It's basically half the USMNT plus the import DPs against a mid-level preseason form EPL team at altitude? It's going to be really embarrassing if they MLS can't beat Tottenham.
I just can't watch much of this. Astros much more interesting. Might be cool if coaches go at it again like last year
With the players and talent the league is having now, I think it's maybe time to go back to a "East vs. West" conferences format.
YES! I understand having these well known clubs coming over here to sell tickets, but it really does nothing to promote the MLS other than say, "It take the best players from all over the league to beat your preseason team." That's not all that flattering for the MLS.
I enjoyed it. It is just a fun exhibition to me. Yall must be reading into it too much. I am not sure it is there to prove something. Just a fun game.
Ah come on, we could make it super meaningful: East v West and winner hosts the MLS Cup Another format could be CONCACAF v World. I belive there is enough for that kind of format. I just think it's silly when a ManU comes in here and kicks our butt. How good is the MLS if we can't beat regular teams. How do we attract good players who aren't retirement age if our All Stars can't beat a decent team?
Maybe you have a point. I understand where you're coming from. When Man United is playing well, even world class teams cannot beat them. I think that players know that just because they are all-stars doesn't mean it's a serious team. One practice session, and a go doesn't do anything for the team. Especially against top level competition. I think the players should just use the match to show their skills, because you can't take a team seriously if it doesn't practice together. Set-pieces would be a crap shoot.
With the league struggling to fit a full season/playoffs into the weather window, and having to play through international breaks I view the All-Star game as unnecesary exercise in meaningless self-congratulation. My first preference is to just drop it. To get me interested make it East v West with winner hosting MLS Cup. With the imbalanced schedules there is no competitive integrity to the current way of locating the MLS Cup host.
East v West does not interest me because that format does not work. I can't see players going all in so that LAG can have home field advantage. I never watch any other sports All Star Games because they are a joke. I see no point in becoming insular at this time. Playing against huge teams generates interest, and revenue for the league, and shows the world that MLS has great players, so it works on that level. The competition that is invited are in preseason mode, and players on the fringe of the starting XI are trying hard to impress their manager, and make a case to fit into the plans, so the level of competition is there as well. I don't think that the All-Star Game is a fixture that will be needed, or wanted forever, but it serves its purpose now.
Actually, Rugby all star type matches (which there are many) are pretty good, and taken extremely seriously. Rugby is not a sport that can be played "lightly". The odds of getting injured seem to increase when players don't play full bore.