Previewing the MLS All-Star Game

Tonight at 8:30 PM ET, the all-stars of Major League Soccer will take on the world’s most famous club, Manchester United. It is the match MLS has been dreaming of ever since they started this all-star format. We’ll take a look at the rosters, but first a little history of the MLS All-Star Game.

The MLS all-stars have five wins against one loss in these matches, with wins versus Chelsea, Celtic, West Ham, Fulham, and Guadalajara, and a loss last year against Everton on penalties. MLS fans will tell you this proves the league has the talent to compete with some of the best clubs in the world, while others would say the MLS all-stars do a good job treating an exhibition like the World Cup Final and have taken advantage of some out-of-form teams. Honestly, it’s somewhere in the middle. MLS does not get enough credit for its improvement over the years, but the opposition is usually a club getting ready for its meaningful season across the ocean.

None of this takes away from an all-star format that is fantastic. Bringing in top tier club teams to play the best of MLS makes the game exciting for fans and competitive for the players. Out of form or not, no club wants to come to the United States and lose, while the MLS stars want badly to beat these guys.  For all the complaining about the all-star events in major sports, here is one that gets it right. It’s a game, not a show; the players care, raising the competitive level; and there is an ‘us against them’ mentality, giving fans a chance to become emotionally invested. Add Man U to the mix and that means tonight is going to be fun.

The MLS will field a solid squad for the match, including names you might remember from the World Cup like Donovan, Buddle, and Bornstein. Donovan Ricketts (LA Galaxy) and Nick Rimando (Real Salt Lake) will be the goalkeepers, both capable of keeping the MLS in the match if when needed. In the back, Heath Pearce (FC Dallas), Kevin Alston (NE Revolution), Chad Marshall (Columbus Crew), Omar Gonzalez (Galaxy) and Bornstein (Chivas USA) stand to see plenty of action. The back line and the goalkeeping will obvioulsy be important against a Manchester United side that will see most of the possession and attack with numbers. This group of MLS defenders, with a mix of guys with international experience and young prospects, could be the key to the sixth and most celebrated victory for the MLS All-Stars.

It’s always hard to say who will play the most in these games, but there are no subbing limits and everyone usually sees the field. However, the most important players in the midfield for the MLS will be Sebastian Le Toux (Philly Union), Dewayne DeRosario (Toronto FC), Sharlie Joseph (NE Revolution), Javier Morales (Real Salt Lake), and David Ferreira (FC Dallas). The midfield is a mix of players who can defend (Joseph) and those who love to get forward (uh, most of the rest).

Ideally, Landon Donovan and Edson Buddle would be paired together up top for most of the match, but as Jamie discussed in his Concacaf Champions League post yesterday, there are other factors at play. Donovan and Buddle both started in LA’s embarrassing loss Tuesday, meaning they’ll likely come on in the second half. Jamie Moreno is on this team because he’s been in the MLS since before it was formed, so I would expect Dynamo star Brian Ching to get the start in his home city and Juan Pablo Angel (NY Red Bulls) to play up top as well. Guillermo Barros Schelotto (Columbus) could also make an appearance at forward.

All in all, not a bad squad for the MLS. The loss of Kyle Beckerman to injury is a killer, and having Donovan and Buddle available for more minutes would be great, but they’ll have a chance. The MLS coach, Bruce Arena, did rest his Galaxy stars Omar Gonzalez and Donovan Ricketts last night, so they look to be in the starting lineup. The strong defending will need to be complimented with tactical patience in the midfield and opportunistic finishing up top.

Manchester United come into the match off of a terrible loss to Kansas City, who played down a man for a portion of the match. Granted, most of the stars who played in the World Cup are resting, but that’s not how the Red Devils wanted to get ready for their season. They’ll look to rectify things tonight. It’s hard to guess the starting 11, but let’s look at some players to watch out for tonight.

Edwin Van Der Sar will probably start in net, with Wes Brown in front of him. Van Der Sar is still fantastic and Brown brings a wealth of experience to the back line sure to be filled out with less seasoned players. Darren Fletcher and John O’Shea sustained minor injuries against KC and may not be available. The midfield is what fans will pay to see. Mainstays Paul Scholes and Ryan Giggs will be present and the Portuguese national Nani will feature as well. Up top, look out for Dimitar Berbatov. The Bulgarian fires cannonballs and has impressed thus far. Most exciting however, could be the appearance of recently signed Javier Hernandez from Mexico. Chicharito, as he is known, showed brilliantly in the World Cup and could see his first action for the Red Devils tonight. Let’s hope that’s the case.

Manchester United should be the favorites in this match, but don’t ignore the history and the reasons for the MLS’s impressive record in these matches.  Still, I like Man U to win a close match 3-2.

Share this