MLS Commissioner Don Garber said league execs were compelled to add a second N.Y.-area franchise because they "feel very, very strongly that the large markets in this country, over time, will be able to support more than one team," according to Stefan Bondy of the N.Y. DAILY NEWS. Garber: "We’re just highly confident that we’ll be able to deliver on that objective. And one point, and I think this is a key point: the Red Bulls have told us that they’ve sold more season tickets this year compared to the last ten years. And we believe and they believe that part of that is the increased popularity of our league, but it’s also the fact that they have a local rival." He said of how long it is feasible for NYC FC to play at Yankee Stadium, "I know the stadium can handle it. The team, the Yankees, can handle the turnover. They have a world class grounds crew. We’re confident it will work. How long it will work is too early to make any prediction on. We haven’t played the first game." Meanwhile, Garber again refuted a report from last October that Red Bulls Owner Dietrich Mateschitz was open to selling the team, "I’ve met personally with Dietrich Mateschitz and he is as committed as ever. They just built a training facility. They’re launching a USL team. They are investing even more recently than they have in the past. So I think there’s no truth to those rumors" (N.Y. DAILY NEWS, 3/13).
