US Soccer/MLS beat man Steven Goff is reporting that talks with Villarreal are not going well to bring the team in for the MLS All-Star game in late July in Salt Lake City, Utah. Here is what he had to say:
I am also hearing that the latest candidate for the MLS All-Star Game, Spanish club Villarreal, has been unable to commit to the U.S. trip because of possible European competition in late July. The issue now is whether the league wants to wait it out with Villarreal or pursue a different club. Without an opponent lined up to face the MLS select squad, all-star host Real Salt Lake has been unable to fully market the game. Villarreal moved to the top of the list after talks with Valencia ended.
It is always a possibility that I am wrong, but the only possible European competition in late summer I can figure would be the Champions League (08.18/19.2009 & 08.25/26.2009) if we finish fourth in the league. If we finish fifth, then we would not get going in the group stages of the Europa League until September.