The Coachella Valley Invitational is a soccer collector's dream
There is an oasis for soccer fans and collectors in the United States deep in the Southern California desert that presents those who attend with an opportunity to get close to the action while also having a great chance at autographs from some of the best in America’s domestic soccer leagues.
The Coachella Valley Invitational has taken over the Empire Polo Club in Indio, California for the month of February and teams from Major League Soccer and the National Women’s Soccer League competed in preseason friendlies. It’s a spring training equivalent for soccer, providing fans with an intimate venue to watch their favorite athletes prepare for the upcoming season.
Some of you may be asking “Joe, why are you writing about an event you traveled to in order to cover soccer on a website that covers sports collectibles and memorabilia?’ and that would be a fair question.
The fact is that the Coachella Valley Invitational is the best autograph opportunity if you are seeking MLS or NWSL player autographs.
Like spring training in Major League Baseball, the Coachella Valley Invitational is set up for fans to be up-close and have that opportunity to engage with their favorite players before or after their matches. It really is the ideal venue for it, particularly if you’re someone who is willing to wait in a queue for an autograph.
The most notable autograph line this reporter saw was for Mexican superstart Hirving “Chucky” Lozano after his side, expansion club San Diego FC, played one of their matches in Indio. Lozano was still signing autographs 50 minutes after the final whistle and had to be shooed off the pitch so the next match could begin.
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LA Galaxy star Marco Reus didn’t play much while his team was at the Coachella Valley Invitational but the German superstar still made himself accessible to fans at the event and was another who had an extensive autograph line post-match alongside teammates Gabriel Pec and Diego Fagúndez.
Now there is one wrinkle for collectors to consider if they want to attend the Coachella Valley Invitational: the best autograph spots were in the VIP areas.
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The $250 (plus fees) tickets allowed fans to access the half of the event space where the players would walk from the practice pitch to the pitch they were playing on, giving fans plenty of opportunities to approach them for autographs without a fence keeping them separated.
For those who are feeling adventurous, you’d be smart to start talking to the person next to you at this event, particularly if they aren’t dressed like an outward fan. You may discover the heaps of agents and other folks who were at the event on behalf of one of the players, creating another opportunity to get an autograph signed without burdening the player too much.
Overall, the Coachella Valley Invitational is a great venue for soccer collectors who want to be close to the action while also snagging a few autographs.
A personal request from this author: go and have fun at this event but, if you’re an adult, you better wait behind every child who is waiting for an autograph. I saw way too many grown people prioritizing themselves getting an autograph over letting children create core memories. And please don’t be the guy who gets back from the event and immediately tries to sell all of your in-person autographs on Facebook. You’re ruining the fun for everyone.
