Major League Soccer's All-Star Game Coming To Philadelphia This July
By Mike Dunn
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- The announcement of the game came Tuesday at Philadelphia's City Hall: the 2012 Major League Soccer All-Star Game will be held at PPL Park in Chester, Pa. in July.
Fans of the Philadelphia Union, known as "Sons of Ben," packed into the mayor's reception room to watch the announcement from Major League Soccer commissioner Don Garber.
"The 2012 AT&T Major League Soccer All-Star Game will take place in PPL Park on July 25th," Garber said to cheers.
This will be the first pro sport All-Star game in this region in nearly a decade -- the NBA All-Stars played here in 2002 -- and Mayor Michael Nutter says the three days of activities will benefit the entire region.
"The game (is) in Chester, but much of the hotel and hospitality activity will certainly take place in the middle of the summer. That is great for us," the mayor said.
The game will feature the MLS All-Stars against a prominent international squad, but officials haven't yet announced the opponent.
The game will be broadcast live domestically on ESPN2, and on ESPN International in more than 130 countries.