Don Garber Archive

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Arnaud scores the goal, but Impact settles for draw in home opener

By
Mike Wyman
– 03/17/2012

Davy Arnaud: First goal in Impact's MLS history

A nearly full house of 58,912 fans, the most to ever turn out for a pro soccer game in Montreal, showed up for the Impact’s MLS home opener at Olympic Stadium, with very few of them returning home disappointed after seeing their team put on a solid performance against the visiting Chicago Fire.

Getting out to a lead in the early minutes of the second half and relinquishing it towards the 70-minute mark, the Impact made sure the resulting 1-1 score stood for the balance of the game, although it came close to victory as the match drew to a close.

The pregame ceremonies served as a reminder that locals like locals, with Brossard native Patrice Bernier getting the loudest and most prolonged acclaim from the highly partisan crowd during player introductions.

Dominating both the play and possession time in the opening half Montreal, in an effort to promote balance and consistency, fielded the same starting 11 as it did in last Saturday’s season opener in Vancouver, showing that a week can make a big difference in a team’s performance, particularly early in the season.
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With Canadian franchise successes, MLS feels more and more like the NHL

By
Steven Sandor
– 03/16/2012

Montreal Impact owner Joey Saputo, left, with MLS Commissioner Don Garber in February. PHOTO: MIKE WYMAN

When MLS President Mark Abbott addressed the media at halftime of last Saturday’s MLS season opener between the Whitecaps and Impact at BC Place, he stated that the league was still focused on New York City as its next expansion market.

He said no deadline had been set to abandon a push to get a second team into the Big Apple. It’s clear MLS wants to have a second team in NYC, even though team No. 1 doesn’t play to regular sellout crowds in its spanking new stadium near Newark. There are other expansion bds. Orlando City of the USL has been vocal about its wish to be MLS team No. 20. And there are rumblings that if the Twin Cities — home of the current NASL champion — gets a new NFL stadium, that an MLS bid would be launched.

But, as you look at TV numbers and attendance figures — as an economist, not as a sports fan — you’d find it harder and harder to distinguish between the MLS business model and the NHL’s business model.
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Another year, another MLS promise to crack down on fouls

By
Steven Sandor
– 02/18/2012

When MLS talks about its state of officiating, sports fans are easily reminded of the National Hockey League.

Remember how, for years, the NHL would announce a new initiative against holding/clutching/grabbing/hooking/interference on an almost annual basis, and how the more the league tried to change the ways officials called the game, the more they stayed the same?

Well, MLS is now caught in a similar rut.

Earlier this week, the Washington Post’s Steve Goff reported that MLS was looking at making some changes to better protect star players. (SEE IT HERE)

Now, here are a couple of quotes from league commissioner Don Garber.

“The man on ball will be protected a lot more than in the past,” said Garber.

“Verbal warnings without punishment aren’t working for us,” said Garber.

Guess what? These quotes weren’t from last week. They were from March of 2011, when MLS announced, cough, that it had instructed referees to get tough with players who were persistent with their fouling and violent conduct.
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Garber looks forward to “largest soccer game in Canada”

By
Mike Wyman
– 02/16/2012

Joey Saputo, left, and Don Garber in Montreal Wednesday. PHOTO: MIKE WYMAN

Commissioner Don Garber was the featured speaker at Wednesday’s Montreal Board of Trade luncheon, addressing the crowd of over 300 businesspeople on the MLS in general and the Impact’s upcoming debut in the league.

“This club is the result of the relentless efforts of passionate individuals that pulled together to make this a great success,” said Impact owner and president, Joey Saputo, in his opening comments. “I also know that our greatest moments are yet to come for passion and tradition are powerful forces that attract the best. They also bring out the best in all of us.”

Introduced by Saputo, the commish ingratiated himself to his audience from the onset.

“Bonjour mesdames et messieurs. Merci pour l’invitation, “ Gerber began. His French vocabulary exhausted, he switched to a more familiar language to continue his talk. “It’s a huge pleasure to be here. I travel around North America quite a bit and take part in a number of events like this. This one is the largest one I’ve ever attended.

“I think it’s a great credit to your community and the connection that the business community has for each other and your commitment to supporting new exciting initiatives in your community,” he continued.
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Shavar Thomas signed by Impact, as roster hopes for Canadians dwindle

By
Steven Sandor
– 01/21/2012

Shavar Thomas

The window for Canadian players to get onto the Montreal Impact roster keeps getting smaller and smaller.

The Impact now has 26 players on its roster, with the announcement that Jamaican national-team defender (and former captain) Shavar Thomas has signed with the club for its first MLS season. Thomas has a green card so he won’t cost the Impact an international roster slot.

Thomas is a longstanding MLS veteran; he’s played 170 career games. But he’s 30 — and he only played three games over the past season with Sporting Kansas City. He’s a depth player now. SKC left him unprotected for the Re-Entry Draft and no one claimed him. Yes, he will bring the team some leadership, as he’s been through many MLS campaigns. But doesn’t the team get the same from its coach, Jesse Marsch?

Of the 26 signed players, only midfielder Patrice Bernier and keeper Greg Sutton are Canadian. And, Sutton starts the season as the No. 3 goalie on the depth chart.
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MLS playoff system makes Wednesday sudden-death game a tough sell

By
Steven Sandor
– 10/27/2011

Major League Soccer launched its new playoff format on Wednesday with the first of its two wild-card play-in games. Thanks to goals from Joel Lindpere and Thierry Henry, the New York Red Bulls beat FC Dallas 2-0 — eliminating the Hoops from the post-season just a week after Toronto FC went into Texas and knocked Dallas out of the CONCACAF Champions League.

The review of the playoff game itself? Meh.

The fact that just 10,017 people showed up at Pizza Hut Park to cheer on FC Dallas is troubling. And, it’s a sign MLS can learn some lessons on how much time is actually needed to generate interest in a one-and-done playoff game between lower seeds.
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What will NBC-MLS deal mean for Canadian viewers?

By
Steven Sandor
– 08/10/2011

Major League Soccer is moving to NBC.

In a new three-year deal announced today, the American broadcasting giant will begin a three-year deal starting in 2012. It will broadcast 45 MLS games each season, the lion’s share going to NBC Sports Network.

“Our new partnership with the NBC Sports Group is a significant step forward for Major League Soccer and U.S. Soccer,” said MLS Commissioner and Soccer United Marketing CEO Don Garber in a release issued by the league. “The NBC Sports Group is world-renowned for its award-winning coverage, superb broadcast quality and promotional expertise. We are excited to be part of NBC’s ambitious plans for soccer, and look forward to reaching a considerable audience on multiple platforms.”
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Canadian content saved for the All-Star reserve squad

By
Steven Sandor
– 07/26/2011

Eric Hassli

For Canadian soccer fans, Wednesday’s All-Star Game is a non-event. There are no Canadian players in the game, no members of the only Canadian club eligible to send players — the Vancouver Whitecaps.

Toronto FC is playing a CONCACAF Champions League preliminary round match against Real Esteli on the same night that the All-Stars face Manchester United at Red Bull Arena.

If only one of the two players named to the All-Stars reserves on Monday would have been named to the proper squad, there could have been a glimmer of hope for MLS supporters north of the border.

D.C. United’s Dwayne De Rosario and Vancouver Whitecap Eric Hassli were both named to all-star taxi squad.
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First XI will produce headaches for MLS spin doctors

By
Steven Sandor
– 07/11/2011

Brek Shea was named to First XI, but a conflict means he won't play on July 27.

On Sunday, Major League Soccer announced its First XI for its July 27 All-Star Game. And coach Hans Backe already knows he will likely have two absentees for the match against Manchester United.

With the MLS All-Star Game once again going head-to-head against the qualifying round of the CONCACAF Champions League (Toronto FC will face Real Esteli at the same time the All-Stars will take on Manchester United), two of the players selected in the First XI — Kasey Keller and Brek Shea — will be question marks for the game.
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MLS Cup to be staged in Los Angeles

By
Steven Sandor
– 05/10/2011

MLS has decided to keep its championship game at a neutral-site venue. And, it will go back to the safety of a warm-weather site for the Nov. 20 MLS Cup.

The league announced Tuesday that the game will be awarded to the Home Depot Centre, home of the Los Angeles Galaxy and Chivas USA.

As in the previous two seasons, the game will take place in prime time for the central and eastern time zones. It’s set to kick off at 6 p.m. local time, 9 p.m. in the east.
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