HOUSTON – Owner

and general manager Gavin Wilkinson are in Houston, where the Major League Soccer All-Star Game will be played today, representing the

at MLS meetings. Commissioner Don Garber spoke to The Oregonian Tuesday about Portland's entry to MLS and other subjects related to the league.

Q.

How excited is the league about Portland joining MLS next year?

A. We're very excited. Portland has a great soccer tradition and some of the best fans in the nation. We've have been in constant communication with Merritt and we think he and his staff are doing a terrific job. We're looking forward to next season.

Q. Will MLS take advantage of the rivalry that exists between the three Northwest teams?

A. When both Portland and Vancouver start next year, we will have three of the great rivalries in sports. Seattle, Portland and Vancouver are clubs that have been longtime rivals and I think that's going to alter the focus from the traditional matches in the East and shift some of the attention to the Northwest.

Q. Considering the two new clubs are located in the west, will there some be some realignment in the league conferences and will Portland, Seattle and Vancouver remain in the Western Conference?



A. Yes, there will be realignment, and those three clubs will stay in the west. We know that two teams from the west will have to be moved to the east, but we don't which ones yet.

Q. Any concern about the renovations to PGE Park and the fact that it's not a facility that is being built from the ground up?

A. None at all. One thing that we now know is that some of our most successful stadiums are the ones that are located in or close to downtown. And you can't get any more downtown than PGE Park. The stadium has its own soccer history that goes back many years and we're looking forward to continuing that tradition.

Q. What are the chances the Portland could host an MLS All-Star game or MLS Cup in the future?



A. We've been in discussions with Merritt about bringing a MLS special event to Portland. I'm sure that we'll be able to do that. It's just a matter of time before we finalize just what that event will be.

We, for sure, are really looking forward to coming to Portland with some big-time events. Not just All-Star games and Cups, but some big-time international matches that our marketing company would promote.

Q. You have been quoted as saying that you hope Landon Donovan remains in MLS, how does he help the league?



A. Landon is our greatest ambassador. He's a great player on the field and a great person off the field. I would love for him to finish his career in MLS, but ultimately, I don't have any control over what he does. But as commissioner, I would like for him to help us continue to grow the game of soccer in the United States, and he would be more effective doing that by playing in the United States, not in Europe.

I think Landon's performance in the World Cup has put him at a level that he is now past just being a soccer star. He's now a sports star and he serves as an example of someone who is associated with our league and attracts attention to Galaxy, our teams and our league.

Q. How important is it for MLS to develop home-grown stars?

A. It's very important. We want our clubs to develop a strong youth academy and through those academies develop young players who will want to play for their local MLS club. That kind of story is something we all want for our clubs, because that's the kind of story that can inspire other youths to play our sport.

Q.

With the signing of French star Thierry Henry by the New York Red Bulls, there have been a lot of rumors about another big star coming to MLS, Ronaldinho. Can you tell us if he will be coming to MLS soon?

I've read those rumors, I'm not quite sure where they're coming from. Maybe one of our board members might have said he heard that one of our teams is looking at him. But as far as I know, Ronaldinho is under contract to AC Milan. I've got great respect for him and should he ever decide that he's interested in our league, we would certainly be interested in talking to him. Those discussions would only happen when he at the end of his agreement or not under contract.

Q. How do you counter the criticism that MLS is a sort of a retirement home for aging international stars?



A. We just signed a Mexican player in his mid-20s (Chicago Fire signed 26-year-old Mexican striker Nery Castillo last week) and at the peak of his career. I think there will always be some young players and some older players that have come to MLS at the end of their careers. But we have some great young players here as well. ...You look at the way we do our entire league roster pool, not just the handful of guys who make the news.

Q. By the time 2012 comes, the league will have added four new teams (Portland, Vancouver, Philadelphia and Montreal (2012). Are you concerned the league is expanding too quickly?

A. We see the expansion as slow and steady growth, not rapid growth. This is the way we prefer to grow the league, with slow and consistent growth. Our attendance is strong, we have new stadiums that have been built or being built in Portland, Kansas City, Philadelphia, Los Angeles, New York, Canada and other cities. We have long-term television deals. The league has a very good financial foundation to grow in the future. We want to eventually go to 20 to 24 teams, continue to develop players from the United States and attract top international players. We feel we can do that in the future.