Philip Anschutz To Receive Soccer's Highest Honor

ONEONTA, NY (May22, 2006) - Major League Soccer investor-operator Philip Anschutz has been chosen to receive the highest honor awarded in soccer, the National Soccer Medal of Honor and induction into the National Soccer Hall of Fame. This will mark only the fourth time the medal has been presented as the recipient's contribution to soccer must be so significant as to have changed the course of the sport's history.

US Soccer President Sunil Gulati said "It's clear to all of us involved in soccer, that Phil's unmatched commitment has been critical to the success of MLS. That commitment is helping to build a base for soccer in the U.S. that will carry the sport forward and upward for many years. What a great legacy for Phil's vision and efforts."

Phil Anschutz, through his company AEG, is a founding investor-operator of Major League Soccer and currently operates four franchises. Anschutz's commitment to professional soccer is largely responsible for the success of MLS during its inaugural decade.

Dedicated to building a viable professional American league, AEG's business model includes the creation of soccer-specific stadiums for company operated teams. Coinciding with the 2003 opening of The Home Depot Center, as the home of the Los Angeles Galaxy, the team established the first profitable MLS franchise by any team in league history. The Home Depot Center is now the home of two MLS teams (the Galaxy and Chivas USA) in addition to serving as the team training headquarters for the U.S. Soccer Federation, USA Cycling, United States Track & Field and the United States Tennis Association's High Performance National Training Center. Additionally, the venue has been designated as an Official U.S. Olympic Training Site. Another AEG soccer specific stadium will be opening this June in Bridgeview, IL will be the new home for the Chicago Fire. Plans for soccer stadiums in New York and Washington are also in development.

"Phil's visionary commitment to the game of soccer is the reason that there is a division 1 league in this country today. The building of The Home Depot Center has set off a wave of soccer specific stadiums that will change how the game is experienced in this country. I am honored to be his partner and can think of no more worthy Recipient of the National Soccer Medal of Honor," Robert Kraft, investor-operator MLS, New England Revolution.

"Through unparalleled foresight and conviction, Phil Anschutz has created a permanent foundation for soccer in the United States - a truly singular achievement which, despite his humility, will always bear his name. Two decades ago, people said this could never be done. Two decades from now, people will ask how it was done and the answer will be Phil Anschutz. He is a modern-day American pioneer and a great friend to all of us who love the game," Commissioner Don Garber, Major League Soccer.

The impact MLS has on soccer in the U.S. addresses the core of the sport: the youth and the fans. MLS has created a network of affiliated youth teams, created jobs and role models for American players, given fans in the U.S. a league to follow, a successful national team to support and volumes of soccer matches on Television. AEG through MLS and other soccer-related initiatives has given the U.S. a platform from which to compete and build at the international level. The U.S. team's success at the 2002 World Cup, with many MLS players on the squad, is a prime example of the game's growth. Phil Anschutz's incredible contribution to the sport has led to a new era for soccer in the United States, an era of success and growth that has changed the course of soccer history.

The award will be presented in Oneonta, NY at the National Soccer Hall of Fame on Sunday, August 27. "Clearly Phil Anschutz's commitment to build the sport at the professional level has dramatically effected the direction soccer has taken over the past ten years,” said Hall of Fame President/CEO Will Lunn. "For those of us fans who remember the dark days of no American soccer on television, no World Cup broadcasts, no league and little chance for the USA on the world's stage I say - Thank you Phil!”

In addition to AEG's soccer-related investments, the company (a wholly owned subsidiary of the Anschutz Company) owns or operates venues such as STAPLES Center, Nokia Theatre Times Square, Nokia Theatre at Grand Prairie and the Toyota Sports Center and is developing other arenas in Kansas City, London and Berlin as well as a 4 million square foot/$2.5 billion downtown Los Angeles sports & entertainment district. AEG owns over one dozen sports franchises worldwide and its AEG Live division is one of the world's leading concert promotion and touring companies.

The National Soccer Medal of Honor has been awarded only three times previously: to former U. S. Soccer President and 1994 FIFA World Cup Organizing Committee Chair Alan I. Rothenberg, long time sports visionary NASL and MLS owner/investor Lamar Hunt, and America's first World Champions and pioneers of the women's game, the 1991 U. S. Women's National Team. Also to be inducted into the National Soccer Hall of Fame on Monday August 28th are United States and Major League Soccer star Alexi Lalas, US Women's Team star Carla Overbeck and 1970s NASL / US Star Al Trost (veteran).

The National Soccer Hall of Fame located in Oneonta, N.Y., celebrates the history, honors the heroes and preserves the legacy of soccer in the United States. For more information, log on to soccerhall.org.