Registration for the "2009 MLS Fantasy Challenge (MLSFC)," the official fantasy game of Major League Soccer (powered by Fox Soccer Channel and STATS), is now live on the League's web site. Registration for the 2009 MLSFC is free and can be accessed by going to http://fantasy.mlsnet.com or http://foxsoccermls.stats.com. The competition begins with the March 19 kickoff of Major League Soccer's 14th season. The season-opening weekend features seven games, including a doubleheader on Fox Soccer Channel in which the defending 2008 MLS Cup Champion Columbus Crew travel to face the Houston Dynamo, and Chivas USA plays host to the Colorado Rapids (8 p.m. and 10:30 p.m. ET).
Fans who register for the free fantasy contest via www.MLSnet.com or www.foxsoccer.comon MSN have the opportunity to win more than 400 MLS prizes, including a pair of all-expense paid trips for two people - one to the 2009 MLS All-Star Game at Rio Tinto Stadium in Sandy, Utah on July 29, and one to MLS Cup 2009 on Nov. 22. Prizes include autographed All-Star jerseys and balls, official MLS memorabilia, and several other exclusive MLS items.
"The MLS Fantasy Challenge offers soccer fans an interactive way to connect with our league, teams and players," said Marco Liceaga, MLS' Director of Marketing. "We are pleased to continue our relationship with Fox Soccer Channel in providing fans with behind the scenes editorial content, real-life management of MLS players and the opportunity to win unique prizes."
Major League Soccer's Fantasy Challenge is a free weekly online fantasy game that allows soccer fans the opportunity to manage their own soccer team using real-life statistical results. Using a salary budget of $5,000,000 MLS dollars, team owners select 11 field players, three substitutes, and a head coach for their squad. MLSFC players can follow their team's weekly progress throughout the season. The better players perform on the MLS playing field, the more fantasy points they earn for their team, and the more their in-game value will increase. Coaches will earn their owners fantasy points for wins and ties, but will lose points for every yellow and red card their MLS teams pick up. The 2009 MLSFC rewards goal scorers and defenders alike, making a balanced team a necessity to win. With player values changing weekly and limited trades, managers will need to monitor MLS games regularly in order to succeed.
FoxSoccer.com, in collaboration with STATS, has developed several exciting MLS Fantasy Challenge 2009 game enhancements that will provide soccer fans a more engaging user experience. Improved game features include the "Most Selected Players" module, allowing users the opportunity to see which MLS players are the most coveted on a week-to-week basis, and the "Top Fantasy Players by Position" module which will give users the ability to view MLS leaders in points by position. Adding to these features is a countdown clock with a registration deadline for each of the 32 weekly contest periods, drawing awareness to approaching transaction cut-offs.
"As an official broadcast partner of MLS, Fox Soccer Channel is excited to continue hosting the league's official fantasy game, and we are pleased to offer several user enhancements for 2009," said Bhavesh Patel, Fox Soccer Channel's vice president of interactive media. "In addition to the aforementioned MLS Fantasy Challenge features, which will only heighten the user experience, FoxSoccer.com remains a leading destination for season-long MLS coverage."
While prizes are based on overall individual standings, fans can create their own leagues with the opportunity to compete against family, friends and co-workers, as well as MLS fans across the globe. Each week's winners and their teams will be profiled on Fox Soccer Channel, and will have a chance to share their knowledge and expertise with other MLS Fantasy Challenge participants. All roster moves will be free and each GM will be able to make three (3) trades per week.
The manager of the MLS Fantasy Challenge team with the highest point total on June 28 will be eligible to receive a trip for two to the 2009 MLS All-Star game. In addition the MLS Fantasy Challenge team with the highest point total at the conclusion of the 2009 MLS regular season (Oct. 25, 2009) will be eligible to win the Grand Prize, which includes a trip for two to MLS Cup 2009.
About Fox Soccer Channel
Fox Soccer Channel offers the most comprehensive coverage of world-class soccer available in the United States, including Major League Soccer, England's Barclays Premier League, Italy's Serie A, the Argentine First Division and Australian Hyundai A-League, as well as such global tournaments as the UEFA Cup, English FA Cup, FIFA Club World Cup, CONCACAF Champions League™ and 2010 FIFA World Cup™ qualifiers. The Official Broadcast Partner of the United States Youth Soccer Association, Fox Soccer Channel also televises the United Soccer Leagues, NCAA Division I college men's and women's soccer and - beginning in April 2009 - the newly-formed Women's Professional Soccer. The Nielsen-rated channel reaches more than 34 million cable and satellite households in the U.S. and Caribbean.
Fox Soccer Channel is one of 28 national and regional programming networks within Fox Networks Group, an operating unit of the News Corporation (NYSE:NWS). These broadcast, cable, satellite and telephony delivered networks reach more than half a billion U.S. television homes, and represent one of the media industry's most diverse collections of programming operations. Fox Networks Group consists of FOX Sports, Fox Broadcasting Company, Fox Cable Networks and Fox Networks Engineering & Operations. For more information, visit America's most visited online soccer destination at foxsoccer.com.
About Major League Soccer
Headquartered in New York City, Major League Soccer is the top-flight professional soccer league in the United States and features many stars from the U.S. and around the world. MLS kicks off the League's 14th season on March 19 with 15 teams: the Chicago Fire, Colorado Rapids, Chivas USA, Columbus Crew, D.C. United, FC Dallas, Houston Dynamo, Kansas City Wizards, Los Angeles Galaxy, New York Red Bulls, New England Revolution, Real Salt Lake, San Jose Earthquakes, Toronto FC and, in its inaugural season, Seattle Sounders FC. A Philadelphia expansion team will debut in 2010. For more information about MLS, log on to the League's official Web site at
www.MLSnet.com
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