Call the roadies, because it's time for the Philip F. Anschutz Trophy, known affectionately as the MLS Cup, to go on tour again.
In the lead-up to the 2012 MLS Cup final, which will be played on Saturday, Dec. 1, at The Home Depot Center in Carson, Calif., between the LA Galaxy and Houston Dynamo (4:30 p.m. ET, ESPN / TeleFutura / TSN/RDS), the MLS Cup trophy will hit the road, making stops in and around Houston and Los Angeles. This is your chance to see the sterling-silver trophy created by Tiffany & Co. live and in person. It's like a preview in the case that your club wins it on the field.
The tour begins in Houston on Monday, Nov. 19, including stops at BBVA Compass Stadium and Bar Munich, where it will make a guest appearance on the Dynamo All Access radio show. The trophy then heads to Southern California for a series of public and media appearances.
"Where's the Cup?" video series
Building on the success of 2011's "Where's the Cup?" video series, the MLS Cup trophy will again take part in this fun online challenge on MLSsoccer.com. Starting on Friday, Nov. 23, we'll post short videos of celebrities and soccer personalities with the trophy at iconic locations. Every day, the MLS Insider (@MLS_Insider) will send out a tweet with a clue and a photo, asking fans to guess where the Cup is. Later in the day, a video on MLSsoccer.com will provide the answer.
MLS CUP TROPHY TOUR 2012 CALENDAR (all times local)
Monday, November 19
- Arrival in Houston
- Various local media appearances
Tuesday, November 20
- 5-7 PM: Fan event at BBVA Compass Stadium Budweiser Deck (2200 Texas Street, Houston, TX 77003)
- 8-10 PM: Fan event at Bar Munich (2616 Louisiana Street Houston, TX 77006)
- Various local media appearances
Wednesday, November 21
- Various local media appearances
Friday, November 23
- “Where is the Cup?” daily videos begin
Monday, November 27 – Friday, November 30
- Arrival in Los Angeles
- Fan events (to be announced)
- Various local media appearances
Saturday, December 1
- 9:30 AM: Soccer Celebration opens outside of The Home Depot Center. Fans invited to take photos with the trophy at the Volkswagen pavilion (time to be confirmed)
About the Philip F. Anschutz Trophy:
The MLS Cup trophy is named for soccer visionary Philip F. Anschutz. The trophy reflects the traditions of the game, while providing a dynamic and forward-looking design. Since 1996, the MLS Cup championship trophy has been presented as a symbol of the highest achievement in North America’s top-flight professional soccer league.
The sterling silver trophy, created by Tiffany & Co., is 24" tall with an additional seamless base of 4 5/8”. The trophy features fluid and dynamic handles that include 11 facets on the front and back, symbolizing the 22 players that participate in a soccer match. The gold star represents the championship club, which often incorporates a star into its team crest for each MLS Cup title it wins.
First introduced in 2008, the trophy inherits select design elements from the previous two trophies, thereby honoring the League’s history while moving forward.
GO TO MLSSOCCER.COM/TROPHYTOUR FOR UPDATES
