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Leagues and Governing Bodies

MLS Commissioner Don Garber Looks To Shift League Towards Younger International Stars

A youth movement is "slowly taking hold" in MLS, as teams "shift from older designated players to younger options to fill the premier roles," according to Tim Booth of the AP. MLS Commissioner Don Garber said, "Without doubt the target is younger players who are coming at the prime of their career or even as they're beginning to establish their career." Booth noted that is "not to say MLS will close the door on prominent players looking to the league as a place to spend their final few seasons." However, Garber "suspects the older stars will supplement the league as it moves forward." Garber believes the "tipping point ... has been the success" of Toronto FC F Sebastian Giovinco, who signed with the team in '15 at 28 and was the league MVP in his first season. Garber: "Giovinco has been able to prove that, and [LA Galaxy MF] Giovani dos Santos who has seen his career really rise to an entirely new level. ... It's part of the evolution of our league" (AP, 12/8). The WALL STREET JOURNAL's Matthew Futterman writes the MLS Cup Final on Saturday between the Sounders and Toronto FC is "billed as a coming-out party for a league that is no longer interested in trading credibility for attention by serving as the sport's elephant graveyard." The Sounders "signed a Giovinco clone," 27-year-old Uruguayan MF Nicolas Lodeiro, who "drove the team’s midseason turnaround." Garber said, "Hopefully, more younger players everywhere are seeing MLS as a league of choice. It’s become a place where you can make some real money, become a hero in your market, and have the same competitive environment that exists in a lot of other countries" (WALL STREET JOURNAL, 12/9).

DESTINATION STATION: Fox' Alexi Lalas predicted the world's top players will begin to move to MLS because they will "definitely go where the money is." They also "worry about the perception of where they are going." Lalas: "When that starts to change -- and it has already started to change -- you can definitely see a complete shift where MLS is the league to be in, for not just for American or North American players, but for players from all over the world.” Lalas noted teams like the Sounders and TFC are "going to spend big money” for Designated Players, but it is "much more targeted right now." Lalas: "There are going to be big names and big, sexy signings, but there are also going to be times going forward where MLS teams say, ‘You know what, we can still spend some money but let’s be a little more prudent. Let’s go out there and get that asset that it going to increase value and appreciate year after year'” (“Fox Sports Live,” FS1, 12/9).

GOING BIG?
MLS Exec VP/Communications Dan Courtemanche said that the league's BOG "meets next Thursday with the league's expansion committee," and the "next round of additions will be on the agenda" (DETROIT NEWS, 12/9). USA TODAY's Martin Rogers notes when it comes to MLS expansion, the "league and its hierarchy has a decision to make as to how far, and how big, to go." One option is to "keep growing until it has a similar number of teams as other American leagues ... which fall between 30-32." Another would be to "pause and stay closer in number to most international soccer leagues, which rarely stretch beyond 20 teams." Garber has an "eye on continued growth, up to 28 teams at least." With a "mass of global soccer options available for domestic TV viewers, MLS sometimes appears in danger of getting lost in the shuffle." However, the "continued growth in the league’s reach and quality can only be considered a success, one that is worthy of the attention of the American sports audience" (USA TODAY, 12/9).

WHAT A YEAR: Garber in a Q&A with ESPN FC's Jeff Carlisle said it is "pretty clear that 2016 was a really great year for MLS." He said, "We had record attendance, we had record ratings, we exploded our social media metrics. ... We still believe that our best days are still ahead." When asked about TV ratings, Garber said, "We have worked very closely with ESPN, Fox and Univision on trying to establish our own dedicated destination programming schedule, and I think that's beginning to pay off. Certainly the increase in network games with Fox, and the increase in the number of ESPN games, and the huge Univision rating we had with the LA-San Jose match this summer really helped. And it shows that if MLS is programmed properly and promoted well, and if we're able to create big-event matchups ... fans will come out and pack our stadiums and watch our games on television" (ESPNFC.com, 12/8).

FROM THE TOP DOWN
: Garber said that he "believes in successful lower divisions in the U.S. and Canada -- and that his league had nothing to do with NASL's possible demise." Garber: "The fact that MLS has been stronger and increasingly popular, that's allowed us to lift the game up from the bottom and to be able to withstand some instability below us." ESPN FC's Carlisle noted the USL has been "tightly coupled with MLS, with 11 top-flight clubs operating reserve teams in the league, while many others have affiliations with USL teams." Garber said, "I don't believe the USL is having the same issues that the NASL is going through. They are growing at an unprecedented pace, they are taking a leadership role in trying to sort all this out." Garber also "denied that the MLS had anything to do with the NASL's current difficulties." Garber: "We have never competed in any market in the NASL. ... I want to be very clear about that. At no time did MLS ever reach out to a lower-division team and pitch them on leaving their league and coming into MLS. In every case the opposite has been proven to be true" (ESPNFC.com, 12/8).

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