Sports

Soldier Field to Host 2017 MLS All-Star Game: Report

Downtown Chicago set to host Major League Soccer's showcase friendly match and free fan zone and events.

For the first time, Soldier Field will host Major League Soccer's All-Star Game, according to a report in Crain's Chicago Business. Representatives from the City of Chicago and MLS will reportedly announce next week the former home of the Chicago Fire and current home of the Chicago Bears will host the mid-season exhibition.

Leading up to the Wednesday, Aug. 2 main event, free promotional and fan events will be held downtown, according to the report. However, representatives from the league did not reveal the format of the matchup to Crain's. Since 2005, a squad of MLS players has faced a European club team. The Chicago area hosted the 2006 edition of the game, when Toyota Park in Bridgeview hosted Chelsea F.C. of London.

The Chicago Fire played home games at Soldier Field from 1998-2005 with the 2002 season and part of 2003 spent in Naperville. Despite not having hosted an MLS team since a 2011 Chicago Fire friendly with Manchester United, Soldier Field has recently held several major international soccer events, including last year's Copa América Centenario.

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» via Crain's Chicago Business

Photo credit: John Picken (CC)

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