MLS commissioner Don Garber applauds the Union
Major League Soccer commissioner Don Garber couldn't have timed his daylong visit to the Philadelphia area any better as far as the Union was concerned.
Major League Soccer commissioner Don Garber couldn't have timed his daylong visit to the Philadelphia area any better as far as the Union was concerned.
Two days after the Derrick Jones became the first product of the Union Academy to start in an MLS game, Garber visited the academy in Wayne before heading to Philadelphia to take part in a soccer panel discussion at City Hall that included Mayor Kenney.
Jones, who enjoyed a strong debut Sunday in a scoreless draw in Vancouver in the Union's season opener, will be cited as one of the success stories of the full-fledged academy program that the Union launched in 2013.
"The difference between when I took over in 1998 and now is the academies," said Garber, who noted that the Union's is impressive.
"When I saw that academy, I could have been in Barcelona, I could have been in Manchester and we have it here today [with the Union]," he said.
The initial MLS season began in 1996 with 10 teams. When Garber took over as commissioner in 1998, there were 12 teams.
Since then the league has enjoyed considerable growth that continues today. There are now 22 teams, with newcomers Atlanta and Minnesota beginning their first seasons.
Next year there will be a second team in Los Angeles. Garber says he hopes that Miami will also have a franchise, but details are still being finalized.
The MLS will award four more franchises among 12 applicants.
According to Garber, MLS hopes to have the 25th and 26th cities selected by the end of the year and there is no timetable for selecting the next two after that.
Garber said besides the work done with their academy, the Union, now in their eighth MLS season, have been a model franchise. Last season the Union went 11-14-9 and made the playoffs for the second time in franchise history.
The average home attendance in 18,500-seat Talen Energy Stadium last season was 17,519.
"They have certainly exceeded a lot of our expectations with what they have done at the Academy and their whole structure," Garber said.
One area that Garber admits can use improvement is the access via public transportation to Talen Energy Stadium, which is located in Chester.
"It's not necessarily a concern because if we didn't have that facility, we wouldn't be here in Philadelphia," he said. "This team has been able to be successful and do it in spite of the fact that there isn't enough public transportation."
He then added, "They are working on accessing those rail lines. That was part of the original plan."
Besides Garber and Mayor Kenney, the others on the panel were Union owner Jay Sugarman, sporting director Earnie Stewart, and chief business officer Tim McDermott.
Mayor Kenney issued a proclamation, calling Tuesday "Philadelphia Union March to Soccer Day in Philadelphia."
The mayor praised the Union for helping in the city's first annual Unity Cup, which consisted of 32 teams. Team Ivory Coast won the championship over Liberia in the inaugural title game in November, played at Citizens Bank Park.
"It gave the opportunity for many ethnic groups who maybe don't talk to each other to have communication with each other," Kenney said.
Garber was asked afterward what the league's view is on President Trump's travel ban. He answered in a roundabout way, stressing how important it is to have diversity, not only in MLS but nationwide.
"We are a league for a new America," he said. "Look at the diversity of players in the Union Academy, this is what makes our country great and that is what makes our league great. I hope we will continue to represent a wonderful story of immigration and diversity in our country."
He said no MLS player has experienced any problems with the travel ban.
"We, like the other sports leagues, are carefully monitoring what is happening," he said. "We are following it closely to ensure we are able to operate our business in a way that reflects on our values and those things that really matter."
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