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Why aren’t you excited about the All-Star game?

Photo: Nicolae Stoian

Philadelphia Union got the MLS All-Star game for PPL Park.

So why aren’t you excited?

Why was there a collective yawn in response to Tuesday’s announcement when there could have been rapturous joy?

Was it because word had leaked out early and killed the surprise factor?

Or was it because you think the All-Star game doesn’t mean much in the grand scheme of things?

Have you gotten so wound up about the Sebastien Le Toux situation that other soccer news pales in comparison to word on his fate?

Are you skeptical MLS will get a good opponent after two years of Manchester United? Even worse, are you jaded after two straight blowouts by United?

Do you prefer a different format than the current MLS All-Stars versus European club model? Did Simon Borg’s killer suggestion of playing the Mexican league’s all-stars grab your attention? Or would you like the American MLS all-stars to play the foreign MLS all-stars?

Did you scratch your head about the July 25 date because the men’s Olympic soccer tournament starts the next day, which will keep some MLS stars (cough, Beckham) out of the game? Or did you grudgingly concede there was no way to avoid that with a July match?

Maybe your problem was where they made the announcement: Philadelphia city hall. Did that strike you as a slap in the face to Chester, where the game and many supporting events are likely to occur?

Or did you worry about the national spotlight shining down on the struggling former industrial city that has a beautiful soccer stadium and casino but not a single supermarket?

Did you hear the chatter about PPL being the smallest stadium to ever host the game? Do you wish they’d waited until after PPL’s eventual expansion to 25,000?

Is it that you’d rather hook up with Berta from Two and a Half Men than hear the latest sycophantic ode to the Sons of Ben while the national media don’t realize the Union have other fans and supporter groups too?

Or is it none of that?

Are you sneaky-quiet-excited after all?

Is it simply that there isn’t  much to say about the All-Star game besides a quiet “good for the Union,” and then you move along and look into getting tickets?

Maybe it’s just so obvious what’s good about this that you didn’t have much to say. You know it’s another pay day at the gate for the Union, which is good on the revenue side. It’s another spot in the national spotlight for soccer in the Philadelphia area, which is always good.

Perhaps you always knew it was just a matter of time before the Union hosted the All-Star game, because the Union are a well-run club and PPL Park is just that great a place to watch soccer. This was a given, sooner or later. It was no surprise.

Sometimes things are just that simple.

Or are they not?

18 Comments

  1. Maybe it’s just me, but I’m pretty excited about it.

  2. I’m excited about it too, but worried as to what the cost of tickets will be.

  3. Rolando de Aguiar says:

    Most hard core fans are more excited about the season itself. I’m nervous as hell.

  4. Philadelphia City Hall because it is the PHILADELPHIA Union. It isn’t the Chester Union and never will be. Practically every announcement has been made in Philly and to claim that is a double-standard at this point is ludicrous.

    Also, the shot at Sons of Ben feels cheap and unwarranted. Sure they could just say ‘Union fans’ and it would be all-encompassing, but I think by pointing to a supporters group, they’re highlighting part of what makes the sport a little different and adds a ton of atmosphere. As for why SOB and not one of the other groups, it is just a matter of SOB having more of a presence due to a larger number of members and more (official) organization (as in acknowledgement by the FO and more of a media presence) than some of the other groups.

    I think the biggest detractor is that this has been speculated for about a month and known for a fact 2 days before the announcement.

    • That’s not a cheap shot at the Sons of Ben. The SoBs deservedly get a lot of credit for a lot of things. Rather, it’s a comment on the national media and what they do and don’t pay attention to.

  5. To be honest I could care less.
    I mean it is cool and all and a good way to showcase the game and the stars who play it. I even understand the logic of bringing in a top flight Premier League team as a means to create interest among fans. But I have no real interest in watching a lopsided slaughter to reinforce the status of the MLS.

  6. Maybe it’s ’cause our beloved temple is gonna be filled with bandwagon fans of whatever international super-club comes a’ callin’, like the Linc was when ManU was in town (remember that sea of red cheering AGAINST the home team?). Maybe it’s ’cause the MLS All-Stars are gonna get thrashed in front of said Europhiles, who will go home secure in the knowledge that “soccer” is best left to those who call it football, and those silly blue-scarved rowdies who actually go to Dark Horse at NIGHT for games are a cute but insignificant gaggle of hopefuls. Maybe not though.

  7. Im not going. And I hope none of our players plays in it. I’d be thinking: “dont get hurt, dont get hurt” the whole time. All star games are great for hockey, baseball and basketball (Skills comps are awesome!)…football and futbol not so much

  8. They sold 70,000 seats in Houston. I love PPL Park as much as the next guy. But there are going to be a TON of people left out in the cold. I hope they do something cool like huge screens outside so people who cant get in can still tailgate and enjoy the festivities.

  9. I think someone can have my seat. Would rather like to watch the Union play Chelsea, Bayern, Inter, or Barcelona at PPL

  10. Really? You ACTUALLY care what any of those people think? Thats pretty lame man. Who cares. If you really care about the U, youll be happy theyll make some serious scrilla off of this and get major exposure. This team has played two seasons. Think of how well things have gone for a sport philadelphians dismissed from the start. Could we have scripted it any better?

  11. I am excited and I think it’s great for a team that is only two years old. I was a bit bummed that the surprise factor was spoiled but it is still good news for the U.

  12. “Is it that you’d rather hook up with Berta from Two and a Half Men than hear the latest sycophantic ode to the Sons of Ben while the national media don’t realize the Union have other fans and supporter groups too?”

    – Wow. I think the Sons of Ben get mentioned because they were able to make enough noise to convince an ownership that there are dedicated soccer fans in Philly. I’m not sure how many other Union supporter groups can claim that.

    • Absolutely. The Union don’t have a team in 2010 if not for the SoBs. Like I wrote above (and plenty other times before), the SoBs deserve a lot of credit.

      As for Zack’s comment below … really? Really?? OK. To avoid an insult war here, I’ll just nod and smile. The comment was intended to be a wisecrack about myopic media, and if you can’t see that, well, I’m not sure what to tell you.

  13. Crap article, it’s sport just go to the stadium and enjoy, don’t be jealous about SoB or the others, do better job than them if you can, otherwise shut up. GO UNION.

  14. How much are tickets? Any idea?

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