For M.L.S., the Sport's Future Is in the Eye of the Beholder (Published 2005)

Don Garber pointed to a neon orange chair in his cushy corner office, which overlooks Fifth Avenue in Midtown Manhattan. With a smile as bright as the chair's leather exterior, he gushed: "How many commissioners have orange leather chairs, man? It's happening!"

For Garber, the commissioner of Major League Soccer, the chair is more than a place to sit. It is a statement of where the M.L.S. is and where it is heading.

"It represents the brand that we want to shout out to everyone in this country and around the world," he said. "That we're young, that we're somewhat hip, that we've got a sense of who we are and a sense of history, yet at the same time a real sense of our future."

And what exactly is the future of M.L.S.? The league concludes its 10th season Sunday when the Los Angeles Galaxy plays the New England Revolution in Frisco, Tex., for the league title.

While intelligent marketing has helped give M.L.S. financial certainty, Garber's vision may not be universally accepted. He said the league has exceeded expectations and has an even brighter future.

"Decades from now, this will be one of the most popular sports leagues in America," Garber said.

But the sports consultant Marc Ganis said soccer "is not a traditional U.S. sport and has not grown into that. There are many people who believe it never will."