Video: A festive night of soccer at PPL Park ends with a 3-2 win for the Major League Soccer All-Stars against Chelsea
I hope that those of you who spent last night at PPL Park appreciate how special having the MLS All-Star Game in town was.
Video: A festive night of soccer at PPL Park ends with a 3-2 win for the Major League Soccer All-Stars against Chelsea
Jonathan Tannenwald
One of the big pregame tifo displays from the record crowd of 19,236 at PPL Park. (Jonathan Tannenwald/Philly.com)
I hope that those of you who spent last night at PPL Park appreciate how special having the MLS All-Star Game in town was.
When I moved here from D.C. to start working at Philly.com in 2006, I thought I was giving up direct connection to soccer. But in the last few years, the sport has really taken off in the city and the region - not just as something that people play, but as something that people attach themselves to and cherish as fans.
Throughout this week, I heard nothing but compliments about Philadelphia as a soccer city from friends and colleagues who had traveled here from across the country. Last night's terrific atmosphere capped that off, and you all deserve a lot of praise.
I also would be remiss if I did not thank the nearly 28,000 of you who've visited my blog this week. Tuesday's blog post about Peter Nowak's lawsuit against the Union produced a record 18,169, triple the previous high.
I'm going to be taking a few days off to recharge my batteries. I won't be at PPL Park for Sunday night's Union game against the New England Revolution, but I will be in Montréal the following weekend for the Union's first ever game at Stade Saputo.
I'll leave you for the time being with this video. After the All-Star Game, the Inquirer's Kate Harman and I escaped the commotion of the mixed zone and headed to PPL Park's upper concourse to chat for a few minutes about what we saw Wednesday night. Enjoy.
I thought Pontius was MVP, followed by DeRosario and DeMeritt. Little disappointed in Valdes, I didn't think he had a great game.— shane-56- I thought Pontius was MVP, followed by DeRosario and DeMeritt. Little disappointed in Valdes, I didn't think he had a great game.— shane-56
- . . . and Zusi who I really liked up til now, will be booed mercilessly whenever he gets the ball in PPL park from here to eternity for repeatedly refusing to pass the ball to Farfan.— shane-56
- I say DeMeritt should have been the MVP. Good tackles, great positioning all match. Played (had to play) the full 90 in order for the All Stars to stay in the game. No other CB's of enough quality on the squad. Only difference Collin going out made was making Olsen's mind up that DeMeritt had to play full 90 despite having an MLS match Friday.
Collin blew marking Terry on the first goal. As stated above, Valdes wasn't too great. Either.
DeMeritt kept us in there the full match.— Liberty Bell 2 - In deference to Collin, this was about three minutes after being concussed. — BigBrain61
Reach Jonathan at jtannenwald@phillynews.com or 215-854-2330.
