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CHICAGO – Chicago Fire and MLS All-Stars coach Veljko Paunovic returned a few times to the word “spectacle” on Monday when talking about Wednesday's MLS All-Star Game presented by Target (8:30 pm ET on FS1 and Univision in USA; TSN and TVAS in Canada).
“It’s the best opportunity that we as a league have to show ourselves to the world and see where we are standing at this point,” Paunovic said. “I think the league and we on the field have a great opportunity to show the expansion and the growth that we’ve had so far and all the work that was done in the past.”
Chicago, a diverse city with plenty of soccer history, is serving well as the stage for that spectacle.
“It’s great, also that the game is in Chicago, which is our home,” Fire midfielder and All-Star captain Bastian Schweinsteiger said. “It’s a big honor to be voted for the game and also to be voted for the captain.”
Giving local fans even more reason for excitement is that the Fire, having shot from last place to second in the Eastern Conference this season, are represented with four All-Stars: Schweinsteiger, Nemanja Nikolic, Johan Kappelhof and Dax McCarty.
“Yeah, it’s really special playing this All-Star Game in Chicago in front of myself, Bastian, Niko and Johan’s home fans,” McCarty said. “It means a lot. It means a lot to the city of Chicago, especially with the type of season that we’re having. I think it’s a just reward for the fans, and so it’s been a lot of good momentum around soccer in Chicago this year and we hope to keep that going with the All-Star Game.”
Orlando City SC's Brazilian midfielder Kaká has clearly been impressed with his visit to the Windy City – particularly the beaches of Lake Michigan after the All-Star festivities kicked off with a little bit of beach soccer Sunday.
“It’s an amazing city,” Kaká said. “I thought I was in Ibiza when I saw the boats and the parties there. It’s amazing, it’s great, the views and the beach and everything, the atmosphere, so congratulations to the people here in Chicago, they make a very good atmosphere.”
While the week’s events are spread out across the city – from the FirePitch on the North Side to the beaches and the downtown Loop to Toyota Park – Wednesday’s main event will be on the city’s biggest sporting stage: Soldier Field, a 61,000-seat venue that was once on the list of National Historic Landmarks. The stadium has its share of soccer history too, having played host to both men’s and women’s World Cup matches, along with Gold Cups, Copa América games, and the early days of the Fire.
“In front of 60,000 people it will be really nice to go to the pitch,” Nikolic said. "And if it can put smiles on the faces of our fans, it will be great.”
