Music blares in the background as 6-year-old Noah White steps up to take a free kick at the American Airlines booth at the 2009 MLS All-Star Carnival, a pregame celebration on the lawn immediately east of Rio Tinto Stadium.
If Noah can get the ball through the hole cut in the façade, he will win 10,000 AAdvantage frequent flier miles. Those miles might come in handy when it comes time to head home to Chicago -- 1,256 miles away from here.
Noah shoots and misses just wide. American Airlines gives him 1,000 free miles anyway, for the effort.
Noah's entire family of die-hard Chicago Fire fans flew all the way to Utah to catch the 2009 All-Star Game, a couple of players in particular.
"Cuauhtemoc Blanco," says Noah when asked about who he's most excited to see. "And Wilman Conde," he adds when his dad gives him a nudge.
Such is the atmosphere outside the stadium gates. People from all corners of the country mill around, talking to each other and winning prizes. A group of hometown Real Salt Lake fans chat with an LA Galaxy fan while making posters for the game. On a day like today, the interleague rivalries are forgotten as MLS fans come together, united behind their collective best as they prepare to take on Everton FC.
"It's going to be 2-1, MLS wins," predicts Randy Sims. Randy is a Columbus Crew season ticket holder who drives to every game all the way from West Virginia. And while he doesn't hide the fact that he's rooting especially hard for Chad Marshall -- Columbus' lone representative on the All-Star team who will be playing today -- his spirit typifies the attitude so many fans have.
"I'm out here just to support the MLS teams in general," Sims says. "Geoff Cameron [from the Houston Dynamo] is one of my favorites, and I almost hate to say this but I like Kyle Beckerman, even though he is from Real."
From Everton fans to MLS fans from all over the country, it's as diverse a crowd as you will ever find outside an MLS stadium. But regardless of where they are from or who they support, they all have one thing in common -- they have come to Rio Tinto Stadium tonight in universal support of the beautiful game. And perhaps no one is prouder of that than the locals, many of whom have had this day circled on their calendars for over a year.
"We think [hosting the All-Star game] is awesome. It's a great opportunity" says Krissy Beecher of Kaysville, just an hour north of Sandy. Her son, Matt, and daughter, Sarah are most excited to cheer on the local players. That sentiment is not unexpected in this state, where soccer fans are fiercely loyal to their hometown Real Salt Lake.
"I like Kyle Beckerman and Javier Morales," says Matt. "But we like Tim Howard too," adds Sarah, speaking of Everton's U.S. international starting goalkeeper.
So while most everyone here has nothing but good things to say about Everton, Tim Howard, and the English Premier League, most of them also agree that MLS will win the match.
"All-Stars win 2-0," says Noah's mom, Sarah.
If that prediction comes true, that flight home to Chicago will surely seem a lot shorter.
Jeremy Horton is a contributor to MLSnet.com.
