MLS Rumors: Colorado Rapids to Host 2015 MLS All-Star Game
By Phil Naegely
The first two rounds of the 2015 MLS SuperDraft took place on Thursday with many college players’ dreams of being a pro soccer player come true. Now players’ dreams of being a MLS All-Star could know where they would play in July next Wednesday. On Friday, the league announced MLS Commissioner Don Garber will be joining other key Colorado Rapids staff and Colorado state officials on January 21, 2015 for an important announcement. Because of the those involved in the announcement, it appears that MLS could be awarding the Rapids the 2015 MLS All-Star Game.
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Other joining Garber for the important announcement on Wednesday include Colorado Rapids Alternate Governor, Josh Kroenke, Lt. Governor of Colorado, Joseph Garcia, Colorado Rapids Head Coach, Pablo Mastroeni, Mayor of Commerce City, Sean Ford, and President/CEO of Visit Denver, Richard Scharf.
After the news broke of the special announcement, SI’s Brian Straus tweeted out about the possibility of Colorado being the host of this year’s All-Star Game.
So, looks like Rapids will host MLS All-Star. Why return to Denver (hosted in 07)? Gotta be vs. Arsenal, right? Source says opp not decided.
— Brian Straus (@BrianStraus) January 16, 2015
As he mentions in his tweet, the Rapids hosted the MLS All-Star Game in 2007. Historically, the league likes to have the All-Star game in new stadiums or hosted by a new expansion team. Last year, the Portland Timbers hosted. Based on this logic, MLS would have gone with the San Jose Earthquakes. Their news stadium will be ready part way through the 2015 season and ahead of when the All-Star Game usually takes place in July. On another hand, it makes sense Orlando City wouldn’t host it in 2015 due to their stadium will not be completed until the 2016 season.
Since the 2005 MLS All-Star Game, the MLS All-Stars have taken on a team from Europe. Last year, they faced Julian Green and Bayern Munich. This year it would make sense to take on EPL side Arsenal given that Gedion Zelalem pledge his allegiance to the USMNT towards the end of 2014. This would allow MLS and USMNT fans to see Zelalem in action as he begins his road to the USMNT.
For now nothing is confirmed, but it would make sense that MLS will announce the Rapids as the 2015 MLS All-Star Game hosts due to the type of government officials attending the important announcement. At the same time, Arsenal has never featured against the MLS All-Stars, but other EPL sides have featured. In the past few years, the opposing sides have featured an USMNT player and Arsenal currently has a young USMNT prospect in Zelalem.
Stay tuned to Playing for 90 as any developments break on this topic.
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