FRISCO, Texas -- If anyone ever had a question as to where MLS Cup 2005 was being played, they would certainly be answered this week as you drive to the city of Frisco. Head north out of Dallas and as you get closer to Pizza Hut Park, banners and signs cover lightpoles and buildings as Frisco welcomes MLS to town.
"I have talked to all of our local hotels and they've got a lot of rooms booked. I talked to one hotel and they've got all these signs and balloons -- just making it a real atmosphere for MLS when people come into their hotels," said Mike Simpson, mayor of Frisco.
Frisco has never hosted an event of this magnitude. But the city is ready to embrace this soldout festivity with open arms.
"We've had things, but not to this degree. We had an all-star game here for our Double-A Roughriders (baseball) team, but it was more like a regional telecast. Still, we had a lot of people and it was an exciting event," said the mayor. "I think number one the city is totally excited about being able to be the host city for the MLS Cup. It has been a great working relationship with Hunt Sports Group and with the MLS people putting this all together -- we have a lot of excitement in the city.
"The city has been working hard to finish everything and get all the roads and landscaping in -- to make a good presentation to the people who will be watching the MLS Cup from around the country and around the world."
Construction in the city and stadium can be still be seen around the clock in preparation for the game, but the hammering and nailing will soon come to an end with the kickoff of MLS Cup.
Frisco is known for its magnificent landscape and high-tech modern buildings but the economy of all the area businesses will also benefit tremendously from the Cup.
"You are going to have thousands of people who are coming to Frisco for the weekend who are going to shop here, eat here, drink here and play here," said FC Dallas general manager Michael Hitchcock. "This will show an immediate short-term economic boom to the actual city and then longer term, we are showcasing the city of Frisco to the world."
Added Simpson: "We are going to pick up a lot of hotel revenues and a lot of restaurant (revenue). People will be shopping here when they are not at some of the events and we will have a tremendous economic benefit from the thousands of people that will be here and staying in our hotels, eating in our restaurants and shopping at our stores."
Although Pizza Hut Park opened only on Aug. 6, when FC Dallas took on the MetroStars, it's playing host to the MLS title game just three months later.
"We are just excited that in the very first year of the stadium that they would get the MLS Cup here," said Simpson. "It's been around the league in other cities but to have it in Frisco and the whole North Texas area here in the very first year we got the stadium open is a real pleasure for us."
MLS Cup has also started to become a must-see destination for soccer fans from across the country -- and all over the world.
"Fans from 37 states bought tickets to this game, fans from four continents outside of North America bought tickets for this game," said Hitchcock.
"With all the people coming from all over the United States and all over the world and we've got the teams being from the east and west cost -- there are a lot of people coming in for the game," added Simpson.
On Sunday, the 10th season of MLS will come to a conclusion and a winner will be decided with more than 20,000 fans in the stands and millions of viewers worldwide.
"FC Dallas has played on regional TV and on ESPN but never have we had a MLS Cup here, which will determine the champion for MLS soccer, and it's the first time that we had in the Dallas area a one-game playoff that determines the champion for the whole United States," said Simpson.
"We are going to have great weather and we hope we have a whole lot of people turn out for the event."
Ron Goode is a contributor to MLSnet.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Soccer or its clubs.
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