Editorial: Looking Back On The 2011 MLS All-Star Game (VIDEO)
This is the MLS Multiplex on the FanSided Network of sports news and information, opinion, analysis, and more. Today, we continue our look back at the past 19 MLS All-Star Games that took place over the course of Major League Soccer’s long, yet short and illustrious, history. Today, we reflect on the 2011 MLS All-Star Game, which may go down as of the league’s darkest hours, and for good reason.
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The reason: the MLS All-Stars were kicked off the pitch of Red Bull Arena in Harrison, N.J. by Manchester United to the tune of 4-0. This wasn’t even a real All-Star by any stretch of the imagination. It was a blatant cash grab by Man United and Sir Alex Ferguson, who overwhelmed a subpar MLS All-Star selection so badly, they were immediately dropped off the list for future editions.
Manchester United have yet to return to this event after what was more a glorified friendly for the Red Devils that a showcase for the league. Of course, there’s this thought process among some anonymous minds that Man United are strong in preseason anyway, so this shouldn’t really come as a surprise. But at the same time, that depends on who you talk to.
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That is not to say that the MLS All-Stars of 2011 had only as much talent as the snarky, Los Angeles Galaxy’s Open Cup nightmare that is the Carolina RailHawks of the NASL. They had aces, lots of it. The names included Landon Donovan (who was injured and could not play and whose absence effectively made this contest noncompetitive before it even began), Thierry Henry, David Beckham, Shalrie Joseph, Geoff Cameron, Chris Wondolowski, Juan Agudelo, Omar Bravo, Osvaldo Alonso, Kyle Beckerman, Brad Davis, Omar Cummings and Matt Besler.
Unfortunately, the MLS All-Stars were also managed by Hans Backe. Yes, THAT Hans Backe. And if you’ve been following our wonderful league, you should already know by now how Hans Backe’s stay in MLS turned out. In fact, here’s a hot take for you: I put the likes of Felix Magath, of all gaffers, in a more positive light than Backe, whose game management for this was completely unremarkable, if downright vile.
Even more vile is this: Manchester United were big spenders. And this time, they had Wayne Rooney in the lineup. Boom, game over. And most of the players from the last All-Star Game were back…and some. Ba-boom, boom. Double game over.
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Notable faces aside from Rooney (whose brother John also played with the New York Red Bulls for a time) for Manchester United included Michael Owen, Dimitar Berbatov, Rio Ferdinand, Patrice Evra, Darren Fletcher, Ashley Young, Danny Welbeck, Tom Cleverley, Anderson, Michael Carrick, Javier “Chicharito” Hernandez (can’t forget about El Chicharito), Federico Macheda (the hero from last year), Jonny Evans, Nani, Ryan Giggs, Nemanja Vidic, Antonio Valencia, Chris Smalling, and Park Ji-Sung, who would be named Man of the Match.
Goals from Anderson (20′), Park (45′), Berbatov (52′) and Welbeck (68′) powered Man United in a match that was sure to add fuel to the fire in the case against the league, purported by so-called Eurosnobs whose interest in promoting and supporting the growth and progress of MLS…is tenuous at best. This game was, without a doubt, the worst performance by an MLS All-Star side in history, but the silver lining to this sad, sobering tale at Red Bull Arena is that when it comes to sizing up against the best in MLS, or the MLS, as some pundits call it…Chelsea are no Man United.
We’ll take a look at the Blues’s next chance to be inspired by their more…endowed rivals up north and rub salt in the wounds of the league for a record fourth straight year in our next installment of reflections of the MLS All-Star Games, here on the MLS Multiplex. You don’t want to miss this. Please don’t, please?