COMMERCE CITY, Colo. - In 2008, Major League Soccer will be taking its All-Star extravaganza north of the border to Canadian soil. Toronto's next and Commissioner Don Garber considers it a fitting reward for a city which has fully embraced its soccer team.
"We think it will be a great cultural celebration of our All-Star Game," said Garber, who made the announcement Wednesday at the Commissioner's press conference.
Toronto CEO Richard Peddie and several members of the organization are in Commerce City and Denver this week taking notes and gathering ideas for next year's All-Star festivities.
Peddie noted that Toronto has already hosted the NHL All-Star Game and recently hosted the American Hockey League All-Star Game.
"We're very experienced and we know what it will do for us," Peddie said. "In both of those cases, it was hockey and we don't need much awareness and interest in hockey in Toronto.
"But anything that brings the attention of the world helps us. We're a huge success. We're sold out and have a waiting list of 3,000. But you never take that for granted. Bringing the MLS All-Star Game to Toronto, which competes internationally for tourism, is a great thing and we'll do a heck of a job."
Peddie said that while the recognition level for Toronto FC is high, the hosting of an All-Star Game will lift the awareness of MLS as a whole.
MLS and Toronto officials are confident of bringing in a strong international opponent to face the MLS All-Stars.
"Don and I have talked about that," Peddie said "We have our sights on one. We have a preference, but we'll wait and see how that comes out."
In other developments, Garber reiterated that MLS plans to follow Wednesday's awarding of an expansion team to San Jose with two more expansion teams by 2010.
Garber provided the current list of cities in contention for those expansion teams. In alphabetical order, the list includes Atlanta, Cleveland, Las Vegas, Miami, Milwaukee, a second team in the New York area, Philadelphia, Phoenix, Portland, San Diego, Seattle, St. Louis and Vancouver.
The league has also instituted a diversity plan that requires clubs to interview minority candidates for head coaching, assistant coaching, youth coaching and technical director positions. Before hires are made, clubs must notify MLS Deputy Commissioner Ivan Gazidis of the openings with a list of minority candidates that have been interviewed.
Garber could penalize a club which doesn't abide by the policy.
"It (the diversity plan) is something we've worked hard to develop with our Deputy Commissioner," Garber said.
Garber touched on a variety of topics which underscored the health of the MLS and the prospect of its growth potential:
• Seven new owners have joined the league since the start of the 2005 season. There are now 12 owners for the 14 clubs, with the sale of the Chicago Fire expected to be finalized in the next 30-45 days, Garber said.
• Facility development continues to be one of the league's most important strategic incentives. As league officials marvel at new Dick's Sporting Goods Park this week, two more stadiums have broken ground and will be home to the New York Red Bulls and Real Salt Lake. "All of you will be absolutely shocked at what we see as more and more stadiums go up and each have their own local personality and local flavor," Garber said.
• All of the MLS television deals were finalized in the offseason. Every MLS game will be televised for the first time in the league's history.
• Several new sponsorships have been added, including Chase, Visa and Dick's Sporting Goods.
• International game business has set records this year.
• Recruitment of accomplished international players is paying huge dividends in terms of both media exposure and fan interest, led by the celebrated arrival of David Beckham. Seven hundred journalists turned out for Beckham's opening press conference in Los Angeles.
"What impressed me most about that event was that David Beckham arrived at The Home Depot Center 15 minutes early and he stayed there for four hours," Garber said. "This is a guy who has tremendous character and tremendous class."
Robert Falkoff is a contributor to MLSnet.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Soccer or its clubs.
