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Bayern Boss confirms MLS All-Star Game

BayernMunichCelebrate1-WerderBremen (AP)

By DAN KARELL

Next year’s Major League Soccer All-Star Game is looking likely to have more of a German flavor.

Bayern Munich Chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge confirmed to German publication SportBild that Bayern Munich would be heading across the Atlantic Ocean next summer to face the MLS All-Stars, becoming the first German team in the annual exhibition match. The 2014 MLS All-Star Game is set to take place at Jeld-Wen Field in Portland, Ore.

MLS has not yet publicly commented on next year’s All-Star game opponent.

“We were the first German club (to receive) an invitation to the MLS All-Star Game. We have accepted the invitation, “Rummenigge told SportBild. “We are discussing plans to go for a week in the U.S. and to play two matches. The DFL (German Football League) has great interest that we travel to the U.S.”

The defending UEFA Champions League, Bundesliga, and German Cup champions have made no secret to their desire to enter the global market, hiring Jörg Wacker to lead their international ventures in the United States and China. Bayern are expected to open offices in New York and China in the coming months.

One of the reason’s cited for Bayern’s interest in growing their presence in North America was the massive deal signed by 21st Century Fox that is bringing the Bundesliga television rights to Fox on a five-year deal, beginning in 2015.

Nothing yet has been announced from MLS in terms of the time and date of the 2014 All-Star Game. Bayern have reportedly asked for the game to be pushed back by a week or so in order for them to be able to bring their full squad to America, which will likely include many players participating at next summer’s World Cup. This year the All-Star Game was played against AS Roma on July 31. AS Roma won, 3-1.

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What do you think of these developments? Excited to see Bayern Munich face the MLS All-Stars? Would you have more interest in watching the All-Star Game if Bayern were the opponent?

Share your thoughts below.

Comments

  1. I don’t think the casual fan would tune in. This wouldn’t be much different than East vs West. But where are Henry and Cahill in your World XI tho??

    Reply
  2. Why not World v North America All Stars? Like NHL has done… perhaps lineups from this year would have looked like:

    ——————————-Nielsen————————————
    ————–Collin————-Goncalves—————————-
    -Beitashour——————————————Michel———-
    —————————Rosell–Alonso——————————
    —————————–Valeri—————————————–
    —Morales————————————————Brown——-
    ————————-Di Vaio——————————————-

    —————————–Wondow—————————————-
    ——Donovan—————————————–Magee———–
    ————————–Zusi—————————————————
    ————McCarty——————–Johnson—————————
    –Klute———————————————————Yedlin———
    ————–Besler————-Gonzalez———————————-
    ——————————-Irwin———————————————-

    Reply
    • Shawn,

      If the guy wants it to happen, how is it that NOONE will watch it ? I assume he would watch no ?
      Why would he care if YOU watch it ?

      He and I will watch it, and probably a few others like us. When the Sounders were drawing 5-10k fans instead of 45k, it didn’t mean it shouldn’t happen, it meant that the fair weather and casual fans didn’t care.

      That is all it means. There will always be the casual fans that only watch the top teams. Look at the Eurosnobs/casual fans, they are everywhere.
      Look at other website blogs.
      Look at the friendly attendance numbers.

      For the real fans, sorry had to feel superior, East versus West, or US versus Mexico looks very nice.

      Reply
  3. I think it would be great if we consistently got the Champions League winners to come over. I think these should be played in non-MLS stadiums though to evangelize the sport to other cities.

    How quickly you all forget 2 years ago when Pontius and EJ burned Chelsea for a 3-2 victory with Ben Olsen filling in as head coach. That was a great match. Chelsea played their starters too, and we had Beckham, Henry, Donovan, and Keane among others.

    Reply
    • exactly that’s what I want. THIS IS A GAME people will pay $100 for.

      Bayern Munich, Man United, AC Milan, Barcelona, Real Madrid are the clubs people wanna see not Everton, West Ham, not Roma

      Reply
  4. I love the MLS all star game, but give the players a week not just 3 days.
    I also honestly don’t like the west vs east, it’s nice but maybe after MLS gets more publicity and love from espn and fox sports. But I repeat, after MLS get their 24 teams and maybe go to the international schedule, the all star game will fit perfectly, along with the summer friendlies. It’s coming, we just gotta wait and let teams fix their issues.

    Reply
    • I agree. While the summer is congested, it’s congested because a lot of Euro teams use it as prep for the upcoming season. There probably needs to be more coordination. Last summer Landon Donovan was a late addition to the All-Star game and MISSED the Real Madrid-Galaxy game, the next day (as did Robbie Keane and Omar G. I think the USSF need to put a one day moratorium on friendly fixtures that involve MLS teams/players so s to not allow this again.

      You will not get a good reception to have an All star or any other game at the end of the season unless it were to permanently moved to LA, Miami or some place warm

      I think the ALL star game is still a good ideal especially with foreign teams. It will be interesting to see this year as we play Germany and a lot of the German team is made up of BM players. Early June is too early for the ALL star Game and interferes with the prep for the WC, so I’m betting it;s hosted after the WC, make more sense that way.

      Reply
  5. Couldn’t 2015 come any sooner? Can’t wait to finally be able to watch bundesliga again, haven’t been able to ever since Comcast dropped gol tv.

    Reply
  6. great. another exhibition where we hype the home team beforehand and then bemoan that a pickup squad, no matter how talented, can’t hang with one of the tightest club sides in the world after a 4-0 drubbing…

    PLEASE BRING BACK EAST VS. WEST.

    Reply
    • I agree. I would like an All Star weekend like the NHL does. Perhaps an “old timers” game, skills competition, and East vs. West all star game.

      Reply
    • meh, i disagree. i think the whole all star thing just needs to go. it’s an unwelcome distraction for players in the middle of our season. i’d feel differently if it was post or pre season

      Reply
      • Agreed. I’d like it to be post-season like the Pro Bowl. There’s too much fixture congestion in mid-summer as it is. Put the All-Star game post-season, and then move the MLS Cup back one week to Black Friday and own that day.

    • The MLS All Stars have played “one of the tightest club sides in the world” four times. They have won two games and lost two games. In their most recent such game, they beat Chelsea. They get drubbed once by United and it spawns an entire narrative…

      Reply

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