Alan Curbishley's side are heading to North America in July to take on the
elite of Major League Soccer
03.04.2008
West Ham United have been chosen to take part in the 2008 Pepsi MLS All-Star
Game in Toronto, Canada on Thursday 24 July.
In the high-profile match, which kicks off at 7pm local time and is set to
be televised around the world, the club will take on a selection of Major
League Soccer's best players. These will be chosen from the 14 participating
clubs, under the name of the MLS All-Stars and could potentially feature LA
Galaxy and England's David Beckham. The fixture will be played at BMO Field,
home of Toronto FC. Last year's game, also played under the theme of 'MLS
Takes on the World', saw the All-Stars win 2-0 against Celtic.
West Ham United CEO Scott Duxbury said: "It is an honour to be taking part
in the MLS All-Star Game this July. The club has a strong global fan base
and we are working hard to increase our international exposure as well as
help the game develop at grassroots level across North America. Our players
are all looking forward to the challenge. It will be a great experience both
for the established names in our squad and our talented youngsters. We are
sure it will be a competitive and memorable occasion."
MLS Commissioner Don Garber said: "Toronto's support of Major League Soccer
has been nothing short of extraordinary ... The TFC supporters and other
fans from around the league will provide a vibrant and enthusiastic setting
for the game." Tom Anselmi, executive vice-president and chief operating
officer of Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment who are staging the game in
conjunction with MLS, added: "This midseason event will earn exposure for
our great city in more than 100 countries, while providing an economic
injection to tourism."
West Ham United and England defender Matthew Upson said: "It is a fantastic
opportunity for us to take on the MLS All-Stars in Canada. Football is huge
over there right now and it will be a really exciting match in front of a
sell-out crowd where we will get to test ourselves against some of the best
MLS players which will serve as great preparation for the new season."
The match will have special significance for Jonathan Spector, the West Ham
United and United States defender, who could come up against some former
colleagues and international team-mates. "It will be a lot of fun," he said.
"They will be in the middle of their season, it will be pre-season for us,
so the goals of the two teams will be completely different but it is
certainly something that we will all be looking forward to. It will be a
good test for us in our pre-season preparations.
"For me it will be nice to play in the MLS All-Star Game. It is a big game
for them and they have played some big clubs. Chelsea have gone out there
and some other really well known clubs. It is an honour that West Ham has
been selected to participate in the game. I am certainly looking forward to
it." Spector added that he believed the MLS would continue to go from
strength to strength. "It has taken a lot of time and will probably take a
lot more time but the league continues to grow. They keep adding more and
more teams and it is exciting to see that as an American."
Major League Soccer is now into its 13th season since being launched back in
1996 and has steadily grown into the 14-team competition featuring teams
from across the United States and Canada. Further expansion is taking place
all the time with an additional two teams due to be taking part by 2010.
Clubs are divided into two divisions - Eastern and Western - and play a
30-game campaign before the end of season play-offs to determine who is
crowned MLS champion. Houston Dynamo have won the last two titles.
whufc.com will have more information as and when confirmed regarding the MLS
All-Star game. Also to come are full details of the programme - with the
North American tour commencing in the United States before the high-profile
international climax in Toronto, Canada. For more information on tickets for
the MLS All-Star Game, visit www.torontofc.ca or www.mlsnet.com
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