In the end, the "major announcement" - leaked this morning - turned out to be nothing more than the date and location of the 2011 All-Star Game - July 27 at Red Bull Arena to be exact. The opponent has yet to be determined, but with both Barcelona and Manchester United touring the States around that time, one or the other would seem to be a good bet. Per the league's press release, tickets will be made available to RBNY full-season season ticket holders in advance of sale to the general public.
It's nice to see a major event like this staged at our home, but it's still nothing more than a glorified exhibition match. Moreover, the awarding of the All-Star Game to Red Bull Arena would lead one to assume that MLS Cup 2011 will not take place in Harrison, but instead at one of the other new MLS stadia, such as PPL Park, the new Sporting KC stadium or PGE Park in Portland.
OK so we may not yet know who the Red Bulls will play, or when, but we do know what they'll look like when they line up next season. The home whites will stay the same for 2011, while the change shirt (shown above) will take on a new, darker shade of blue with red accents. The new jersey was unveiled today on the Adidas website, and though some fans have been complaining that it too closely resembles the New England Revolution kit, I think it's quite sharp and will definitely be picking one of these up from our friends at Premier Soccer Shop once it goes on sale. What do you make of it?
