MLS commissioner talks expansion, Las Vegas, gambling, Liga MX and more

For nearly two years, the COVID-19 pandemic has weighed heavy on Major League Soccer. The 2020 season barely got to the finish line in the wake of postponements and delays, while negotiations on a revised Collective Bargaining Agreement with the MLS Players Association meant a delay to the start of the 2021 campaign.

But with this season having reached its conclusion last weekend in Portland, MLS finds itself on firmer footing, and commissioner Don Garber can exhale a bit. There are revamped competitions like the Leagues Cup to look forward to, and expansion is once again on the minds of the league’s executives. There is a new media rights deal to negotiate as well.

With that in mind, Garber sat down with ESPN to delve deeper into some issues at hand.

This interview has been edited for clarity and brevity, and was conducted just prior to MLS Cup.

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ESPN: You said during the State of the League address [on Dec. 8] that Las Vegas is the front runner for the next expansion franchise, potentially becoming the 30th MLS franchise. How close is that deal to the finish line? What additional details can you share?

Don Garber: I can’t really share much more because there’s not much more to share. We’re engaged in deep discussions with a potential ownership group, we’re very focused on what the facility options are and we’re hopeful to keep making progress. I can’t really say much more than that.

ESPN: Is it a prerequisite that in places like Vegas and Phoenix, the team is going to have to have an indoor stadium given the weather? And to what degree does that change the calculus of an expansion bid in either one of those cities?

DG: Yes [an indoor venue is required]. We’re very focused, we are really bullish about the market and we’re convinced that the key to success in a market like Las Vegas is a temperature-controlled stadium environment,…