SANDY, UTAH

Commissioner Don Garber remembers those who questioned Toronto FC’s expansion bid back in 2006.

He referenced it during a sit-down interview with a gaggle of reporters ahead of Toronto FC’s season-opener Saturday night at Rio Tinto Stadium.

“I remember at the opening press conference in 2006 being asked, ‘Why when Toronto’s minor league team only drew 1,000 fans would we be successful with TFC?’

“We just knew we had the formula. We had the right market. We had the right ownership and building that created a downtown movement and model for us.”

For years, Garber has referenced Toronto FC as being an expansion club that changed the direction of MLS.

He added Saturday that last year’s Eastern Conference final as one of the most memorable moments during 19 years as commissioner.

“When I was at the (Eastern Conference) final and saw 30,000-plus in the driving rain and saw an entire city focussed on their club and our league, it was a pivotal moment for all of us,” Garber said.

“When I was standing out there ... and the crowd sang the Canadian anthem, as an American it brought tears to my eyes. There’s such a passion for the Canadian anthem.

“It was one of my happiest moments as MLS commissioner — a great moment for our league.”

Not to mention television ratings.

An average of 1.4 million Canadians tuned into last year’s Eastern Conference final — a 7-5 aggregate win over the Montreal Impact.

“I had a meeting with the FOX production staff,” Garber added. “They thought one of the best games in MLS history was that Eastern Conference final in every way that you’d expect — goals, drama, the fanbase, the rain, the cold, the passion in the stands.

“And it was two Canadian teams that drove not just a big audience in Canada but a big audience in the U.S. Everything that we needed in terms of what we’re trying to sell existed in that game.”

Entering their 10th year, the Reds are a long way from where they started — with Garber standing alongside then-mayor David Miller and introducing the club.

An expanded stadium and expanded payroll has TFC among the league’s elite franchises.

“I hear from (MLSE chairman) Larry Tanenbaum several times a week,” Garber said. “He’s engaged. I’m proud of what’s going on in Canada. We still have work to do, but we’ve made more progress than people have given us credit for.”

GARBER TALKS EXPANSION

Every market is accounted for, according to MLS commissioner Don Garber.

Asked by the Toronto Sun ahead of Toronto FC’s season-opener Saturday afternoon if there are any preferable markets that haven’t submitted an expansion bid, Garber flatly said “no”.

“That, in itself, is a unique opportunity and challenge for us,” Garber said. “All of (MLS’ possible expansion markets) have been working with the league for years now.”

The league — currently at 22 teams — has plans to expand to 28 teams by next decade. Los Angles FC will enter MLS next season and possibly Miami.

Twelve additional cities have sense submitted expansion bids — including Raleigh, Charlotte, Detroit, St. Petersburg, Cincinnati, Indianapolis, St. Louis, Nashville, San Antonio, San Diego, Phoenix and Sacramento.

“It leads us to think MLS can be successful almost anywhere in America,” Garber continued. “It’s not a matter of whether this market is better than the other, but rather how do certain markets fit with what our strategic needs are.

“How will it fit with our geographic footprint? How will it provide us with a connection to certain demographics that we might not be capturing? What’s the uniqueness of the ownership group that could round out the diversity of thought around our board table?”