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Kaka, Rimando’s strong first-half showings help MLS All-Stars edge Tottenham

photo by Ron Chenoy/USA Today Sports

By FRANCO PANIZO

COMMERCE CITY, Colo. — The MLS All-Star Game is an opportunity to showcase the league’s best talent, and two of the newest superstars to make the jump from Europe combined for a pair of first-half goals in another victory.

Kaka and David Villa scored three minutes apart in the first half, and that, combined with a strong performance from goalkeeper Nick Rimando, was enough to give the league’s top players a 2-1 win over Tottenham in the annual MLS All-Star Game.

Kaka opened the scoring at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park in the 20th minute with a perfect penalty kick. The MLS All-Stars captain then turned into a provider, feeding Villa for a one-timed effort in front of goal.

Harry Kane cut the deficit in half with a 35th-minute bomb from outside the penalty area, but Rimando superbly denied him three times before to keep the MLS All-Stars in a position to come out victory for the second straight year.

U.S. Men’s National Team youngster and former MLS player DeAndre Yedlin also saw time in the game played in front of a sold-out crowd of 18,671. Yedlin came off the bench in the 63rd minute for Spurs, who had chances in the second half to pull level.

Spurs substitute Josh Onomah had one of the best chances, hitting a curling shot in the 73rd minute that reserve goalkeeper David Ousted got down to corral.

MLS All-Stars head coach Pablo Mastroeni went with a completely different lineup to start the second half, and the new group got off to a slow start. Nacer Chadli almost pulled Spurs level in the 54th minute, racing in on goal before Ousted cut off the angle and forced the Belgian to push a shot wide of the goal.

Chadli was the player whistled for the handball in the penalty area that led to Kaka’s opener, and the Brazilian tucked a perfect shot past Spurs goalkeeper Michel Vorm to put the MLS All-Stars in front.

Villa quickly made it 2-0, finishing off a nice passing sequence that saw a streaking Kaka set him up by whipping in a low ball across the penalty area.

Tottenham had its first chance to score nine minutes in when a deflected shot fell into the path of Kane, who could not beat Nick Rimando with a side-footed effort.

Rimando denied Kane for a second time 13 minutes later, cutting off the angle on a point-blank volley. The veteran goalkeeper also stopped the talented young striker in the 34th minute, as he got in the way of a sliding effort from Kane.

Kane finally found a way to push one past Rimando late in the first half. After Matt Besler slipped in the MLS All-Stars’ half, Kane picked up the ball and darted forward before unleashing a cannon past a soaring Rimando.

That was as close as Spurs got, however, as the MLS All-Stars defended well to close out the game.

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What do you think of the MLS All-Stars’ 2-1 win over Tottenham? Who impressed you more Kaka or Rimando? How would you rate Yedlin and the rest of the Spurs’ performance?

Share your thoughts below.

Comments

  1. This is the first time watching Kane play and he is the real deal. Definitely the next big english star, it’ll be interesting to watch him play with Rooney tucked in behind him.

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  2. Was at game last night and a couple observations:

    1) Kaka was the best player on the pitch.
    2) When MLS went up 2-0 the Tottenham trainer went over to the bench and got all of them warming up. You could sense the coaching staff was pissed.
    3) At one point, when MLS was up 2-0, the crowd started to chant “Ole”. The tackles and effort from the Spurs picked up and got a bit testy.
    4) Second half was a bit of the let down and you could feel it in the crowd. Missing the 5 players for MLS that are injured was a let down. However, Castillo was awesome. I was really impressed. He tracked back, tackled, and was really dangerous going forward. Looked like he was at a try out.
    5) Harry Kane….all class. Was at the practice session on Tuesday and while the Tottenham team went to the MLS designated “you get an autograph area”, Kane went to the far corner and did an interview…..he then proceeded to sign every request or take a picture with everyone that asked…in the whole stadium. I left for lunch and came back to watch MLS practice and he was still signing autographs. Everyone was talking about it. He made about 2000 life long fans. The ovation the crowd gave him when he left the field was fitting.

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  3. I thought Besler was the weak link. All the Kane chances came against/or because of Besler. Without Rimando making big stops Tottenham would have won the game. It makes it clearer why JK does not want Gonz and Besler as his starting center backs.

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    • Besler was shockingly bad. Very obvious why JK has dropped him. What was that, anyway?

      Aside from Kane, Tottenham had very little. That score easily could have been 3-1 or even 4-1 going into halftime.

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    • Agreed. He does much better come from a deep position and joining the attack or on quick counters where he can take advantage of this speed. In build up, he often looks out of place and like he’s not sure when and where to make his move. He’s young, but needs PT to learn the wide position or beef up his defense to really reach his potential as a RB.

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    • He could have looked like the second coming of Cafu or Phillippe Lamm and it wouldn’t have mattered. They have no intention of playing him at RB so hopefully he goes on loan ASAP.

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      • Yedlin is wasting his time there. The team doesn’t look well led at all and he is going to not play.

        Not a good combo.

  4. A couple of comments,,, the first group was really good, the second group was mostly bad. The second defense was terrible IMO with stinker of the match going to our second group, right back. He was absolutely terrible. A few other comments:

    Benny – did not help himself… Too many attempted tricks when he could have turned in a solid game
    Finlay – Invisible… didnt help his cause
    Antiscore – laugh it off big guy … you missed a sitter near the end. Couldnt even get an open header on net. Its the story of your career these days. Terrible

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      • What game were you watching Finlay showed that he is clearly on the rise and capable at playing at this level. Great creativity, skill and courage.

      • Kept that ball in play and torched Danny Rose. Rose isn’t slow. (He’s not match fit, but he still fast)

  5. Is this the first and last time that stadium is sold out. What a terrible location for a soccer stadium, if it had been built near downtown or in Boulder the Rapids would have such better support. Kroenke really messed this one up.

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    • I agree that it would be awesome being closer to Denver but the stadium is awesome. Also it sells out every 4th of July and is already sold out for the Rapids game this Saturday night.

      Finally more and more construction if happening out that way so it appears to be set up for the boom happening around it.

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      • Isn’t that typically the plan to build somewhere where the land is still available for a reasonable price and develop the area around it? As the economic recovery continues, we’ll see more of that development and growth of these exurban areas.

  6. Good game….
    There is a reason you just insert DP player without looking at their stats (image if Giovinco, Gerrad, Keane, Lampard were available).
    Zusi needs to show up like this all the time, what the…?
    Zardes showed that he should be taken seriously
    Dempsey is without a doubt the best player in the US Pool, and like Donovan we don’t have a replacement in site….wow
    Chad Marshall was solid
    Nick Rimando was reflex Nick as usual
    Omar and Matt gelled well together

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    • Agree. Most surprising was how well Zusi seemed to play. Anybody have any ideas why such a difference from the Gold Cup where he was terrible.?

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      • I would imagine it has a lot to do with being severely over trained. It seems like only Bradley (and to a lesser extent Dempsey) are not highly affected by the amount of physical training JK does. And we should all be concerned about Bradley – it will eventually take its toll and he will be broken for a few years after.

        The KC boys play in a very fast and physical system. It probably doesn’t do them any good to go from that to JK’s regimen and back without rest.

  7. Glad to hear the Don all but say lets go East West. Really quite a joke, no one on Tottrnham is going to handle Castillo and Kamara, much less Dempsey, Kaka and Villa. Move on MLS, long time over due.

    Kaka could be in the Beatles.

    Zardes owned Walker. Is that why they got replacements including Yedlin? Or is it British guy keeps playing and American cant break thru part CXXI.

    Tottenham fans in Colorado, its a free country, you can do whatever you want. Get a life.

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    • Oh yeah
      24k season tickets already sold in Atlanta?

      Wow. We need to have more teams play in football stadiums. LOL.

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      • The 24k is misleading. A $50 seat deposit was all that was required. I’m sure some of those tickets won’t be sold. Atlanta is the worst sports town in American and I doubt that’s changing for soccer.

      • I’m not so sure about that. Miami might be the worst sports town. Even when the Heat had LeBron, some of those Heat home Playoff games werent completely sold out.

      • Well, at least they got $1.2 million in deposits.

        That was misleading, but still not bad.

    • and an EPL All Star team would annihilate England’s NT… whats your point? same for perhaps france, italy, mayyyybe spain.

      it’s not indicative of anything in terms of the NT

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    • Not really sure what you are saying, as Dempsey, Omar, Zusi, Rimando, Beasly. All start for both. Which team are they and the backup All Stars who play nat team going to play for.

      Reply

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