PORTLAND, Ore. – By the time the MLS All-Star game rolls around Wednesday night, MLS head coach Caleb Porter will have had two training sessions with his All-Stars.
Yes, just two practices to prepare for Bundesliga champion Bayern Munich.
Porter is hoping his side has some fast learners.
“It’s a celebration of these players, their careers,” said Porter, head coach of the host Portland Timbers. “Hopefully, we can make it a competitive game and try to make it exciting with a lot of good attacking players.”
Ultimately, the game is an exhibition, and Porter said his main job – besides putting on a good show – is to return the players to their teams with no injuries.
The All-Star game is part of a summer exhibition tour for Bayern Munich, which hasn’t visited the United States in a decade. The team defeated Chivas Guadalajara 1-0 last Thursday night at Red Bull Arena in New Jersey.
Winner of 19 consecutive matches at one point last season, Bayern Munich brings six players from the German national team that won the World Cup this summer, including Mario Goetze and Thomas Mueller. But head coach Pep Guardiola said not to expect them to play more than about 15 minutes apiece.
The MLS team also will include several players from the U.S. World Cup team that advanced out of the group stage in Brazil, including Toronto’s Michael Bradley and Seattle’s Clint Dempsey.
“We just played against these players on the biggest stage in the world. I think in the past, the All-Star teams have had only a few days to come together, but it’s a little bit different this year, because most of us are used to playing together on the national team,” said Real Salt Lake goalkeeper Nick Rimando, who also was on the U.S. national team.
The MLS All-Stars hope to have six players from the U.S. team on the available roster. On Tuesday, midfielder Kyle Beckerman of Real Salt Lake had to withdraw because of an unspecified injury.
Omar Gonzalez and Robbie Keane of the L.A. Galaxy both made the team but also had to bow out. The Galaxy did send forward Landon Donovan, who is appearing in his MLS record 14th All-Star game.
A player to watch on Bayern Munich’s side is 19-year-old Julian Green, who played for the United States in Brazil and became the youngest American player to score in the World Cup with a goal against Belgium.
Green, who was born in Florida but grew up in Germany, has dual citizenship. With Bayern Munich since 2010, Green is vying to make his debut with the club’s senior side this season. He’ll likely see more play than Bayern’s other World Cup stars.
“He’s going to play a little bit more – for the fans, for the girls,” Guardiola said with a smile.
Last year, Italian powerhouse AS Roma, led by longtime star Francesco Totti, defeated the MLS All-Stars 3-1 in Kansas City. The Galaxy’s Gonzalez scored the only goal for the MLS side in second-half stoppage time.
Bradley was on Roma’s side for that match.
The MLS is 7-3-1 against international opponents since the league adopted the current All-Star game format, the only losses coming to English Premier League club Manchester United and Roma.
“The best thing you can do is keep it simple.” Porter said. “I want these players to go back to their clubs healthy.”
MLS Homegrowns play Timbers to a scoreless draw
PORTLAND, Ore. – Steven Evans got the biggest cheers Monday night at the inaugural MLS Homegrown Game.
Evans grew up in Portland and was on the Timbers’ U23 team before playing at the University of Portland. After college, he signed with the Timbers as the team’s second homegrown player.
He served as captain of the group of players who, like him, came from the MLS program to develop and keep young talent. They played the Timbers’ U23 team to a 0-0 draw.
The event, sponsored by Chipotle, was part of the MLS All-Star festivities. The All-Star game is scheduled for Wednesday night at Portland’s downtown Providence Park.
The homegrown players had just 24 hours and a walkthrough to prepare. But the idea was to give the league’s young stars a showcase.
“It was a tough thing to do, because I played with some of them (the Timbers). So I had to keep that in mind and just look for the white jerseys (Monday night),” said Evans, who currently is on loan to the Sacramento Republic of the USL.
Portland’s Andy Thoma challenged homegrown goalkeeper Jon Kempin of Sporting KC in the 52nd minute, but the shot went wide right. Miguel Aguilar looked to have another good shot at beating Kempin in the 61st minute, but it also sailed wide.
Kempin, who played the second half, was named MVP of the match.
“It was a lot of fun,” said Kempin, a member of the U.S. national U20 team. “It’s always good to get 45 minutes, and it turned out to be a competitive match.”
The Timbers’ U23 team just wrapped up its PDL season with a 5-4-5 record. The team has produced 16 players who have gone on to MLS clubs, including Evans.
Homegrown players can be signed to a professional contract to the team that developed him without having to go through the draft process.
Homegrown head coach Alfonso Mondelo, the MLS director of player programs, said he hopes that a showcase game for young players will continue to be part of the All-Star festivities.
“I thought it was entertaining,” he said. “The only thing that was missing was the goals.”
MLS kicks
Real Salt Lake and U.S. World Cup team midfielder Kyle Beckerman pulled out of the MLS All-Star game because of an unspecified injury. He was replaced Tuesday with Portland Timbers defender Liam Ridgewell for Wednesday night’s match against Bundesliga champion Bayern Munich at Providence Park.
