MLS All-Stars Preview

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As is common practice in American sports, the All-Star game is an annual event where the best players in the American league are grouped together for one night. The new format, which began in 2005, sees an All-Star MLS XI take on a prestigious foreign opponent to showcase the best of American “soccer” and it cannot get any more prestigious than current European Champions Chelsea who are in the middle of a pre-season tour of the United States.<br />

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Round 3 - Philadelphia<br />

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Chelsea return to Philadelphia 8 years after losing 3-2 to Carlo Ancelotti’s AC Milan in front of about 40,000 people in Lincoln Financial Field. This time around, the game will be played in MLS side Philadelphia Union’s home stadium PPL Park which boasts waterfront views of the Delaware River 15 miles from downtown Philly although only 18,000 odd fans will cram into the stadium to watch the game this time around. <br />

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MLS All-Stars<br />

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Despite losing their last 2 exhibition games to Manchester United, MLS All-Stars is actually quite a good team with a healthy mix of talented individuals and experienced campaigners. Before the Manchester United fixtures, the MLS –All Stars had an impressive 5 1 0 (W D L) record in the All-Star games which included wins over Fulham, Celtic, West Ham and Chelsea.<br />

Landon Donovan, voted for a 12th straight time into the MLS All-Star team, is well-known in England for his impact in 2 loan spells at Everton and will be a man to watch out for. Chris Wondolowski of San Jose Earthquakes is another talented individual who is currently the top-scorer in the American League with 17 goals to his name. Dwayne deRosario, who scored in the 1-0 win over us in 2006, David Beckham and Thierry Henry all add years of experience to balance the squad while defender Jay DeMerit will bank on his 7 years in England (Watford) to negate the Chelsea attack.<br />

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While Chelsea will be using this game to improve squad fitness, the All-Stars will have to work on chemistry developed over 72 hours or so. Having talented players is of little use without the right set-up to get the best out of them and coach Ben Olsen knows the task at hand for him as he prepares the squad for Major League Soccer’s annual global audition. <br />

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MLS All-Star squad<br />

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Goalkeepers: Dan Kennedy (Chivas USA), Jimmy Nielsen (Sporting Kansas City).<br />

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Defenders: Steven Beitashour (San Jose Earthquakes), Aurelien Collin (Sporting Kansas City), Ramiro Corrales (San Jose Earthquakes), Jay DeMerit (Vancouver Whitecaps FC), Heath Pearce (New York Red Bulls), Carlos Valdes (Philadelphia Union).<br />

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Midfielders: Osvaldo Alonso (Seattle Sounders FC), David Beckham (LA Galaxy), Kyle Beckerman (Real Salt Lake), Dwayne De Rosario (D.C. United), Landon Donovan (LA Galaxy), Graham Zusi (Sporting Kansas City).<br />

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Forwards: Thierry Henry (New York Red Bulls), Eddie Johnson (Seattle Sounders FC), Chris Pontius (D.C. United), Chris Wondolowski (San Jose Earthquakes).<br />

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Chelsea <br />

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A see-saw win over Seattle and a shaky draw against PSG might not be the best of preparations for this game but given that the squad is still incomplete and the players are still inching back to match-fitness, Chelsea have made a good start to the summer’s pre-season tour. The youngsters who deputised for the absent seniors gave a good account of themselves while the seniors used the time to get their sharpness back ahead of another long and arduous season. Last time around against PSG, young Lucas Piazon saved Chelsea’s blushes with a neat finish from Ramires’ cross. The goal papered an abject Chelsea performance reminiscent of the AVB era.<br />

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The composition of the first-team will take shape on Wednesday as di Matteo revealed that he will reduce the number of substitutions and give more playing time to the players on the pitch. He also mentioned a secondary formation that the team has been practicing, so I wont be surprised if we start with a 4-3-3 or even a 4-4-2. This may end up being our plan B for the coming season.<br />

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Defending set-pieces has been Chelsea’s Achilles heel for a long time now. While it may have been better last season, there were times in the Ancelotti and Scolari reigns when we used to concede from free-kicks literally every game. To the team’s credit, they withstood a barrage of set-pieces from a certain German giant on May 19 2012 to win the European Cup but the nasty habit of conceding from set-pieces hasn’t fully been eradicated yet. The game against MLS All-Stars may prove to be the acid test for our defenders as they face David Beckham’s pin-point deliveries. So don’t be surprised if Henry heads in unmarked from a Beckham free-kick.<br />

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Team News <br />

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Fernando Torres has joined the squad and is likely to get some game time on Wednesday night while John Terry, Ashley Cole and Raul Meireles are in line for a starting eleven spot. Manager di Matteo has to decide between Lukaku and Torres for the striker role with Lucas Piazon also worth a shout.<br />

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Manager di Matteo speaking about the All-Star Game<br />

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Tomorrow we will have two or more players that might play the whole game, and some others up to 60. We have had many players coming back at different times due to the European Championship and we have to manage this and consider these factors in our friendly games we are going to play.

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Frank Lampard praising the progress of MLS<br />

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I think it's evolved a great deal. David Beckham has been a huge influence on the game taking it worldwide and bringing attention, which lifts the levels of players brought in. You can feel the quality going up and the level of the fans' excitement, which helps the game evolve and we've seen it improve a lot in that time.<br />

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The big names have got a lot to give and it's pushed the standards up. Back home we can watch an MLS game, we couldn't do that a couple of years ago. We're now taking notice and it's a very nice thing to come here and play the MLS All-Stars, we have a lot of respect for them and the American national team as well, who we played in the World Cup, and I know are taken very seriously. It shows the development of American football as a whole.<br />

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Players to Watch<br />

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MLS All-Stars – Landon Donovan – David Beckham and Thierry Henry maybe more iconic than Donovan but you can’t deny the talent this lad’s got. He is the all-time leader in goals and assists for the American soccer team and a 4-time US Soccer Athlete Of The Year.<br />

His reputation is not restricted to America as he also took the Premier League by storm in loan spells at Everton (2010 and 2012) He supplied 7 assists in 2012, the last of which was a pass to Denis Stracqualursi which condemned Chelsea to a 2-0 loss at Goodison Park.<br />

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Chelsea – Marko Marin – While all the talk has been about Eden Hazard, another new signing Marko Marin has settled in quite well at the club with decent displays in both pre-season friendlies. He was one of the catalysts of Chelsea’s improved second half performance at Yankee Stadium. His speed and dribbling skills makes him a hard man to mark making him the perfect replacement to Malouda’s old left midfield slot.<br />

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Foot-Notes<br />

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A late request from Chelsea means each team will have 10 substitutions. Because he needed an extra player to make that many changes, All-Star coach Ben Olsen called up Philadelphia Union utility man Michael Farfan.<br />

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Landon Donovan has been selected every year since his rookie season in 2001. This, his 12 All-Star nod, sets an MLS record, one more than Eddie Pope.<br />

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Last time Chelsea were in Philadelphia the Blues succumbed to a 3-2 loss against AC Milan with Andriy Shevchencko scoring a 25-yard free kick late in the game to settle it in Milan's favor<br />

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FT Score : Chelsea 2-3 AC Milan - 31 July 2004, Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia <br />

Eidur Gudjohnsen, Didier Drogba – Andriy Shevchencko x 2, Alessandro Costacurta<br />

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This is the 7th time the MLS All-Stars are facing English opposition. They have won 3, lost 2 and drawn 1 over the years with one of their victims being Jose Mourinho’s Chelsea in 2006<br />

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Paulo Fereira, John Terry, Michael Essien and Frank Lampard are the only survivors from the starting eleven the last time Chelsea faced the MLS All-Stars<br />

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