FCBARCELONA.CAT

03.08.2009 05:07

Garber: “A great night for American soccer”

David Saura (enviat especial)

“A great night for American soccer” was the way MLS commissioner Don Garber described FC Barcelona’s game at the Rose Bowl, watched by the biggest crowd in the stadium since 1994.

The FCB tour of the USA has got off to a spectacular start, and the man who runs the MLS has recognised that. Don Garber was delighted with the huge crowd (93,137) that watched the Catalans win 2-1, especially as league fixtures rarely draw in more than 15,000 people.

Exceptional day

The game with Barça came about thanks to the club’s special relationship with Major League Soccer. “Thanks to our joint efforts, this game was able to go ahead. We are working with Barça on such areas as marketing and friendly matches” said Gaber, who confirmed that there are no longer any plans for FC Barcelona to set up an MLS franchise.

Don Gaber is convinced that events like Saturday’s can only help with the promotion of soccer in his country, which needs new impulses, especially since the Beckham phenomenon has come in for so much questioning of late.

Barça, in Los Angeles Times

The game has been reflected by major media repercussions. The Los Angeles Times dedicated a full page to the game, and also included an article praising the team on its youth structure, heralding the club for its tradition, which the newspaper claims makes it stand out above other teams.

Media interest

There can be no arguing that the American media has shown remarkable interest in Barça over the last few days. The FC Barcelona president has given interviews to the likes of Fox Soccer Channel and Fox Sports, which broadcast the game at the Rose Bowl, and also Univision, the biggest Spanish-speaking station in the country, which will be showing the game in San Francisco against Chivas Guadalajara. Apart from the Los Angeles Times, Laporta has also spoken to such papers as the Associated Press’ ‘La Opinión'.