Toronto would be an excellent addition to Major League Soccer under the leadership of Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment, one of the preeminent sports and entertainment companies in the world. We are enthusiastic about bringing an MLS team to Toronto and are prepared to host the 2008 All-Star Game and an MLS Cup in Toronto by 2012. |
We are close to finalizing a deal for '07. We've given MLSE an exclusive window through the end of the month, Oct. 31 to negotiate a deal for an expansion team, |
We are close to finalizing a deal for '07. We've given MLSE an exclusive window through the end of the month, Oct. 31 to negotiate a deal for an expansion team. |
We believe we are a team that can succeed in East Los Angeles and New York City, but we also can succeed in places like Columbus and Salt Lake, |
We don't know how this is going to work, but I'm excited about it, very much so, |
We have always believed that combination of the diversity and the passion of the city's sports fans and the size of the market would lead to success for an MLS team. We've also had great success with the international markets, maybe as much as we've had in any city. |
We hope this program will further encourage the millions of soccer fans in this country to contribute to helping the victims of Hurricane Katrina. |
We need to carefully manage Freddy's exposure and the expectation that he will take the sport to unrealistic levels, ... We have said all along that no one player will 'save soccer in America.' ... That is not on Freddy's shoulders. |
We never intended for the team's name to offend any member of the Houston community. We listened hard to the fan reaction and believe that the Houston Dynamo name is an exciting, appropriate and locally relevant new team brand. |
We sat down and had some long discussions internally and with Eddie, but we didn't make any counter-offers. Eddie is very committed to MLS, and to FC Dallas and its new stadium. |
We want kids to dream of playing for FC Dallas and being like Eddie, and the only way that happens is if he's playing in our league. Our future is going to have us looking to these special players as the foundations for the sport, and we need to find ways to provide salaries that are competitive with other parts of the world. More important than that, we need them to believe in the league and their role in building the sport. |
We will definitely finalize our plans for expansion before the end of the 2003 season, |
We're a changing country. The people against us are older and not engaged in the game. Our focus remains expanding the dominance of soccer as the No. 1 sport among Hispanics living in the U.S. |
We're very far along in our negotiations, but not at the point where numbers are being thrown around. |
While we recognize that much work needs to be done, this is an encouraging first step in the process toward bringing first-class professional soccer to the area. |