Three events – all in the Northwest – combined last week for what Major League Soccer commissioner Don Garber described as “one of the more exciting weeks in league history.”
Last Wednesday, the league awarded an expansion team to Vancouver, B.C., and Friday it awarded another to Portland.
Those off-field announcements sandwiched the event that really seemed to excite Garber: Seattle Sounders FC’s inaugural game at Qwest Field.
“I’d call it a spectacular event kicking off our 14th season,” Garber said Tuesday in a state-of-the-league conference call. “... That had the feel of a super-big-time event. I’ve been in the sports business almost 30 years; I’ve been involved in producing the Super Bowl for many of those years and countless other events. And I’ve got to tell you, that was one of the most spectacular sporting events that I’ve ever been to. It brought tears to my eyes, literally.”
