadium situation specifically, Garber replied:

"I’ll start by saying we’re in the live content business because what happens right now matters, and that’s how we manage certain aspects of our business. But the rest of our entire approach has been about the long term. Having gone to the opening of Audi Field, and gone to other games there, and knowing how long it took for us to get that stadium built, it was one of the more painful processes that we as a league ever had to go through. And yet here we are today with an unbelievable stadium in an area of town that had we thought to build a soccer stadium maybe four or five or ten years ago, we wouldn’t be in the fasting growing and most hip and relevant part of Washington D.C. So, this is a long game when it comes to that. Now that being said, it isn’t always an easy game when you have facility challenges. You know the New York City team is popular. The owners of the club are very focused. It’s a great brand. They’ve had great success on the field. They’re averaging nearly 20,000 fans a game. I’m confident that they will get a solution to what has been a three or four year process of finding a stadium location. Nothing to announce here soon. But I can assure you that you’ll be at your 30th MLS Cup and I’ll be at the stands watching or watching on TV and at some point everyone will look into New York, and Boston by the way, and have a soccer stadium that will be able to host great matches from."

Beckham does not have the Yankees own his ownership slips. He needs a stadium in Miami. Seattle has already stolen their colors for next season. (Really Seattle, didn’t even wait until Miami started play and you’ve as a fan base another ‘Seattle invented’ meme.)

Garber highlighted LAFC’s Banc of California Stadium as new standard of MLS venues. Audi Field in Washington D.C and Allianz Arena in Minnesota are top notch as well, Garber had to add almost obligatory.

On the forefront of most all MLS fans has been the stadium situation in Columbus. The Crew have been saved, and the site of Dos a Cero will have soccer played on the grounds for generations to come.

Perhaps some of those kids will make it to the MLS All-Star game one day. Garber says the league is open to tinkering with the game, the format will remain the same next year, and MLS will be keeping the game for years to come.

Or MLS CUP, which is why we are all here. Or if you’re watching at home, all 170 countries of homes, there are over 800 credentialed media members. This is the biggest game of weekend.