Major League Soccer today announced that MLS and U.S. soccer legend Landon Donovan will coach the MLS Homegrown Team at the 2015 Chipotle MLS Homegrown Game. The MLS Homegrowns will take on the Club América U-20s at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park on Tuesday, July 28 at 7 p.m. MT. Tickets to the 2015 Chipotle MLS Homegrown Game can be purchased at www.chipotlehomegrown.com. The first 2,000 fans in attendance will receive a free limited edition Chipotle MLS Homegrown Game scarf.
Retiring from professional soccer after guiding the LA Galaxy to a record-breaking fifth MLS Cup title in 2014, Donovan will return to the pitch – but on the other side of the white line. The most decorated player in American soccer history, Donovan finished his professional playing career as the MLS all-time leader in goals scored (144) and assists (136). In his 14 years in MLS, he won six MLS Cups, two Supporters’ Shields and the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup championship, while also being named an MLS All-Star a record 14 consecutive times. In addition, the California native holds the top U.S. Men’s National Team records in goals (57) and assists (58) – the only American player to surpass the half-century mark in both categories.
“I am truly honored to coach the MLS Homegrown Team in this year's Chipotle MLS Homegrown Game. As someone that was developed in MLS, I hope I can provide some insight to these young players and help them reach their goals of becoming successful professionals. It will be a great All-Star week for everyone involved and I'm looking forward to the opportunity,” said Donovan.
The Chipotle MLS Homegrown Game provides a yearly opportunity for MLS to showcase its top young talent and youth development system. MLS youth academies have produced some of league’s biggest stars including D.C. United’s Bill Hamid and LA Galaxy’s Gyasi Zardes, both of whom are now U.S. Men’s National Team regulars. In that same company are Chicago Fire’s Harry Shipp, Columbus Crew’s Wil Trapp, New England Revolution’s Diego Fagundez and Vancouver Whitecaps FC’s Russell Teibert – all players that have excelled for their hometown clubs and become critical first team players. MLS homegrown products have also become staples on the U.S. U-20 and U-23 national teams. This past June, seven Homegrown Players (Matt Miazga, NYRB; Erik Palmer-Brown, SKC; Kellyn Acosta, FCD; Marco Delgado, TOR; Jordan Allen, RSL; Bradford Jamieson IV, LA; Tommy Thompson, SJ) represented the U.S. at the FIFA U-20 World Cup in New Zealand, helping lead the Stars-and-Stripes to the quarterfinals of the tournament. Two of Colorado’s very own – Shane O’Neill and Dillon Serna – have become mainstays on the U-23 squad which begins 2016 Summer Olympic qualifying this fall. Overall, nearly 150 Homegrown Players have signed professional contracts with MLS clubs.
As the MLS Homegrown Team head coach, Donovan will select the MLS Homegrown Team gameday roster from the pool of Homegrown Players nominated by MLS clubs, taking into account player availability. The gameday roster will be announced the week leading up to the match.
In the lead up to the 2015 Chipotle MLS Homegrown Game, MLSsoccer,com will kick off a special “Road to the Homegrown Game” video series that will give fans a behind the scenes look at some of MLS’ top homegrown talent. The series will consist of six episodes chronicling the lives of select Homegrown Players as they work through the early years of their professional careers. The first episode can be viewed at www.mlssoccer.com/Homegrown.
Road to the Homegrown Game Series Schedule
Episode 1: Thursday, July 9
Episode 2: Wednesday, July 15
Episode 3: Wednesday, July 22
Episode 4: Friday, July 24
Episode 5: Monday, July 27
Episode 6: Finale TBD
2015 Chipotle MLS Homegrown Game
Tuesday, July 28 – Dick’s Sporting Goods Park – All Times Local
4:00 p.m. Gates Open (First 2,000 fans receive a free limited edition scarf)
5:00 p.m. MLS WORKS/Special Olympics Unified Sports All-Star Soccer Match
7:00 p.m. 2015 Chipotle MLS Homegrown Game (MLS Homegrown Team vs. Club America U-20s)
Chipotle MLS Homegrown Game History
2014: MLS Homegrown Team 0–0 Portland Timbers U-23s
ABOUT MAJOR LEAGUE SOCCER
Headquartered in New York City, Major League Soccer features 20 clubs throughout the United States and Canada. The 2015 season features the most comprehensive U.S. media rights partnership in the history of the league, as eight-year agreements with ESPN, FOX Sports and Univision Deportes commenced. The 2015 regular season schedule can be viewed here. For more information about MLS, visit MLSsoccer.com.
ABOUT CHIPOTLE
Steve Ells, founder, chairman and co-CEO, started Chipotle with the idea that food served fast did not have to be a typical fast food experience. Today, Chipotle continues to offer a focused menu of burritos, tacos, burrito bowls (a burrito without the tortilla) and salads made from fresh, high-quality raw ingredients, prepared using classic cooking methods and served in a distinctive atmosphere. Through our vision of Food With Integrity, Chipotle is seeking better food from using ingredients that are not only fresh, but that—where possible—are sustainably grown and naturally raised with respect for the animals, the land, and the farmers who produce the food. A similarly focused people culture, with an emphasis on identifying and empowering top performing employees, enables us to develop future leaders from within. Chipotle opened with a single restaurant in 1993 and currently operates more than 1,800 restaurants. For more information, visit Chipotle.com.
