The festivities featured a Navy SEALs parachute team, a trained falcon named Olly, countless flags and banners and an a capella rendition of the national anthem sung by some of the 22,000 invited guests in the sellout crowd.
But the best moment came in stoppage time, with captain Laurent Ciman's shot from distance lifting LAFC to 1-0 victory over the Seattle Sounders.
"It's fantastic. It's really spectacular," he said. "It's just what the league needs. The water level keeps getting raised."
When Garber took over MLS in 1999, the league had one soccer-specific venue. When Minnesota United completes construction on its stadium next year, it will have 18.