U.S.-MLS All-Star Game Set; Mohawks, Fireworks And Crowds

MLS officials last Wednesday confirmed that the U.S. national World Cup team will play an MLS All-Star team at RFK Stadium on August 3, according to Hopp & Straus of the WASHINGTON POST. The national team, including 11 current MLS players, "will be invited to play for the U.S. team in the game." The MLS All-Stars will be chosen by votes from fans, players, coaches and media (WASHINGTON POST, 7/4).

	MLS Burn Draw 16,055 For Mathis Promo

JULY 4 ATTENDANCE: In Dallas, Rick Alonzo noted the Burn's July 4 mohawk promotion around MetroStars F Clint Mathis "was a successful one, as 100 people received a free haircut and admission into" the MetroStars-Burn game. The promotion "was so popular that some fans had to be turned away. Many of the fans who got the Mohawks were adults." While the attendance of 16,055 "was down from years past," it still was above the club's season average of 13,844 (DALLAS MORNING NEWS, 7/5). Fire-Rapids at Invesco Field at Mile High drew 61,213 fans, the largest crowd ever to see an MLS game in Denver. Rapids officials "expected a large crowd, and made more than 66,000 seats available." The previous high was 60,500 for last year's United-Rapids game at Mile High Stadium (DENVER POST, 7/5). The crowd of 19,641 for United-Wizards was the fifth-largest in Wizards history (K.C. STAR, 7/5). The crowd for Crew-Revolution at CMGI Field was 10,903 (THE DAILY). Galaxy-Earthquakes drew a season-high 12,528 to Spartan Stadium (Earthquakes). But in San Jose, Ann Killion writes that "with a [Landon] Donovan and Jeff Agoos giveaway poster as bait," the Earthquakes July 4 crowd was "not overwhelming numbers." MLS' "huge crowds" were not "as much from World Cup euphoria as from July 4 pyrotechnics. But attendance is decent and on the rise" (SAN JOSE MERCURY NEWS, 7/8). In Columbus, Rob Oller: "Soccer is not about to supplant baseball as the national pastime, but it is perfectly positioned to make a move up the food chain of professional sports. MLS is the antithesis of MLB in areas that would help it appeal to disgruntled baseball fans" (COLUMBUS DISPATCH, 7/7).