Top Stories

Philadelphia to host 2012 MLS All-Star Game

PPL Park (ISIPhotos.com)

Fans of the Philadelphia Union have had plenty to cheer about in the club's brief two-year MLS existence. From the opening of PPL Park in 2010, to the team's MLS playoff debut in 2011. Now Union fans are ready to have a new experience to celebrate in 2012, the hosting of an MLS All-Star Game.

The Union and MLS have scheduled a press conference in Philadelphia for Tuesday, where Philadelphia mayor Michael Nutter and MLS commissioner are expected to announce that PPL Park will be host this summer's 2012 MLS All-Star Game. The match is expected to be scheduled for late July.

Philadelphia and Sporting Kansas City were among the leading candidates to secure the rights to the event, which annually features a match-up between MLS stars and a top international club. In 2011, Manchester United defeated the MLS All-Stars at Red Bull Arena in a sold-out event.

What do you think of the Union hosting the All-Star Game? Plan on attending this year? Who are you hoping MLS faces?

Share your thoughts below.

Comments

  1. MLS All-Stars v. FMF All-Stars. I suggested it on MajorLeagueSoccerTalk and I’m suggesting it again here. It makes SO much sense. Only problem would be that demand for tickets would likely push it to an NFL stadium or that FMF.

    Reply
  2. They’re on their way to signing a veteran Colombian forward Lionard Pajoy. Him Chandler, Martinez and an improved Mwanga could all round up to Le Toux. Especially if Marfan stays where he was last year and his brother Gabe plays like that when he gets to play his natural position in the midfield

    Reply
  3. Ho-hum. The biggest attendance in the league is in a football stadium with astroturf in Seattle. Meanwile FCD and Columbus are down near the bottom with NE and SJ, and FCD’s park lost its naming rights deal. From a fan perspective, yes, I’d prefer to be in a stadium for my sport, and a nice one, and from a business perspective it is a better division of the spoils. But you may be paying debt service too. NY, LA, and Toronto have done well with their SSSs and I assume Montreal will be solid as well. But I put SSSs solve everything right up there with Americans Abroad are better in terms of US soccer myths that don’t entirely hold water.

    Reply
  4. This is exactly what I was going to suggest… I think that an MLS v FMF All Star match would be great!
    I am all for fueling the partnership & rivalry with Mexican football (short of merging of course).

    Ives, have you ever heard any rumblings of this idea? What are some of the thoughts?

    -Lee

    Reply
  5. Congrats to PPL and Philly Union, but the ONLY thing Philly fans are inerested in right now is the fate of one Seba LeToux. What was really interesting is that on the Union Facebook Page they posted that “a very special announcement” is schedule for noon tomorrow. literally every other comment was someone wondering if it was news of who is replacing LeToux… Union have some great talent, but seriously if they can’t address this then hosting the all-Star game will be the only happy news of the coming season.

    Reply
  6. I saw a comment on another blog suggesting:

    MLS ALL-STARS versus FMF ALL-STARS.

    Please Ives, you are more connected than anyone that I know, make it happen. Watching another cheesy game against an English team isn’t going to happen with me. Pretty sure I am not alone on that.

    Reply
  7. Philly is a great place. For next year though I hope they put in Vancouver’s new stadium, that would look awesome as a sell out, this coming from a galaxy fan

    Reply
  8. 1. Philly’s place is a solid venue (even as NY fan I have to to admit that).

    2. SKC _just_ opened. PPL Park is going into it’s 3 season. Yes, SKC has been around, but give them a season in their new home before you start tossing things there.

    3. “SKC has both the stadium and the support”
    Let’s see what happens when the “new stadium” and “rebanding” new car smell wears off.

    4. “(NY lacks it greatly, despite with people proclaim).” Really? This old canard again? Get over yourself. NY had the 5th highest attendance in the league (over 19k). (Philly beat out SKC as well, coming in 7th).

    Reply
  9. The stadium seems nice but Chester, well…..24 murders (2010) in a town of 37,000 is insane. But they’ll party in Philly and play in Chester, gloss that part over.

    MLS seems to try and reward new SSSs so it’ll be KC, the Saputo remodel, Houston, etc. the next few years.

    Reply
  10. Fair enough … but PPL Park opened its doors well before Livestrong did, so the Union should’ve been higher in the pecking order to host the ASG. Not a dig on SKC nor LSP for that matter.

    Reply
  11. Congrats to Philly but I hope this means SKC gets it in 2013. KC is the only team of the original 10 not to host an All-Star or MLS Cup.

    Of course, with the new playoff changes we’ll settle for hosting the MLS Cup this year instead.

    Reply
  12. Likely to be Arsenal or Liverpool.

    Both are heavily touted to be touring US this summer along with Roma, Chelsea, and Celtic.

    MLS has already played Chelsea and Celtic (06-07All stars).

    Roma isn’t popular enough with the average fan.

    Reply
  13. Disappointed not to see SKC get it, as a neutral. PPL Park seems rather generic, despite the background scenery.

    SKC is the class of our league and that includes LA/NY. LA’s fans are hard to rival and NY’s stadium is impressive but SKC has both the stadium and the support (NY lacks it greatly, despite with people proclaim).

    On the bright side, I hope to see more spring/fall/summer national team games at LSP.

    Reply
  14. Congrats to Philly. Looks like a good place for the game. However, while back to back All-Star games on the east coast is OK, the next one better be a bit further west.

    Reply

Leave a Reply to SomethingForMeToDOOPOn Cancel reply