Colorado Rapids to Host 2015 MLS All-Star Game
By Phil Naegely
Last week, MLS announced Don Garber would be in Colorado for a major announcement alongside top representatives from the state and the Colorado Rapids. This caused many people to wonder what he would be traveling to Colorado for and what the major announcement would be. Many predicted that the league would announce the Rapids as the host of the 2015 MLS All-Star Game.
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On Monday, the Denver Post reported with confirmation from a city spokesman that the Rapids will indeed host the 2015 All-Star Game. This would be the second time the Rapids have hosted an All-Star Game; they hosted in 2007 as the MLS All-Stars defeated Scottish side Celtic in a 2-0 affair. While Dick’s Sporting Goods Park is a beautiful venue to host soccer, many are curious why the league is awarded Colorado another All-Star Game.
Recently, the league has given All-Star Games to teams with fairly new stadiums or expansion sides. While NYCFC is playing in Yankee Stadium and Orlando City SC’s soccer specific stadium won’t be ready until 2016, the San Jose Earthquakes have a new stadium opening in 2015. One reason for the Earthquakes not hosting this year’s All-Star game could be that MLS didn’t want it on the West Coast for two straight years. It would have been the perfect opportunity to showcase their new, state of the art stadium in front of a national television audience. Instead, it appears the stadium best known for hosting the USMNT during last year’s snow classico has earned the right to host.
It will be interesting to see if MLS commissioner Don Garber announces who the 2015 MLS All-Stars will face. Last year, they faced Julian Green and Bayern Munich. The year before they took on AS Roma and Michael Bradley. Given this trend it would not come as a surprise if the All-Stars of MLS took on Arsenal and Gedion Zelalem, who just pledged his allegiance to the USMNT this past year.
For now, all we know is that the city of Denver has confirmed the Colorado Rapids will host the 2015 MLS All-Star Game. There will be many events in and around the stadium ahead of the All-Star Game. The list of guests attending the announcement on Wednesday include MLS Commissioner, Don Garber; 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.
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