They meet again.
Six years after the MLS All-Stars handed English Premier League powerhouse Chelsea FC a 1-0 defeat, the London-based club is coming back for another crack at MLS' best at the AT&T MLS All-Star Game on Wednesday, July 25, at PPL Park (8:30 pm ET on ESPN2, ESPN3, TeleFutura, TSN and RDS). The announcement was made on Wednesday at a press conference in Chester, Pa.
And for the second time, Chelsea will face an MLS team led by Peter Nowak, after the league appointed the All-Star site's hometown MLS coach as the team manager for the second straight year. The Philadelphia Union manager was at the helm of the All-Stars in 2006 when a Dwayne De Rosario goal allowed MLS to hoist the All-Star trophy at Toyota Park in Bridgeview, Ill.
This summer's Chelsea side could be traveling to the US with some silverware in tow. They're in the semifinals of the UEFA Champions League (where they will take on FC Barcelona) and they're in the semifinals of the English FA Cup. Their US tour already features a trip to Seattle on July 18.
The MLS All-Stars will be hoping to reverse the recent All-Star trend which has seen them lose their first two matches against the same international opponent: Manchester United. The MLS squad was 5-0-1 against international club sides before dropping consecutive matches to the Red Devils.
Union season ticket holders get first dibs at tickets, but other fans can get in on the action via an exclusive VISA pre-sale that starts April 25. Remaining tickets go on sale on Wednesday, May 9.
