was very difficult," she said. "Before playing today

MLS Commissioner Don Garber says the league is not performing as hoped financially and its franchises are combining to lose more than $100 million annually. Terry Francona Indians Jersey .Garber attributed losses to player acquisitions, stadiums and spending on league infrastructure. The update about the leagues finances came with the MLS and its players union beginning negotiations on a new collective bargaining agreement.I can say without doubt that our owners did not expect that by this time wed still be needing to invest the level of money that we have been investing, and thats just the reality of where our business is today, Garber said during a telephone interview with The Associated Press.Garber covered a range of topics during a State of the League event Tuesday and later expanded when talking with the AP. The labour contract with players expires at the end of Jan. 31 and the sides needed assistance from the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service in 2010, when they reached an agreement five days before the season opener.Garber was optimistic a deal will be reached before would be reached before the 2015 season is scheduled to start in early March.You go into these discussions with an open mind and a desire to reach an agreement, and be as open as can, and be as transparent as can be, Garber said.Garber also told the AP he has communicated a number of times with U.S. national team coach Jurgen Klinsmann since the pair had a public spat in October. Garber criticized Klinsmann for not taking Landon Donovan to the World Cup and for saying Clint Dempsey and Michael Bradley damaged their careers by returning to MLS from European clubs.This debate, which is open and transparent, is positive for the sport, Garber said. People care. We care about growing MLS and contributing to the growth of the U.S. and Canadian national teams. He cares about the U.S. being a more powerful competitive force in international competition. And as I think (U.S. Soccer Federation president) Sunil Gulati said, were not going to agree on everything and thats OK because we have a very strong foundation to our relationship both personally with Jurgen and Sunil and me and more importantly corporately between the league and the federations.Other issues Garber spoke on:EXPANSION: The league expands to 20 teams next season with the addition of Orlando City and New York City FC and the folding of Chivas USA. Los Angeles FC and Atlanta join in 2017 and a franchise has been promised to David Beckhams group in Miami.Beckhams Miami franchise remains uncertain.If they dont have the right stadium we wont go there, Garber said. Until they get it finalized we cant make the commitment to go to Miami.Garber has said MLS will expand to 24 teams before the end of the decade, and his expansion committee is to speak with owners this weekend regarding overtures from Minneapolis, Sacramento and Las Vegas. A decision could be made within the first six months of 2015 on which city will be the next expansion market.PLAYOFF STRUCTURE: Garber hinted that expanding the playoffs by two teams to 12 — six from each conference — could be announced by this weekend. League staff has recommended the move to owners. Garber said the away-goal rule as a tiebreaker in two-leg playoffs will remain.STADIUMS: Garber remains hopeful D.C. United, New England and New York City FC will find soccer stadium solutions. NYCFC will play at Yankee Stadium as a temporary home, while D.C. Uniteds stadium proposal has passed a first vote by the D.C. Council.I hope that puts us in position for the Northeast to be its own rivalry that could replicate the Cascadia rivalry that is so important in the Northwest, Garber said.REPLACING STARS: The league is losing stars Thierry Henry and Landon Donovan at the end of the season. Henry announced hes leaving the New York Red Bulls while Donovan will retire after Sundays MLS Cup final against New England.The league planned to honour Donovan this weekend but put that off until the MLS SuperDraft in Philadelphia on Jan. 15.Garber says the loss of two of the biggest names in the league should be lessened by the arrivals of Kaka, David Villa and Frank Lampard next season.Were not relying on one or two players. It no longer is Thats the league David Beckham is in. Its now the league that Obafemi Martins is in and the league Bradley Wright-Phillips is in and the league that DeAndre Yedlin is in, Garber said. 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An offseason trade acquisition from Kansas City, Greinkes National League debut was delayed by a non-baseball injury in the spring, and he was 0-1 after dropping an 8-0 decision at Atlanta in his initial appearance with the Brewers on May 4.SOUTHAMPTON, N.Y. -- Ha-Neul Kim saw friend Inbee Park after the worlds top-ranked player took the lead in the morning session at the U.S. Womens Open. Kim, with an afternoon tee time playing the major for the first time, wondered, "Wow, how did she shoot that score?" Then Kim went out Thursday and shot one stroke better, finishing with a bogey-free, 6-under 66 to take the first-round lead at Sebonack. Park is trying to make history by winning the first three majors of the year. For a day at least, she was upstaged by a much less-heralded fellow South Korean. "Im enjoying myself," Kim said through a translator. "Im just happy to be here and to be playing in this big event. Im not really thinking about winning or results but enjoying the moment." Currently a member of the KLPGA Tour, Kim is a seven-time winner in South Korea. She kept giving herself short birdie putts Thursday and making them. Kim birdied her second-to-last hole with daylight waning to claim the lead after Park held it for most of the day with her 67 in the morning session. No player has won the first three majors in a season with at least four majors. The 2008 U.S. Womens Open champion, Park has already won five times this year, including her last two tournaments. American Lizette Salas, Swedes Caroline Hedwall and Anna Nordqvist and South Koreas I.K. Kim shot 68. Maude-Aimee LeBlanc of Sherbrooke, Que,. is three shots back at 69. Brooke Mackenzie Henderson of Smiths Falls, Ont., carded a 71. Charlottetowns Lorie Kane, Jessica Sheply of Owen Sound, Ont., Nicole Zhang of Calgary and Kirby Dreher of Fort St. John, B.C., shot 77. Shephanie Sherlock of Barrie, Ont., is another shot back. Isabelle Beisiegel of St. Hilaire, Que., turned in an 84. Concerned about bad weather, tournament officials moved up the tees, and with the rain holding off, Park was able to play aggressively. "I never had practiced from those tees, so I was a little bit shocked when I went to the tees," Park said. Not that she was complaining. She repeatedly set up short putts, and the way she has excelled in her short game lately, Park was headed to a low score. "So instead of hitting like 5-irons, we were hitting 9-irons, and that was making the course much easier," she said. "I was actually able to go for some pins and give myself a lot of opportunities today. I made a lot of putts and didnt leave much out there." Starting on No. 10, Park birdied her first hole, then started racking up pars. She made the turn at 2 under before birdies on three of her next four holes. At 5 under, Park briefly struggled with her tee shots, needing to save par on Nos. 5 and 7. On No. 6, her 15th hole of the day, she had to lay up out of the tall grass and settled for her lone bogey. Omar Vizquel Indians Jersey. Park got back to 5 under on the par-5 eighth with a chip shot to about 5 feet that set up a birdie putt. Hedwall and I.K. Kim were each at 5 under with a hole left, but closed with bogeys. Nordqvist birdied her last two holes to pull into the tie for third. The two Swedes grew up playing together. "Certainly seeing her shooting 4 under in the morning session gave me a little bit of inspiration for the afternoon," Nordqvist said. Salas, a 23-year-old former Southern California star, played with Park in the last group of the final round of this years Kraft Nabisco Championship. Three strokes back starting the day, she opened with a double bogey and tumbled to 25th after shooting a 79. She bounced back to reach a playoff at the LPGA Lotte Championship in April, losing to Suzann Pettersen for her best finish on tour. "Im just getting a lot more used to being in contention and really studying the leaderboard and really managing my patience," Salas said. "I think thats been key for me this week. Yes, I still get nervous on the first tee and my hands keep shaking, but I just know that if I just trust myself and trust my instincts, I can perform out here." Chiles Paz Echeverria, a 28-year-old LPGA Tour rookie also making her U.S. Womens Open debut, shot 69. Among eight players at 70 was Natalie Gulbis, who withdrew from a tournament and missed two others earlier this year because of malaria. Infected by a mosquito during the LPGA Thailand in late February, she returned for the Kraft Nabisco in early April. Gulbis hasnt finished better than 13th since, missing the cut at the LPGA Championship. Defending champion Na Yeon Choi, second-ranked Stacy Lewis and amateurs Kyung Kim and Brooke Henderson were among 11 players at 71. Lydia Ko, the 16-year-old New Zealand amateur who won the Canadian Open last August to become the youngest LPGA Tour winner, had a 72. Juli Inkster, playing in a record-breaking 34th U.S. Womens Open at age 53, holed a 103-yard wedge shot for eagle on the 18th to also finish at 72. Michelle Wie opened her round with a quadruple-bogey 8 on No. 10. She was at 11 over through 14 holes before birdies on three of the last four to finish with an 80. With Parks two major titles to start the year, South Koreans have won four straight majors. But Ha-Neul Kim was an unlikely representative to lead after the first round of this tournament. "I was very nervous coming in, and I thought in the practice round that the course was very difficult," she said. "Before playing today I thought that even par would be a very good score for me." ' ' '