Major League Soccer has named its championship trophy for Denver investor Philip Anschutz, owner of the Los Angeles Galaxy soccer franchise.

The new Philip F. Anschutz Trophy — 28-1/2 inches tall, including the base, and weighing 43 pounds — was unveiled Wednesday at Tiffany & Co. in New York, on the eve of the start of the MLS playoffs, the league’s website, MLSnet.com, reported.

Anschutz is also part-owner of the Houston Dynamo.

At a news conference to unveil the trophy, which resembles a large loving cup, league Commissioner Don Garber described Anschutz as “the heart and soul of Major League Soccer.”

“We really believed that Phil Anschutz deserved a lasting legacy,” MLSnet.com quoted Garber as saying.

“Phil Anschutz believes in the sport down to its core,” he said. “He attends games almost every weekend with his family. He believes in the American player. He believes that this country has to have a top-flight league that celebrates what he thinks is the best sport in the world.”

He said the Denverite rescued the league financially a few years ago.

“In our darkest hour, we went through contraction,” Garber said, according to the MLSnet.com report. “We were really questioning what the future of MLS would be. Phil Anschutz stood up and said, ‘Even if I have to carry this league on my shoulders, I won’t allow Major League Soccer not to continue or grow.’”

The MLSnet.com report did not say whether the normally publicity-shy Anschutz attended the unveiling ceremony.

The new trophy replaces the Alan I. Rothenberg Cup, which has been retired.

Originally Written by http://www.bizjournals.com/losangeles