SAN JOSE, Calif. – Major League Soccer today announced that Arsenal FC will play the best of Major League Soccer in the 2016 AT&T MLS All-Star Game at Avaya Stadium in San Jose on Thursday, July 28 at 6 p.m. PT. The game will be broadcast live on ESPN and UniMás in the United States, TSN and RDS in Canada, and in more than 140 countries around the world, including Sky Sports in the United Kingdom.
“We are pleased to welcome Arsenal, one of the most successful clubs in the world, to compete against the best of MLS,” said MLS Commissioner Don Garber. “Our AT&T MLS All-Star Week has become a celebration for the North American soccer community, highlighted by two teams showcasing many of the world’s top players. We look forward to a world-class event on July 28 at our newest state-of-the-art venue, Avaya Stadium.”
For the 13th time in the event’s 21-year history, an international club will take on the MLS All-Stars, who have an 8-3-1 record in one of the most exciting annual soccer events in North America. In addition to recognizing the best players in MLS, the game has featured some of the best and most famous clubs in the world, including Manchester United (2010 and 2011), Everton FC (2009), Chelsea FC (2006 and 2012), AS Roma (2013), Bayern Munich (2014) and most recently, Arsenal FC’s London rival, Tottenham Hotspur (2015).
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Arsenal FC, currently tied for second place in the Barclays Premier League, are managed by the legendary Arsène Wenger, with the current squad featuring global stars like Mesut Özil, Theo Walcott, Alexis Sanchez, Aaron Ramsey and Petr Čech. Through Wenger’s leadership, Arsenal FC have built a renowned reputation of playing some of the most attractive and exciting soccer in the world.
Arsenal will go on to play Chivas de Guadalajara at StubHub Center in Carson, Calif. on July 31.
“Pre-season is a critically important time for us and we are delighted to be coming to San Jose and Los Angeles to participate in the 2016 MLS All-Star Game and to play Chivas,” said Arsenal manager Arsène Wenger. “We have tremendous support across America and enjoyed our visit to New York in the summer of 2014 when we played the New York Red Bulls at Red Bull Arena. We are all looking forward to this summer’s trip as we prepare for our 2016-2017 season.”
San Jose becomes the fifth city to host the MLS All-Star Game for a second time. The 2001 MLS All-Star Game was held at Spartan Stadium in San Jose on July 28, 2001, exactly 15 years to the day that this year’s match takes place at Avaya Stadium. The San Jose Earthquakes’ new venue, which opened in 2015, is the first cloud-enabled stadium in MLS and features European-inspired architecture with a canopy roof, the steepest-raked seating in the league and the largest outdoor bar in North America. The Earthquakes sold out all 15 regular season matches at Avaya Stadium during its inaugural season in 2015 and finished with the seventh highest average attendance in Major League Soccer.
“We were already thrilled to be hosting the MLS All-Star Game this summer and welcoming in a club with the prestige and reputation of Arsenal will make the event even more exciting,” said San Jose Earthquakes president Dave Kaval. “The celebration will have multiple days of events leading up to game day and will provide an outstanding fan experience for the San Jose community. It is also the perfect opportunity for us to showcase Avaya Stadium to the world.”
“We’re excited to welcome Arsenal to the Bay Area for one of our favorite annual sporting events, the AT&T MLS All-Star Game,” said Marc Blakeman, vice president, external affairs, AT&T. “San Jose’s fans are some of the most passionate in Major League Soccer, and we can’t wait to connect them to a thrilling and fun week of action in their beautiful, new stadium this summer.”
The opportunity to purchase tickets to the 2016 AT&T MLS All-Star Game will be made available through a lottery system. To register for the lottery and the opportunity to purchase tickets, please visit http://www.mlssoccer.com/all-star/tickets. San Jose Earthquakes season ticket holders will receive an exclusive pre-sale opportunity and will not need to register for the lottery.
For more information on the 2016 AT&T MLS All-Star Game, please visit MLSsoccer.com or SJEarthquakes.com. Event-specific credentials will be required for media planning to cover this event. Media credential application information for the 2016 All-Star Game will be distributed at a later date.
About Arsenal FC
Arsenal Football Club was founded in 1886 in Woolwich, south London, before moving to Highbury in north London in 1913. It subsequently moved to Emirates Stadium in 2006.
Arsenal has an impressive roll of honour: English League Champions 13 times, FA Cup winners a record 12 times, FA Community Shield winners 14 times (FA Charity Shield before 2002), League Cup winners twice and European Cup Winners’ Cup (1994) and European Fairs Cup (1970) winners once. It has competed in the UEFA Champions League for 18 consecutive seasons. In addition, Arsenal Ladies are the most successful English club in women's football.
Arsenal’s Manager since 1996 has been Frenchman Arsène Wenger. Wenger is Arsenal Football Club’s most successful manager. His honours include three League titles, six FA Cups and six Charity/Community Shields, including two League and Cup ‘doubles’ in 1998 and 2002.
For further information please visit: www.Arsenal.com
About AT&T
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About Avaya Stadium
Avaya Stadium is an 18,000-seat soccer-specific stadium located on Coleman Ave. adjacent to the San Jose International Airport. The European-inspired building is the first cloud-enabled venue in Major League Soccer and is among the most technologically advanced stadiums in the world. The stadium features a canopy roof and the steepest-raked seating in MLS to provide the best possible fan experience. Additionally, the north end zone houses the largest outdoor bar in North America, a two-acre fan zone and a double-sided video scoreboard. The suites and club seats are located at field level, giving fans a premium experience unlike any other in professional sports. The stadium hosted numerous non-Major League Soccer events during its inaugural season in 2015, including the International Champions Cup, which featured Manchester United and Club America, a Send-Off Series match for the United States Women’s National Team ahead of the FIFA Women’s World Cup, the World Rugby Pacific Nations Cup and the American Ultimate Disc League Championship Weekend. For more information about Avaya Stadium, visit sjearthquakes.com.
About Major League Soccer
Headquartered in New York City, Major League Soccer features 20 clubs throughout the United States and Canada. The 2016 season marks the second year of the most comprehensive U.S. media rights partnership in the history of the league, as eight-year agreements with ESPN, FOX Sports and Univision Deportes have commenced. For more information about MLS, visit www.MLSsoccer.com.
