MLS on Thursday at the adidas America campus announced that Bundesliga club Bayern Munich "would be the opponent" for the '14 MLS All-Stars, according to Jamie Goldberg of the Portland OREGONIAN. The MLS ASG will be played at 6:30pm PT on Aug. 6 at Jeld-Wen Field, and Timbers coach Caleb Porter "will coach the MLS All-Stars." The game was "moved from July to August to avoid conflicts" with the '14 FIFA World Cup. Timbers Owner Merritt Paulson said of Bayern Munich, "We needed a big time name out here." Bayern will be "the first German club to play in the MLS All-Star game," and the contest will be part of Bayern’s '14 North American tour. The club has "agreed to play on the turf at Jeld-Wen Field, rather than ask the Timbers to put down grass over the artificial surface" (OREGONLIVE.com, 12/12).
PRODUCT PLACEMENT: In Portland, Allan Brettman notes adidas, "the uniforms outfitter" for MLS, is also a 9.1% owner of Bayern Munich. Bayern Exec Board member Joerg Wacker said that the club "has at least 10 million fans in the United States, selling about 1 million Adidas-brand jerseys annually." adidas Chair & CEO Herbert Hainer, in addition to partial team ownership, serves on the Bayern BOD. adidas North America President Patrik Nilsson said that Bayern is "the only professional sports club with which Adidas holds an ownership stake." German automaker Audi also owns 9.1% of the club (Portland OREGONIAN, 12/13).
