Philly and Salt Lake Gain Greater Exposure

Philly to Host MLS All-Star Game

On Monday, there was a lot of speculation that Philadelphia would be the host for the 2012 MLS All-Star game. Don Garber was in Philly and had scheduled a press conference where he would be joined by Philadelphia Union representatives along with the mayors of Philadelphia and Chester, Pa. The rumors were confirmed, and it was announced that Philly would host the match. Hosting this event will provided both national and international exposure, due to the intense star-power that this game usually contains.

Philadelphia is a good choice for host, considering the attendance figures that PPL Park had last year. It averaged over 19,000 fans per game, maintaining a 99% full capacity average throughout the season. The Sons of Ben are sure to be vocal in an All-Star setting, as they are one of the best supporters groups in the league. Besides the great attendance and supporters in Philadelphia, the location of the stadium is quite eye catching, with many seats boasting a view of the Delaware River. PPL Park also has a very European stadium feel, and is one of the best looking venues in MLS.

The opponent for the MLS All-Stars will be announced in the next few months, but we can expect another Manchester United caliber team. United beat the MLS squad 4-0 in last year's game.

MLS has released this promotional video to showcase both PPL Park and the MLS All-Star match.
(Philly Hosts) The Match will be played July 25.

RSL Scouts Japan

Today MLSsoccer.com announced that Real Salt Lake's general manager, Garth Lagerwey, travelled to Japan earlier this month to scout players. Lagerwey indicated that the "J-League is, I think, pretty similar to MLS," and he went on to say that, "its a league where we can draw some players from." Currently the only Japanese born player in the MLS is Colorado's Kosuke Kimura (MLSsoccer.com). There were no direct signings because of this trip, but Lagerwey said that the notion of coming abroad to MLS was appealing to some of the players he talked to. If nothing else, a trip like this may alert Japanese talent to the possibility of coming to Major League Soccer to play.

I have mixed feelings about a story like this. I think if the price is right for good Japanese talent, then it should be taken advantage of. A good Japanese player in the J-league has some popularity in Japan, but if he went to the MLS, he would gain a greater following. This is true for me and an American named player named Stuart Holden. The reason I came to know of Holden is because of the hype he gets for being an American in the EPL. If he still played in the MLS, I'm sure I would have learned of him at some point because of his skill, but I would only be his fan if he came to my team. With him being in another league, and one of the few Americans in that league, I feel a sense of pride watching him play, and cheer even though I didn't care for the Bolton Wanderers before. This would also happen with Japanese soccer fans and Japanese MLS players. Players who had their home team fans before, may attract fans who are just proud of them for "representing" Japan. The added attention from Japanese fans would surely help to bolster Major League Soccer's popularity in that region, even after some Japanese talent returns home.