REUTERS' Frank Pingue noted Toronto FC enters the season "hoping to take a dynastic stranglehold" over MLS after last year’s titles. Last year, the club "earned the first domestic treble" in MLS history by "capturing an MLS Cup, domestic championship and regular season title." TFC's aspiration is to be "ultimately regarded as one of the best teams in the league’s history." TFC President Bill Manning said, "We’ve established ourselves as one of the preeminent teams in the league right now. But now how do you do it for half a decade? Nobody’s ever done it for a decade" (REUTERS, 3/1).
NEEDING A FRENCH CONNECTION: Impact Exec VP/Strategic Development & Communications Richard Legendre said that 86% of the club's season-ticket base "renewed their seats" despite last year's losing record. In Montreal, Herb Zurkowsky noted that season-ticket base has "decreased from last year, now sitting at about 9,000." The team "drew only three sellouts at 20,901-seat Saputo Stadium" last season. Legendre said, "We need to draw more people. There’s not one magical solution. We always need a team in which the people can believe before the start of every season. We need to have a good team on the pitch. We need to improve the fan experience at the stadium, continue to do promotions. We can’t just lay back. We need to be present and visible" (MONTREAL GAZETTE, 3/1).
THE REAL DEAL: In Salt Lake City, Maddie Lee notes MLS Commissioner Don Garber on Wednesday was "struck" by what Real Salt Lake's $78M Zions Bank training center embodied while touring the facility before its grand opening. The training center brings together "all five RSL-owned teams under one roof." The 42-acre facility has "two indoor fields, five outdoor practice fields" and a 5,000-seat stadium for the USL Monarchs. Garber: "You're going to see more of it every year in MLS. The bar keeps getting raised higher" (SALT LAKE TRIBUNE, 3/1).
