MLS is reportedly close to bringing in one of the world’s top teams for this summer’s All-Star Game.
ESPN reported on Thursday that the league is nearing a deal with Real Madrid to participate in this summer’s event, which is set for Aug. 2 at Chicago’s Soldier Field. The deal would see Real Madrid become the first Spanish team to come stateside for the event. An MLS select team previously took on Real Madrid in 2005, losing by a 5-0 scoreline at the Santiago Bernebeu.
The league was reportedly in negotiations with Barcelona to become the All-Star opponent, but talks reportedly broke down after the club went back to the league to negotiate additional requests.
Real Madrid and Barcelona are reportedly set to play a friendly version of El Classico stateside this summer as the two Spanish giants are planning a preseason clash in Miami.
In 2016, the MLS All-Stars faced off with Arsenal in a 2-1 win for the Premier League side.
did you ever wonder, “what would it be like if all of my favorite/top players could play together on the same team?” you might say, “that’s what the national team is for” but that’s not true, because the top players in mls come from different countries. the all star game is for the fans and it starts with fan voting. and before and after the game, little kids can get autographs of their favorite players on their topps trading cards. it’s not about the score.
I mean that is how I think it’s purposed to be.
if they’re going to bring in a big name team from europe deep in their pre-season, they should bill it very clearly as a charity fund raiser for cancer or something where the score clearly is secondary to the charitable goals.
It’s at a glorified exhibition match. The purpose of it is to bring in a few bucks for both the league and the club they’re facing off against, and to give exposure to both entities in a global market. Quit saying that you want see the game be a “more serious” contest. With the exception of Major League Baseball, every All-Star game in every sport is completely meaningless.
I remember watching that game back in 2005 live on a late afternoon. All Star team with Jeff Cunningham and Mastroeni (IIRC) looked like a pick up team compared to Real Madrid. Couldn’t do jack against RM.
Yeah, well, a couple of years before that the league had been busily contracting teams with names like Tampa Bay Mutiny and the Miami Fusion, and Sporting KC was still known as the Kansas City Wizards. And pretty much everybody in the league still played on hand-me-down fields that usually still had football lines painted on them.
Since 2005 the MLS All-Stars are 7-5 versus whoever, beating teams like Chelsea and Bayern, and the only really two bad beats came at the hands of Manchester United in 2010 (5-2) and 2011 (4-0).
I would say the fear factor of games like this is pretty much gone. If Real Madrid doesn’t come in at least semi-serious they could well wind up embarrassed like Bayern Munich was.
The league certainly has changed since 2005. Also, the 2005 match was at the end of August and the end of Real’s preseason. Most of those matches since have been at the beginning of teams preseason preparations and with less than full rosters because of the travel to America.
Truthfully, there is very little to takeaway from these matches, the MLS players have no time to practice together and look disjointed and use basically two teams for each half and the Euro players are generally just looking to get their legs under them or are youth squad players trying to make themselves look good. When MLS wins I don’t say wow it is a top league and when it loses I don’t disparage it for lack of talent.
MLS….Don’t do it. Don’t do it. Too late. They must get watched, people must watch these “adopted teams” playing MLS All Stars in the ASGame, money must be rolling in……because it just keeps happening.
I support the MLS fully but don’t always agree with how they operate. Nothing belittles yourself like saying, “hey bring your pre season club team to play the best XI from our league!” I’m sure its all about the money and exposure to fair-weather fans but c’mon… maybe find a way to play these teams and have a REAL all star game. For me I’m not going to see Ronaldo trot around four a few minutes just to say I saw him. I am either going to fork over the money to see him play a meaningful game in Europe or I’ll never see him. That goes for any big name or club.