Major League Soccer

By Kerith Gabriel Daily News Staff Writer NEW YORK - Major League Soccer commissioner Don Garber is so immersed in his responsibilities of building the American soccer brand, he doesn't even see how far it has come. Since he made the move from the NFL in 1999 to become head of the longest standing top-tier professional soccer league in the United States, Garber has witnessed the expansion of nine additional teams, the growth of more soccer-specific stadiums in North America, and attendance numbers that continue to rival the NBA and nip at the heels of the NHL. But Garber still contends that even after 17 years of existence, MLS has a lot more work to accomplish its goal of becoming one of the world's top leagues.

FRESH OFF scoring his first goal of the season, Union captain Carlos Valdes was rewarded with his first MLS All-Star appearance. Valdes, 27, will be the lone representative for the Union when MLS' best challenge Chelsea on July 25 at PPL Park (8:30 p.m., ESPN2). Selected as one of two picks by MLS commissioner Don Garber, Valdes joins Sebastien Le Toux (2010) and goalkeeper Faryd Mondragon (2011) as all-time Union all-stars. Le Toux and Mondragon are no longer members of the team.

FIFA finally embraced goal-line technology for soccer Thursday, approving two systems for use, beginning in December, at the seven-team Club World Cup in Japan. FIFA also plans to use a system in Brazil at the 2013 Confederations Cup and 2014 World Cup. FIFA president Sepp Blatter said the approved Hawk-Eye and GoalRef systems would provide "99 percent security" that a notorious refereeing error which helped eliminate England at the last World Cup would not be repeated. "There is no 100 percent guarantee in life.

Union forward Lionard Pajoy was suspended one game and fined an undisclosed amount, Major League Soccer announced Friday. The MLS disciplinary committee suspended Pajoy as the result of his challenge on Toronto FC's Joao Plata in the 29th minute of a 1-0 Toronto victory last weekend.

PRINCETON - The Independence missed out on a Women's Professional Soccer championship in 2011 by the narrowest margin possible - a penalty shootout loss in the title game. It turns out that was as close as the franchise will ever come. WPS announced Friday that it has fully shut down, dashing any lingering hopes held by fans of a rebound for the league after the London Olympics. The news came by way of an e-mail news release and a post on the league's Facebook page.

Just because the Union host a Mother's Day showdown against Major League Soccer rival New York Red Bulls on Sunday doesn't mean they are overlooking Wednesday's friendly against Schalke 04. They can't afford to. This isn't a preseason match for the German visitors, but rather a U.S. visit three days removed from a successful campaign in the top-flight Bundesliga. Schalke's third-place finish secured a Champions League spot next season as one of the best in Europe. Although not a household name in the States, Schalke is no joke, and the Union know it. The club features some of the world's premier talent, including Dutch midfielder Klaas-Jan Huntelaar and veteran Spanish forward Raúl Gonzalez Blanco (known worldwide by just his first name)

The Union had hoped to get off to a better start than 2-4-1, but there have been positives in this young Major League Soccer season, and among the most pleasant surprises has been the play of rookie defender Raymon Gaddis. Even the most ardent fans couldn't have predicted that this second-round draft choice, the No. 35 overall selection in the MLS draft, would make such a significant contribution. The 22-year-old former West Virginia University product will likely start his fourth consecutive game Saturday at Seattle (5-1-1)

The Union's home opener is set for March 18 at PPL Park, Major League Soccer has announced. The league revealed the home opening dates for each team, but did not provide opponents. MLS will have six games on March 10, two on March 11 and one on March 12. It is possible the Union would open on the road in one of those games. The entire regular-season schedule is expected to be released by the end of the year. Each club will play 34 games in the regular season.

Major League Soccer commissioner Don Garber has presided since 1999 over the fastest-growing professional sports entity in the country. The league, which had 10 teams in 2004, will start next season with 19. And that's not the only number that has increased. MLS is drawing larger average crowds than the NHL or NBA - and outdrawing professional soccer leagues in Scotland, Brazil, and England. Television viewership is way up, and expansion fees have more than quadrupled since 2007. By next spring, more than three quarters of the league's teams, once largely unwelcome tenants in cavernous football stadiums, will be playing in new soccer-specific stadiums.

There's a new love in town, sports fans. Michelle Stella grew up with season tickets to the Eagles, and hasn't missed a home game in 10 years. But the Union, a soccer team in only its second season, have their first-ever MLS Cup playoff game, against the Houston Dynamo, on Sunday. Turns out, the Union play in the afternoon, and the Eagles play the Dallas Cowboys at night, so Stella's boyfriend will rush her from one game to the next. But when she thought she had to choose - there was no choice.