MLS Downs West Ham 3-2
The MLS All-Stars defeated West Ham United 3-2 in Toronto. Chicago Fire Cuauhtémoc Blanco's scored a goal and added an assist en route to being named the game’s most valuable player.
West Ham got on the board first with a Dean Ashton goal in the 26th minute scoring on a low drive past MLS goalkeeper Matt Reis (New England). The MLS All-Stars answered immediately on a goal from Christian Gomez (Colorado Rapids). The play started in the center of the field with David Beckham feeding the ball ahead to Blanco, who flicked the ball back to Gomez with the back of his heel. Gomez touched the ball forward and fired the ball to the left corner of the goal past West Ham goalkeeper Robert Green.
The MLS All-Stars took the lead before the end of the first half on a spectacular effort by Blanco. The Mexican forward received a pass from Juan Toja (FC Dallas) in the top left corner of the penalty area, dribbled by a West Ham defender and curled the ball from a sharp angle around Green and into the top right corner of goal in the 43rd minute.
With the MLS All-Stars up 2-1 in the second half, Ashton struck again for West Ham drawing the game level at 2-2 in the 67th minute. Ashton fired a long-range shot that deflected off an MLS defender and with Reis going the opposite way, the ball snuck by the left post.
The match was tied for only minutes as the MLS All-Stars went ahead for good on a penalty kick goal in the 69th minute. Houston Dynamo midfielder and Canadian international Dwayne De Rosario was fouled in the penalty area by defender Lucas Neill, which set up the spot kick. De Rosario stepped to the spot and blasted a shot high and down the left center. The ball crashed into the underside of the crossbar, bounced down and up into the goal. The goal was De Rosario’s second game-winning goal in an All-Star game. He scored the lone goal in a 1-0 defeat of Chelsea FC in the 2006 All-Star game.
The MLS All-Stars are 5-0 in the format of MLS versus top-flight clubs from across the globe and have outscored opponents 13-5 in the five matches.
Comments
they plan all that crap. theres no way a group of players who dont play together to win every match they play against good. Thats just to make mls look good and to try to make people think that it is actually a good league or something but its not. Try watching a premier league game and then watch an mls game and you will see there is a big difference in the quality and intensity of the play
Posted by: jamal | July 25, 2008 02:38 PM
Jamal did you even watch the game? The mls team played great and played with alot of intensity.
I agree that the epl is better but the mls is no rec league, they have plenty of stars, talent, and potential. the USA isnt a large fan of soccer so the crowd intensity isnt there so that can effect the overall intensity of the mls... with more stars and years under their belts they will defiantly be a great league... although never in the class of the epl.
Posted by: Jack | July 26, 2008 05:54 PM
It's also a pre-season overseas exhibition game for the international clubs. Their managers are trying new players and getting their side int o form. The MLS players are already in mid-season form.
Posted by: yoyo | July 28, 2008 12:51 PM