Major League Soccer All-Star Game

The Major League Soccer All-Star Game is an annual soccer game held by Major League Soccer featuring selected players from the league against an international club. MLS initially adopted a traditional all-star game format used by other North American sports leagues where the Eastern Conference squared off against the Western Conference. This eventually evolved into the current system where the league annually invites a club from abroad to play against a league all-star team in a friendly match. The MLS All-Stars hold a 9–7 record in the competition marking the season's midpoint. Players are awarded rosters spots through a combination of fan voting and selections by the appointed manager and league commissioner.

MLS All-Star Game
Founded1996
RegionMajor League Soccer (CONCACAF)
Number of teams2
Current champions Atlético Madrid (1st title)
Most successful club(s) MLS All-Stars (9 titles)
Television broadcastersESPN, FS1, UniMás, TSN, TVA Sports
2020 MLS All-Star Game

In case of a tie after full-time, the game does not use a 30-minute extra time period; instead it goes straight to a penalty shoot-out. The match is preceded by a skills challenge tournament, which was introduced in 2018 and features three-player teams competing in various events. The All-Star Game also runs parallel to the Major League Soccer Homegrown Game, which debuted in 2014.[1]

History

Major League Soccer's first all-star game was played at Giants Stadium in the summer of 1996. The game, using an East–West format with players handpicked by the coaching staffs to emulate other American leagues, was the first game of a doubleheader with the Brazilian national team defeating a team of FIFA World All-Stars.[2][3] The matchup between divisions would only be used for six seasons as MLS tried experimenting with different formats. The 1998 All-Star Game placed a team of American MLS players against MLS players from abroad. The 2002 game, the first to use a league-wide all-star team is the only game to feature a national team opponent.

Since then (except in 2004), every opponent has been a foreign club invited by the league. The MLS All-Stars won their first six games before falling to Everton in penalties in 2009. All games from 2005 to 2019 have been against teams from Europe, the majority of which have been from England's Premier League. The European league schedule runs from fall to spring, allowing for a fixture against the MLS All-Stars during the preseasons of teams.[4] The 2020 All-Star Game will be the first to feature the all-star team from another league, Liga MX.[5]

The roster is chosen using a mix of fan votes, nominations from the coach, and commissioner's pick. Some players, including English midfielders Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard in 2015, have been picked to participate in the All-Star Game despite not playing in club matches.[6] Players who are picked to play in the All-Star Game but refuse to join the team are suspended from one league match.[7]

Roster

For 2014, ten players were chosen by All-Star Game coach Caleb Porter, eleven players were chosen by fan voting (subject to Porter's approval), and two were selected by MLS commissioner Don Garber.[8]

Skills Challenge

The modern incarnation of the MLS All-Star Skills Challenge, introduced in 2018, is a freestyle soccer event that features three-player teams competing against each other in minigames, including a touch-and-volley goal schowcase, a shooting accuracy competition, and a passing-and-shooting challenge.[9] The older version of the skills challenge was retired in 2001 and featured other events, including "goalie wars" and soccer tennis.[10]

Results by team
Team Winner Runner-up Total
MLS All-Stars 9 8 17
MLS East 5[lower-alpha 1] 1 6
MLS West 2[lower-alpha 1] 4 6
Manchester United 2 — 2
Arsenal 1 — 1
Everton 1 — 1
Juventus 1 — 1
Roma 1 — 1
Atlético Madrid 1 — 1
Real Madrid 1 — 1
MLS USA 1 — 1
Chelsea — 2 2
Fulham — 1 1
Tottenham Hotspur — 1 1
West Ham United — 1 1
Bayern Munich — 1 1
Guadalajara — 1 1
Celtic — 1 1
MLS World — 1 1
United States — 1 1
Notes
  1. One tie that is counted as a shared win.

Results by nation
Team Winner Runner-up Total
USA 17 14 31
England 4 5 9
Italy 2 — 2
Spain 2 — 2
Germany — 1 1
Mexico — 1 1
Scotland — 1 1
World — 1 1

Results by year

"East vs. West" (1996–1997)
1996 MLS All-Star Game
July 14, 1996 		MLS East 3–2 MLS WestGiants Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey
Ramos  14'
Savarese  69'
Pittman  88'		 Report Preki  33'
Kreis  37'		 Attendance: 78,416
Referee: Kevin Stott
MVP: Carlos Valderrama
1997 MLS All-Star Game
July 9, 1997 		MLS East 5–4 MLS WestGiants Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey
Valderrama  50'
Galderisi  63'
Warzycha  66'
Williams  70'
McBride  88'		 Report Washington  11'
Campos  44'
Takawira  80'
Jones  86'		 Attendance: 24,816
Referee: Arturo Angeles
MVP: Carlos Valderrama

"MLS USA vs. MLS World" (1998)
1998 MLS All-Star Game
August 2, 1998 		MLS USA 6–1 MLS WorldCitrus Bowl, Orlando, Florida
T. Ramos  5'
Lalas  15'
McBride  16'
Preki  40'
Lassiter  78'
Jones  83'		 Report M. Ramos  89' Attendance: 34,416
Referee: Esse Baharmast
MVP: Brian McBride

"East vs. West" (1999–2001)
1999 MLS All-Star Game
July 17, 1999 		MLS East 4–6 MLS WestQualcomm Stadium, San Diego, California
Lassiter  1'
Moore  62' (pen.)
Valderrama  73'
John  83'		 Report Preki  13', 38'
Kosecki  32'
Jones  36'
Wright  84'
Cerritos  89'		 Attendance: 23,227
Referee: Sandra Hunt
MVP: Preki
2000 MLS All-Star Game
July 29, 2000 		MLS East 9–4 MLS WestColumbus Crew Stadium, Columbus, Ohio
Mathis  2'
Moreno  36'
Valencia  39'
Chung  51'
Diallo  59', 61'
Heaps  65'
Washington  67'
McBride  76'		 Report Razov  17', 22'
Cienfuegos  19'
Nowak  44'		 Attendance: 23,495
Referee: Paul Tamberino
MVP: Mamadou Diallo
2001 MLS All-Star Game
July 28, 2001 		MLS East 6–6 MLS WestSpartan Stadium, San Jose, California
Chacón  28'
McBride  34', 39'
Diallo  53'
Rooney  84'
Catê  87'		 Report Donovan  3', 7', 19', 90+2'
Graziani  26'
Kovalenko  69'		 Attendance: 23,512
Referee: Noel Kenney
MVP: Landon Donovan

"All-Stars vs. Guest" (2002–2003)
2002 MLS All-Star Game
August 3, 2002 		MLS All-Stars 3–2 United StatesRFK Stadium, Washington, D.C.
Kreis  59'
Etcheverry  72'
Ralston  81'		 Report Donovan  58'
Jones  76'		 Attendance: 31,096
Referee: Brian Hall
MVP: Marco Etcheverry
2003 MLS All-Star Game
August 2, 2003 		MLS All-Stars 3–1 GuadalajaraHome Depot Center, Carson, California
Razov  57'
Ruiz  68'
Beasley  83'		 Report Garcia  66' Attendance: 27,000
Referee: Kevin Terry
MVP: Carlos Ruiz

"East vs. West" (2004)
2004 MLS All-Star Game
July 31, 2004 		MLS East 3–2 MLS WestGillette Stadium, Foxborough, Massachusetts
Guevara  20', 22' (pen.)
Eskandarian  74'		 Report Ching  43'
Kreis  89'		 Attendance: 21,378
Referee: Michael Kennedy
MVP: Amado Guevara

"All-Stars vs. Europe" (2005–2019)
2005 MLS All-Star Game
July 30, 2005 		MLS All-Stars 4–1 FulhamColumbus Crew Stadium, Columbus, Ohio
Twellman  23'
O’Brien  56'
Cunningham  85', 89'		 Report Jensen  66' (pen.) Attendance: 23,309
Referee: Ricardo Valenzuela
MVP: Taylor Twellman
2006 MLS All-Star Game
August 5, 2006 		MLS All-Stars 1–0 ChelseaToyota Park, Bridgeview, Illinois
De Rosario  70' Report Attendance: 21,210
Referee: Abbey Okulaja
MVP: Dwayne De Rosario
2007 MLS All-Star Game
July 19, 2007 		MLS All-Stars 2–0 CelticDick's Sporting Goods Park, Commerce City, Colorado
Ángel  36'
Toja  44'		 Report Attendance: 18,661
Referee: Baldomero Toledo
MVP: Juan Pablo Ángel
2008 MLS All-Star Game
July 24, 2008 		MLS All-Stars 3–2 West Ham UnitedBMO Field, Toronto, Ontario
Gómez  27'
Blanco  45'
De Rosario  70' (pen.)		 Report Ashton  26', 67' Attendance: 20,844
Referee: Mauricio Navarro
MVP: Cuauhtémoc Blanco
2009 MLS All-Star Game
July 29, 2009 		MLS All-Stars 1–1
(3–4 p)		 EvertonRio Tinto Stadium, Sandy, Utah
Davis  26' Report Saha  12' Attendance: 20,124
Referee: Ricardo Salazar
MVP: Tim Howard
Penalties
Donovan
Davis
Arnaud
Johnson
Casey
Ljungberg 		Vaughan
Jô
Baines
Neville
Lescott
Rodwell
2010 MLS All-Star Game
July 28, 2010 		MLS All-Stars 2–5 Manchester UnitedReliant Stadium, Houston, Texas
Ching  64'
De Rosario  90'		 Report Macheda  1', 13'
Gibson  70'
Cleverley  73'
Hernández  84'		 Attendance: 70,728
Referee: Jorge Gonzalez
MVP: Federico Macheda
2011 MLS All-Star Game
July 27, 2011 		MLS All-Stars 0–4 Manchester UnitedRed Bull Arena, Harrison, New Jersey
Report Anderson  20'
Park  45'
Berbatov  52'
Welbeck  68'		 Attendance: 26,760
Referee: Jair Marrufo
MVP: Park Ji-sung
2012 MLS All-Star Game
July 25, 2012 		MLS All-Stars 3–2 ChelseaPPL Park, Chester, Pennsylvania
Wondolowski  21'
Pontius  73'
Johnson  90+1'		 Report Terry  32'
Lampard  58'		 Attendance: 19,236
Referee: Baldomero Toledo
MVP: Chris Pontius
2013 MLS All-Star Game
July 31, 2013 		MLS All-Stars 1–3 RomaSporting Park, Kansas City, Kansas
20:30 Gonzalez  90+1' Report Strootman  4'
Florenzi  47'
Tallo  68'		 Attendance: 21,175
Referee: Hilario Grajeda
MVP: Alessandro Florenzi
2014 MLS All-Star Game
August 6, 2014 		MLS All-Stars 2–1 Bayern MunichProvidence Park, Portland, Oregon
Wright-Phillips  51'
Donovan  70'		 Report Lewandowski  8' Attendance: 21,733
Referee: Jair Marrufo
MVP: Landon Donovan
2015 MLS All-Star Game
July 29, 2015 		MLS All-Stars 2–1 Tottenham HotspurDick's Sporting Goods Park, Commerce City, Colorado
Kaká  20' (pen.)
Villa  23'		 Report Kane  37' Attendance: 18,671
Referee: Ismail Elfath
MVP: Kaká
2016 MLS All-Star Game
July 28, 2016 		MLS All-Stars 1–2 ArsenalAvaya Stadium, San Jose, California
Drogba  45+2' Report Campbell  10' (pen.)
Akpom  87'		 Attendance: 18,000
Referee: Chris Penso
MVP: Chuba Akpom
2017 MLS All-Star Game
August 2, 2017 		MLS All-Stars 1–1
(2–4 p)		 Real MadridSoldier Field, Chicago, Illinois
Dwyer  87' Report Mayoral  59' Attendance: 61,428
Referee: Allen Chapman
MVP: Borja Mayoral
Penalties
Dwyer
Dos Santos
Valeri
Almirón 		Benzema
Bale
Kovačić
Marcelo
2018 MLS All-Star Game
August 1, 2018 		MLS All-Stars 1–1
(3–5 p)		 JuventusMercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta, Georgia
Martínez  26' Report Favilli  21' Attendance: 72,317
Referee: Robert Sibiga
MVP: Josef Martínez
Penalties
Zusi
Yotún
Valeri
Wright-Phillips 		Fagioli
Beltrame
Kastanos
Fernandes
De Sciglio
2019 MLS All-Star Game
July 31, 2019 		MLS All-Stars 0–3 Atlético MadridExploria Stadium, Orlando, Florida
Report Llorente  43'
Félix  85'
Costa  90+3'		 Attendance: 25,527
Referee: Drew Fischer
MVP: Marcos Llorente

"All-Stars vs. Liga MX All-Stars" (2020–present)
2020 MLS All-Star Game
July 29, 2020 		MLS All-Stars N.P. Liga MX All-StarsBanc of California Stadium, Los Angeles, California
Report
Note: Cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic.[11]
gollark: > add undefined behavio(u)r flagYes, UB emoji WHEN?
gollark: "transgender" is clearer than some flag, really.
gollark: I mean, they don't need to be able to say constantly "yes I am X gender/gender-associated thing" with an emoji for it.
gollark: ... not really, honestly?
gollark: These seem unnecesßsary on this discord server.

References
  1. Tansey, Joe (July 30, 2019). "MLS rallies from behind to win Homegrown Game". Pro Soccer USA. Retrieved December 19, 2019.
  2. Stephenson, Colinwas (July 14, 1996). "Soccer Fans Get Their Kicks With 2 All-star Games Today". NY Daily News. Retrieved July 15, 2012.
  3. Yannis, Alex (July 16, 1996). "SOCCER REPORT". The New York Times. Retrieved July 15, 2012.
  4. Tansey, Joe (August 1, 2019). "MLS All-Stars ponder adjustments to All-Star Game format". Pro Soccer USA. Retrieved December 19, 2019.
  5. Baxter, Kevin (November 18, 2019). "MLS All-Stars will play top Liga MX players next summer at Banc of California Stadium". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved December 19, 2019.
  6. Williams, Bob (July 14, 2015). "Frank Lampard and Steven Gerrard selections for MLS All-Star Game 2015 make perfect sense". The Telegraph. Retrieved December 19, 2019.
  7. Mendola, Nicholas (July 30, 2018). "Zlatan suspended one match for skipping MLS All Star Game". NBC Sports. Retrieved December 19, 2019.
  8. "MLS announces 2014 MLS All-Star Game roster". US Soccer Players. July 21, 2014. Retrieved August 7, 2014.
  9. "New MLS All-Star Skills Challenge presented by Target" (Press release). Major League Soccer. July 1, 2019. Retrieved December 19, 2019.
  10. "MLS brings back the skills challenge". US Soccer Players. July 30, 2019. Retrieved December 19, 2019.
  11. "MLS All-Star Game, Leagues Cup and Campeones Cup canceled for 2020" (Press release). Major League Soccer. May 19, 2020. Retrieved May 19, 2020.
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