Liga MX All-Stars 1 vs 2 MLS All-Stars summary: stats and highlights
The MLS All-Stars take bragging rights from Minnesota after beating the Liga MX All-Stars in a mid-summer spectacle from Allianz Field. Carlos Vela put the MLS side up early in the first half to set the tone for the hosts.
A not so friendly friendly
It was a friendly had pride on the line as the US league and the Mexican league added to the rivalry of the USA and Mexico that has been boiling over the last decades. The MLS got the opening win of the series last year when Ricardo Pepi banged home the winning penalty after the teams ended 1-1 after 90 minutes.
Fittingly, the man from Mexico, Carlos Vela, was the one who broke the game wide open in the second minute when his LAFC teammate Diego Palacios found the former Real Sociedad man on the back post for the header past Camilo Vargas.
Liga MX would respond, taking initiative shortly after the goal, but found no joy in their efforts to equalize throughout the first half. At halftime the All-Stars from the Mexican league had nine shots on target to the MLS’ three, but Luis Quiñonez and Julio Furch came up empty with every chance they had.
Ruidiaz and Vela bring it home for MLS
As always, the All-Star match was loaded with substitutions and in the second half both sides took time to find their rhythm out of the dressing room. Liga MX started to press a bit, but it was the MLS who doubled the advantage after Carlos Gil was tripped in the box by Jesus Angulo. Seattle Sounder triggerman Raul Ruidiaz stepped to the spot and buried the penalty to double the lead in the 73rd minute.
Mexico threw caution to the wind in the final 20 minutes hoping to level up the match. Kevin Alvarez had a screamer of a goal in the 84th minute as he laced a strike into the side netting beating Sean Johnson to make the final minutes from Minneapolis tense.
In the end the MLS All-Stars closed the deal and made it a second straight win over the top stars of the Mexican league, taking bragging rights for another year.
A wonderstrike from Alvarez in the 84th made for a dramtic finish from Allianz Field, but the MLS All-Stars were able to hold on to make it a second straight win over their rivals from the south.
Ruidiaz going with power and presicion to double the advantage after Gil was tripped in the box by Angulo.
Dinenno's header was headed for the back of the net, but home town hero Dayne St. Clair was up to the task and pushed the effort wide.
The LA connection as Palacios hits Vela on the back post for the opener in the second minute.
It's all over from Allianz Field!!! The MLS makes it two in a row thanks to Carlos Vela's early goal and Ruidiaz's penalty sealed the deal in the second half.
Beterame on the end line tried to send one across the small area but Johnson was there to extinguish the danger.
Four more minutes to come here from Minnesota. Time is running out, the Mexican's need to thrown caution to the wind to try for an equalizer.
Corner kick for Liga MX, but it comes to nothing. Three more minutes of regulation.
GOALZOOOO FROM ALVAREZ!!!! He took one touch to settle on his right foot and fired a missle into the side of the net.
Alvarez skies one over the crossbar from outside the area. Mexico continute to lurk around the MLS goal, but haven't been able to produce anything too dangerous.
Chavez got a look at goal, but is was a comfortable save from Johnson.
RUIDIAZ STEPS TO THE SPOT AND TUCKS IT HOME, FIRING THE PENALTY INTO THE LOW RIGHT CORNER!!!
Gil goes down in the box after taking a touch around a defender and the ref points to the spot. It was a bit sloppy from Gil, but he regained control and Angulo got a piece of him.
We haven't seen much from either team over the last 10 minutes, but the MLS hasbarley had the ball in the attacking half since the Arriola goal was taken off the board for offside.
Vega sends it into the 20th row off of a long range strike from over 30 yards away.
The pace of play has slowed a bit as both teams are battling in the middle third of the pitch
Chavez at the top of the box tried to find the target through a bundle of bodies in the area. The MLS did a good job shutting down the angle for the deflection on the shot.
Dinenno with a fantastic chance. He makes a run into the box and was played a perfect ball right in strid and the one touch effort went screaming just wide of target.
Vazquez finds Arriola who tucked it home but the flag went up on Vazquez's run to the end line
Berterame fires a shot just wide of the target from outside the area. Plenty of pace on the effort that struck the side netting.
Completely different looks to both of these sides with all the halftime subs. It could take a bit to get into the flow of the match.
The second half is underway from Minnesota. Will the MLS hold off the Liga MX All-Stars? Or wil the Mexicans get revenge in the second half?
Loads of changes being made for both sides, as we get set for the second half.
Dinenno testing St. Claire shortly after the Minnesota keeper came on as a sub.
Great ball across the face of goal from Escobar looking for Furch on the back post.
Liga MX looked to respond with Furch, but he couldn't keep the effort down with his head.
Carlos Vela, the Mexican, giving the MLS the 1-0 lead that they take into the halftime break.
That will end the first half. The MLS All-Stars got on the board early courtesy of an early goal from Carlos Vela.
Two minutes of stoppage time will be added to the first half.
What a save from St. Claire who was up to the task after a brilliant header from Dinenno. The rebound chance from Hurtado was cut out by Palacios. Liga MX have 9 shots on goal to the MLS side's 3.
Lob over the top from Reynoso to Morris was a touch too heavy, but that could have been dangerous
Dinenno goes under the wall, and the shot did just get clipped by a defender, but the deflection falls into the hands of St. Clair.
Silly challenge from Palacios on Hurtado who's back was turned to goal and that will leave a juicy free kick for Dinenno.
Dinenno with a nasty chanllenge from behind on Nagbe, and that will give yo a glimpse of just how friendly this match is.
The second save was a bit tought for St. Clair as Quiñones laces one on goal.
Easy ball taken by the freshly introduced substitute St. Claire who is the hometown keeper for Minnesota FC.
Mukthar is on for Drussi and Vela's night has come to and end, but not before he got the opener in the second minute.
Furch takes possession over in a dangerous area and played a ball across the top of the box for Beltran, but Beltran sent the one time shot across the face of goal and wide.
Araujo looking for Vela on a perfectly timed run behind the defenders, but the ball was too strong and fell for Vargas.
Hurtado's corner kick doesn't get past the first defender on the front post and the MLS is hold strong in defense.
Palacios, this time taking it into the box all on his own and almost gets through the three defenders that stood in front of him.
Quiñones with a bit of individual brilliance turning the defender back and forth, and he let an strike go from distance that need to be saved from Blake, who finger tipped the shot over the endline.
We haven't heard a whole lot from Chicharito 23 minutes into this match. He has the quality to double the lead in an instant, but he is still finding his feet in this match.
Beltran finds Escobar on a through ball to the touch line and Escobar sprays it right across the face of goal, but Furch was a step slow in getting to the back post ball.
Blake was caught off guard after a ball from the left side looked as though it was going to be cleared by Zimmerman, but the defender let it go, and Blake had to be quick with his reactions.
Palacios finds MIller on a wonderful slip pass from the middle third of the pitch. Miller had a great touch to tee himself up for the shot on his left foot, but blistered it just wide of the near post.
Furch with another chance, this time from a bit farther from goal, but the glancing header goes wide of targer.
Quiñones breaking through the defense with his pace but was put off just enough from Miller to spare the forward to geting a touch on goal.
Escobar with a lovely one hopper to Furch, but he couldn't keep the header down. Great push forward from Liga MX in their first venture up the pitch.
Furch clears the danger, but only just. Miller was waiting on the back post for the ball sent in from Reynoso. He couldn't steer it on target, and Mexico gets away with one there
The MLS has taken control of possession since the goal and will get their first corner of the match nine minutes in.
It didn't take long for the LAFC teammates to connect for the first goal of the match.
Well that should break this match wide open. An early goal always has a way of changing the tactics and allowing a bit more free flowing play from both sides.
Get ready from a show from Minnesota.
VELA WITH THE OPENER JUST TWO MINUTES IN!!! The Mexican scores against the league he grew up watching!!! Fantastic ball from the left side of the area from Palacios to find his teammate Vela on the back post. Vela with a cool header which Vargas never had a chance at.
Ball into the box very early on and the MLS back line scrambling to clear their lines, but finally do after some nervy moments to start.
We are underway from Minnesota!!! Will the MLS side take this All-Star game for the second straight year, or will it be Mexico getting revenge?
I'm sure you're ready for the match, but if not here's your wake up call courtesy of Chicharito.
We are just over 10 minutes away from kickoff from St. Paul Minnesota. Both national anthems are coming up shortly.
This is Coach Adrian Heath's starting 11 from Minnesota tonight.
Chicharito on the MLS-Liga MX rivalry
Chicharito didn’t side with one league or the other when asked about the MLS catching up to the level of Liga MX, but he did say, “Just to put an example, growth is something that takes time to develop, and it takes time to accept sometimes in the mindset or in the minds of a lot of people. Yeah, that's evolution and that's part of life that a lot of things are evolving, and you need to adapt and you need to accept that competition is something that makes you better. You don't need to feel threatened by it. You need to feel it's something that's going to make you better and better and better.”
MLS All-Star Opponents
This is the second straight year that the MLS side and the Liga MX side will meet. Before that the MLS All-Star game attracted some of the biggest clubs in the world. Chelsea and Manchester United are the only teams that have played in the All-Star game twice. Rreal Madrid, Arsenal, Juventus Atlitco Madrid, Bayern Munich and Tottenham are among the other European giants that have taken on the top talent in the MLS.
Legends of Mexico representing MLS tonight
The MLS side will have the help of two legends of the Mexico national side tonight as Chicharito and Carlos Vela suit up for the the All-Stars from north of the border. Before playing for clubs like Manchester United and Real Madrid, Chicharito started his career at Guadalajara. Vela started his career at Guadalajara as well, but left for Arsenal when he was just 17, and has never returned to play in the Liga MX. Vela has 72 caps and 19 goals for El Tri, while Chicharito has 109 caps and 52 goals with the national team.
Stars of the MLS All-Star side
Adrain Heath will be on a very similar sideline for his first All-Star game as coach of the MLS superteam. In the stadium he calls home, he will have Red Bulls defender Aaron Long, Inter Miami’s Deandre Yeldin, LAFC’s Carlos Vela and Chicharito from the LA Galaxy.
The stage is set at Allianz Field. The pitch is presitne on a perfect summer day in St. Paul.
Mexican superstars taking the stage tonight
Coach Cocca gets the distinction of managing this star studded side after being named the Best Head Coach in the Liga MX Balon D’Or awards. He has a 26 man side with names like Fernando Beltran of Guadalajara, young gun Santiago Gimenez of Cruz Azul , and former Manchester City players, Uriel Antuna and Carlos Acevedo. The Mexican side will however be without Leon’s Willian Tesillo and Andre-Pierre Gignac of Tigers
Series record
This is the second match up between these two star studded sides. The first match up between the Mexican league’s best and the the Major League Soccer’s top stars came last year from Los Angeles California. That match was played to a 1-1 draw with goals from Johnathan Rodriguez of Liga MX in the 20th minute and Jesus Murillo of the MLS in the 53rd. It came down to a shootout, and it was 18 year old Ricard Pepi who sealed the deal from the spot to hand the MLS the inaugural win.
Mexico vs. USA rivalry through the years
The USA and Mexico international teams have always had a fierce rivalry for supremacy in the CONCACAF region. Mexico holds the edge over the US side 35-16-22, and for a long time were considered the powerhouse at the international level, and the standard at the club level. Now that disparity has leveled out, and the little brothers of CONCACAF are not just drawing level or superseding El Tri, but the MLS has closed the gap.
We are live from Minneapolis
Hello everyone and welcome to Minnesota for the MLS All-Star game. Tonight to best stars from the two top leagues in CONCACAF battle for bragging rights. This is the second straight year these two teams will square off as this looks match looks as though it’s going to turn into a yearly tradition. Tonight the Allianz Field will be packed out as hometown coach Adrian Heath and Atlas’ coach Diego Cocca lead their teams from the sidelines tonight.
MLS All-Stars vs. Liga Mx All-Stars
It’s the 26th edition of the MLS All-Star game and tonight we have a regional rivalry of two intercontinental enemies in this friendly that is surely will be far from friendly. AS English will be bringing live coverage, stats, scores and highlights of tonight’s superstar showdown from Allianz Field.