2012 - All-Star Game - Soccer Celebration

2012.07.25 Chester, Pa. PPL Park - Soccer Celebration...

2012.07.25 PPL Park, Chester, Pa

Since Mike had his freshman college orientation the following day, we did not try to get tickets to the game because we would get home too late (he was leaving at 5am the following morning). However we did make the 1.5 hour drive to enjoy the Soccer Celebration. Got home to see the end of the first half...

The usual sponsors were there, Castrol, VW, Adidas, X-box, Pepsi, AT&T, Home Depot, Makita, Budweiser, Continental Tire, El Jimador, National Guard, Bimbo, All-State, Eastern Penn Youth Soccer...providing a variety of promotional items including, player cards (Castrol), lanyards, photo ops (nice personal trading card from Castrol), sun glasses, MiCoach from Adidas (now you have to buy the boots), bags, t-shirts, keychains, hats...

On July 20 Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter and MLS Commissioner Don Garber launched the All-Star celebration by kick off the MLS Giant Ball tour on the steps of the Philadelphia Museum of Art.
The ball was paraded around Philadelphia making stops where fans were encouraged to sign the ball. Any fans signing the ball at the game were given a free t-shirt! Awesome!

As a Liverpool fan Mike really liked this shirt!

Of course Mike wore his Liverpool jersey as did a few others, amongst the many Union and Chelsea jerseys. We even saw a great old SJ Clash and old MetroStars jerseys in the crowd...

Tony Meola and Alexi Lalas where on hand signing autographs as were several players from the Union, as well as Bill Hamid from DC United.

Bill Hamid...

 Autograph cards like the one above (front and back) were available at each signing table. Zac MacMath, Amobi Okugo and Chris Albright...

Chase Harrison from sponsor El Jimador

We got to the X-Box booth 10 minutes before Adu was scheduled to appear. Starting the line we watched it grow. It was nice to see how many fans still appreciated Adu efforts to US soccer. As a women was exiting the X-Box booth she asked "Is that a line?" Mike's response to me was "I guess she failed geometry!"

All-Star Game Program

Some great articles on soccer in Philadelphia (the National, The Fury and the Atoms), the 1976 Bicentennial NASL all-star game, and player profiles from both teams...

All-Star Game pin

I know its not a soccer pinback, but you have to like the VW smiley fan bicycle button, part of their Think Blue campaign...