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Everton chosen as MLS All-Star opponent

Tim Howard 1 (AP) 

Tim Howard's Everton has been chosen as Major League Soccer's opponent in the 2009 MLS All-Star Game, the league announced on Wednesday.

This year's All-Star game is set for July 29th at Rio Tinto Stadium in Sandy, Utah, home of Real Salt Lake.

The match-up will mark the sixth straight All-Star game featuring a foreign club. MLS has yet to lose since the format was adopted.

While Howard's return to face MLS is a great storyline (and those with long memories will remember Howard's own MLS All-Star game heroics of years gone by) the selection of Everton will be seen as disappointing to many in a year that will see so many more high-profile teams visiting the United States on tours this summer.

What do you think of the choice? Love Everton as an opponent? Think it's a terrible pick? Just happy to have a chance to see Tim Howard facing off against MLS opponents?

Share your thoughts below.

Comments

  1. Listen people MLS and RSL are trying to make money on this event, so let’s think about it for a second. There are 20,000 seats, but 8,000 of those seats will go to RSL season ticket holders, another 1,000 will be gobbled up by MLS. So that means that there are 11,000 seats to be sold for this match, if you average the price at 75 buck (a very generous amount) you get 825,000 in ticket sales.

    To bring over Real Madrid a couple years ago cost almost 1.5 million with all the costs. So the ability to bring a team that will cost more than $500,000 simply isn’t there.

    Real Madrid is hosting the Peace Cup at the same time as the MLS All Star match, top prize 2 million Euros, second is 1 million and 3rd and 4th are 1/2 million Euros, why would a team come to the states when they can play for that? 12 teams went to that tourney, then the 4 clubs in the Football World Championship tourney (all playing in large stadiums) are all getting over a million bucks.

    This is economics, consider that MLS wanted from day one a Mexican side that they could get for 250,000 or less. If it were East vs. West or US vs. World players in the league there would be no special draw, it isn’t like we are going to do skills competitions, and other events to bring in big time attention.

    The ability to bring in an international team makes this match at least something people will want to go to.

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  2. I’ve watched the past 3 MLS All-star games. Chelsea, Celtic, and West Ham. West Ham was by far the most enjoyable, and the best competition. I expect Everton to be the same way. Chel$ea seemed dis-interested and Celtic just did what Celtic does, kick it hard and foul a lot. West Ham really seemed like they were playing to win. I think its a good fit and will be an enjoyable game.

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  3. I think the choice is a bit weak. No disrespect to Tim Howard or Everton but it would have been better had they picked Valencia, AC Milan, or Villareal or a team from another league for a change. It is a bit amateur that they picked Everton when they played against the Fire and RSL a while back. I think the MLS All Star game has a lot of potential because there are several ways it can be organized such as US v. International players, having the best XI of the premier league, having MLS v. International American players, etc.

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  4. look forward to this. although chelsea, madrid, ac milan, and inter will be touring the US this summer.. surprised they are not participating.

    the all star game is kind of a joke; a tv event. but at the same time it is an american tradition in all of our sports, its on tv and is publicity for the league. Playing the best eleven players in the league for 90 minutes against some quality teams from across the world (even if it is a reserve team) is not a bad thing either.

    lets no forget the point of the mls, usl, etc is to develop soccer players in the US and Canada so why not embrace an event like this.

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  5. They need two games for the All star “event.”

    A main event with the MLS all-stars v. Everton.

    The undercard would be MLS 2nd tier all-star vs a USL team, preferably either portland or vanc.

    That would be worth the money.

    That would be awesome.

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  6. I wish it was RSL’s sister Club, Real Madrid :(…But Everton are a good side filled with some great players…I can’t wait to see Timmy Howard back in the States again 🙂

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  7. All-Stars v. AC Milan. Winner keeps Beckham. good idea *EDB*

    I like it. Esp. that our best player TIMMY will be on the other side! I hope 90% of the stadium wears *HOWARD* jerseys – if i win tix to the game, I will!

    Personally, I wonder if MLS is trying to be more like EPL and pick only EPL teams. I hope they pick a La Liga team like Villareal. And the next year, Weder Bremen. And the next, a French team. Then at the end of the season, play a J-League All star team (dunno if they have one, i just made it up).

    i like it!

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  8. To all of you losers complaining about Everton and their “lack of quality,” why don’t you take a moment to consider that on their best day, MLS all-stars couldn’t hang with the Everton reserves… Go Toffees!

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  9. GO BLUES!
    Mid-table is for the Fulhams and West Hams of the world.
    hahahahahahaha
    sorry, got a kick out of that one.

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  10. MLS enjoys beating up on mid-table EPL teams. Not very interesting. East/West would probably be a better game for fans as nobody would defend.

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  11. Everton? Really?!?!? The best club the MLS could bring in is Everton? RSL had Everton here a couple years ago and a horrible RSL team beat them… Now granted not all their stars were playing and I am sure they not playing full strength but Arteta, Neville and Howard all played.

    As an RSL season ticket holder I was excited to see that the All-Star game was included in our package… but I was hoping for someone better than Everton!

    Reply

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