San Jose to host 2016 MLS All-Star Game

May 28, 2015 - 6:53 PM San Jose, CA (SportsNetwork.com) - Major League Soccer announced on Thursday that Avaya Stadium, the home of the San Jose Earthquakes, has been selected to host the 2016 MLS All-Star Game.

"We are pleased to bring the AT&T MLS All-Star Game to San Jose and know that Avaya Stadium and the Earthquakes' passionate supporters will provide a vibrant and electric setting for this marquee event," said MLS Commissioner Don Garber in a statement. "It will be 15 years since the last time San Jose hosted our All-Star Game, and the growth of the All-Star Game and festivities has mirrored the remarkable progress of the sport in North America. We look forward to celebrating our game with soccer fans throughout the Bay Area."

The 2016 All-Star Game will mark the second time San Jose has hosted the event, previously hosting in 2001 when the Eastern Conference and Western Conference All-Star squads played to a 6-6 draw at Spartan Stadium.

Earthquakes head coach Dominic Kinnear will serve as coach of the All-Stars squad, while the opponent for the game will be announced at a later date.

Avaya Stadium became Major League Soccer's 15th soccer-specific stadium when it opened its doors in March 2015. It is an 18,000-seat stadium located just outside downtown San Jose, adjacent to the San Jose International Airport. The European-inspired building is the first cloud-enabled venue in MLS and offers fans access to a high-end Wi-Fi solution in addition to interactive digital displays around the concourse.

"The MLS All-Star game is one of the showcase events every year for Major League Soccer, and we are proud to bring the game to our beautiful new venue," said Earthquakes president Dave Kaval in a statement. "Avaya Stadium is the perfect stadium to host this signature event, and we look forward to showing off our city to the soccer world in 2016. We continue to attract top events to Avaya Stadium, and hosting the MLS All-Star Game is another great achievement for the venue."

2016 will mark the 13th time an international club will match up with the best that MLS has to offer. The All-Stars have a 7-3-1 record in All-Star games. including a 2-1 win over Bayern Munich at Portland's Providence Park.

This season's All-Star festivities will take place on July 29 at Dick's Sporting Goods Park, the home of the Colorado Rapids. The MLS All-Stars will square off against Premier League side Tottenham-Hotspur, which finished the 2014-15 in fifth place.