By Ian Wharton
Headling the 26th Major League Soccer All-Star game, the MLS All-Star takes on Liga MX All-Star at Minnesota’s Allianz Field on Wednesday.
In years past, the best players from the MLS Eastern and Western conferences clashed, before several European giants provided the MLS team’s opposition, but since last year America’s top talents have faced down their Mexican cousins from across the border.
Match preview
As the latest phase in a long history of meetings between the United States and Mexico, the All-Star game between MLS and Liga MX brings together CONCACAF’s soccer superpowers to battle it out for glory.
While the two national teams share one of football’s most intense rivalries, the Mexican league has been around nearly 50 years longer than its younger counterpart, but the latter has managed to close the gap fairly quickly.
Once dominant in the region, Liga MX no longer enjoys supremacy in the North American club game, and MLS sides have become more competitive since the inception of the CONCACAF Champions League, which sees clubs from either side of the divide meet on a regular basis.
This year’s MLS selection sees 26 players representing the United States’ top flight, with 16 of the 28 clubs providing at least one player to a squad overseen by Minnesota United manager Adrian Heath.
The former Everton striker leads a selection including New York Red Bulls defender Aaron Long, Inter Miami’s DeAndre Yedlin and Mexican forward Carlos Vela, who features in his fourth All-Star Game after previously playing in 2018, 2019 and 2021.
Also coming up against his fellow countrymen will be former Real Madrid striker Javier Hernandez, who captains the MLS All-Stars after winning a fan vote on social media.
‘Chicharito’ started his club career at C.D. Guadalajara, having worked his way through the Chivas youth system, but is now one of the faces of MLS, having spent several years with LA Galaxy.
This week, he faces a 26-man Liga MX squad featuring 13 selections made by Atlas FC’s Diego Cocca, who will manage the Mexican side after being named ‘Best Head Coach’ at the league’s Balon de Oro awards.
Included in Cocca’s lineup will be numerous Mexico internationals, such as Guadalajara’s Fernando Beltran, former Manchester City winger Uriel Antuna and goalkeeper Carlos Acevedo.
This will be Liga-MX’s second shot at the All-Star game, following a close contest last year. On that occasion, the visitors were beaten 3-2 on penalties by the MLS side, following a 1-1 draw at Banc of California Stadium in Los Angeles.
Team News
Adrian Heath has the headache of selecting a starting XI from the best talent MLS has to offer, but is sure to pick elected skipper Javier Hernandez up front.
Nonetheless, Chicharito faces plenty of competition for playing time, as Seattle Sounders striker Jordan Morris earned his debut All-Star call-up after helping his club become the first American winners of the CONCACAF Champions League, and he is joined in the squad by clubmate Raul Ruidiaz.
New York City forward Valentin Castellanos has joined La Liga side Girona on loan since his initial selection and was recently replaced by Cincinnati’s Brandon Vazquez. Alexander Callens (also NYCFC) is ruled out by injury, so Jakob Glesnes of Philadelphia Union comes in to provide cover at center-back.
Liga-MX coach Diego Cocca will be without Willian Tesillo of Leon and French forward Andre-Pierre Gignac (Tigres), who were both originally selected to participate but have since withdrawn.
The pair were replaced by Matheus Doria and Juan Dinenno, but the former has since also picked up an injury. Meanwhile, the visitors’ captain will be Atlas goalkeeper Camilo Vargas.
MLS All-Stars possible starting lineup:
Johnson; Yedlin, Miller, Long, Wagner; Reynoso, Sanchez; Vela, Acosta, Ruidiaz; Hernandez
Liga MX All-Stars possible starting lineup:
Vargas; Alvarez, Lopez, Nervo, J. Angulo; Beltran, Lira, Fidalgo; Antuna, Furch, Vega
Our Detailed Prediction
The best of the best from both sides will be on the pitch, and the focus will be on the offensive half rather than on the defensive half.
Mexico native Javier Hernández will captain the MLS squad and lead an offensive attack that features Sebastián Driussi, Brandon Vazquez, and Hany Mukhtar – three of the top scorers in the MLS.
For the Liga MX squad, Germán Berterame leads the offensive attack. But the MLS All-Stars have more firepower than the Liga MX All-Stars, so Liga MX will need to overcompensate on the offensive front to stay in contention with MLS. Luckily for them, goalkeeper Camilo Vargas is the captain, so he should keep the offensive attack to a minimum.
Neither team will pull away
Last year’s MLS All-Star Game ended in a 1-1 draw, as it was tightly contested throughout. Liga MX struck first in the 20th minute, and the MLS All-Stars evened it up in the 53rd minute.
The possession time in that match was 51.7% to 48.3% in favor of Liga MX, and they led in duels won 60-59, while the MLS had more shots (15-13), corners (6-4), and clearances (17-11).
This year’s contest shouldn’t be any different, even though the MLS All-Stars sport a better squad.
Count on another shootout
Due to the nature of this match being tight and the high level of play on both sides, the MLS All-Star Game very well could end in a penalty shootout for the second straight year.
The game ended 1-1 last year, in which the MLS All-Stars won the penalty shootout, 3-2. Unlike traditional matches where there is extra time before a penalty shootout, the MLS All-Star Game goes right into it after the 90 minutes are completed.
It’s always more exciting when matches go into a penalty shootout, and the MLS All-Star Game will be no different.
Final Bets
MLS wins
Over 2.5 Goals
With perhaps more individual quality on their side – including two of Mexico’s recent national team mainstays – the MLS All-Stars are set to retain the trophy against their less heralded opponents from south of the border.
