2021 MLS All-Star Game
Target All-Star Los Angeles '21
Event2021 Major League Soccer season
MLS All-Stars Liga MX All-Stars
United States Canada Mexico
1 1
MLS All-Stars won 3–2 on penalties
DateAugust 25, 2021
VenueBanc of California Stadium, Los Angeles, California
Most Valuable PlayerMatt Turner
(MLS All-Stars)
RefereeArmando Villarreal (United States)
Attendance21,000

The 2021 Major League Soccer All-Star Game was the 25th edition of the annual Major League Soccer All-Star Game, an exhibition soccer match in the United States. The game, featuring the MLS All-Stars taking on the Liga MX All-Stars, was played at Banc of California Stadium in Los Angeles, California.[1]

The game was originally scheduled to take place on July 29, 2020, during the 2020 season, but was postponed on May 19, 2021, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The game was televised domestically on Fox Sports 1 and Univision in the United States, and on TSN and TVA Sports in Canada.

The MLS All-Stars won the match 3–2 on penalties after the 90 minute-match ended in a 1–1 tie.

Match planning

The Major League Soccer All-Star Game originally fielded two all-star teams from the Western and Eastern conferences. Other competition formats pitted an all-star team against various opponents, including the United States men's national soccer team and clubs from Mexico and Europe.[2] An exhibition between the MLS All-Stars and an all-star team from Liga MX, the top flight of Mexican soccer, was proposed in the mid-2010s as part of a closer relationship between the leagues.[3] Officials from MLS and Liga MX announced a new partnership in March 2018, including new club competitions like the Campeones Cup and Leagues Cup, and a commitment for a shared all-star game.[4][5] Liga MX president Enrique Bonilla attended the 2018 MLS All-Star Game in Atlanta with MLS commissioner Don Garber, where they continued discussions for the match, including a potential venue in the Los Angeles area.[6]

On November 20, 2019, MLS officially announced that the 2020 All-Star Game would be played against the Liga MX All-Stars at Banc of California Stadium, the home of Los Angeles FC. It is the first to be played against an all-star team from another league.[7] LAFC head coach Bob Bradley was selected as the manager of the MLS All-Star team.[7] It is the first MLS All-Star Game to be played in the Los Angeles area since 2003, which was hosted by the LA Galaxy at the Home Depot Center, now known as Dignity Health Sports Park.[7][2]

On May 19, 2020, MLS announced that the All-Star Game would be canceled alongside the 2020 Leagues Cup and 2020 Campeones Cup due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[8] The league later announced that the All-Star Game would be rescheduled for the 2021 season in Los Angeles, with the MLS All-Stars against the Liga MX All-Stars.[9] The league announced on June 9, 2021, that the All-Star Game against Liga MX would be played on August 25 at Banc of California Stadium.[10]

Squads

MLS All-Stars

The MLS All-Star squad was announced on August 4, 2021. Carlos Vela and Javier Hernández withdrew due to injury. New England players Carles Gil and Tajon Buchanan withdrew as well as Minnesota United midfielder Emanuel Reynoso. Rodolfo Pizarro, George Bello, and Sebastian Lletget were added as replacements.[11]

Six members of the starting XI were selected from Seattle Sounders FC, tying the record set by D.C. United in 2006. Brothers Cristian Roldan and Alex Roldan also became the first brothers to play for the All-Star team.[12]

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player
1 GK Peru PER Pedro Gallese (Orlando City SC)
2 DF United States USA Julian Araujo (LA Galaxy)
3 DF United States USA George Bello (Atlanta United FC)
5 DF Cameroon CMR Nouhou (Seattle Sounders FC)
6 MF Brazil BRA João Paulo (Seattle Sounders FC)
7 FW Argentina ARG Gustavo Bou (New England Revolution)
8 MF Croatia CRO Damir Kreilach (Real Salt Lake)
9 FW Peru PER Raúl Ruidíaz (Seattle Sounders FC)
11 MF Argentina ARG Lucas Zelarayán (Columbus Crew)
12 DF United States USA Miles Robinson (Atlanta United FC)
13 DF El Salvador SLV Alex Roldan (Seattle Sounders FC)
15 MF Mexico MEX Rodolfo Pizarro (Inter Miami CF)
16 DF United States USA James Sands (New York City FC)
17 FW Portugal POR Nani (Orlando City SC)
No. Pos. Nation Player
18 MF United States USA Sebastian Lletget (LA Galaxy)
19 FW Hungary HUN Dániel Sallói (Sporting Kansas City)
20 MF Colombia COL Eduard Atuesta (Los Angeles FC)
21 FW Uruguay URU Diego Rossi (Los Angeles FC)
23 MF United States USA Cristian Roldan (Seattle Sounders FC)
24 FW United States USA Ricardo Pepi (FC Dallas)
25 DF United States USA Walker Zimmerman (Nashville SC)
26 GK Jamaica JAM Andre Blake (Philadelphia Union)
27 DF Germany GER Kai Wagner (Philadelphia Union)
28 DF Colombia COL Yeimar Gómez Andrade (Seattle Sounders FC)
30 GK United States USA Matt Turner (New England Revolution)
44 FW United States USA Cade Cowell (San Jose Earthquakes)
94 DF Colombia COL Jesús David Murillo (Los Angeles FC)

Liga MX All-Stars

The Liga MX All-Star squad was announced on July 19, 2021. Nahuel Guzmán and Jorge Sánchez were called up as replacements for José de Jesús Corona and Fernando Navarro who withdrew due to injury.[13] On August 23, the final squad was announced with 10 new players added.[14]

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player
1 GK Argentina ARG Nahuel Guzmán (UANL)
2 DF Brazil BRA Dória (Santos Laguna)
3 DF Mexico MEX Jorge Sánchez (América)
4 DF Mexico MEX César Montes (Monterrey)
5 MF Peru PER Pedro Aquino (América)
6 DF Colombia COL William Tesillo (León)
7 FW Mexico MEX Rogelio Funes Mori (Monterrey)
8 MF Mexico MEX Orbelín Pineda (Cruz Azul)
9 FW Argentina ARG Nicolás Ibáñez (Pachuca)
10 MF Mexico MEX Alexis Vega (Guadalajara)
11 MF Uruguay URU Fernando Gorriarán (Santos Laguna)
12 GK Mexico MEX Alfredo Talavera (UNAM)
13 GK Mexico MEX Guillermo Ochoa (América)
14 MF Argentina ARG Rubens Sambueza (Toluca)
No. Pos. Nation Player
15 MF Ecuador ECU Ángel Mena (León)
16 MF Mexico MEX Javier Salas (Puebla)
17 DF Mexico MEX Kevin Álvarez Campos (Pachuca)
18 MF Mexico MEX Érik Lira (UNAM)
19 MF Chile CHI Diego Valdés (Santos Laguna)
21 FW Uruguay URU Jonathan Rodríguez (Cruz Azul)
23 DF Paraguay PAR Pablo Aguilar (Cruz Azul)
24 DF Paraguay PAR Juan Escobar (Cruz Azul)
25 FW Argentina ARG Alexis Canelo (Toluca)
26 DF Mexico MEX Salvador Reyes (América)
27 MF Mexico MEX Luis Romo (Cruz Azul)
29 FW Mexico MEX Santiago Giménez (Cruz Azul)
34 DF Mexico MEX Víctor Guzmán (Tijuana)

Skills Challenge

The MLS All-Star Skills Challenge was played on August 24 at Banc of California Park between eight players from each team in five events. The Liga MX All-Stars defeated the MLS All-Stars in the competition by a score of 26–25, with the tiebreaker scored by Cruz Azul forward Jonathan Rodríguez in the Crossbar Challenge.[15][16]

Broadcasting

The All-Star Game and Skills Challenge were both broadcast in the United States on Fox Sports 1 in English and TUDN in Spanish, as well as TSN and TVA Sports in Canada.[17] Fox Sports broadcast the match in 4K HDR and also deployed several special slow-motion cameras for the match, as well as a skycam.[18] The Fox Sports broadcast averaged 175,000 viewers, setting a record low for the event's English broadcasts, while the TUDN broadcast averaged 1.4 million and peaked at 1.6 million—the second-most for a Spanish broadcast of the match.[19][20]

Match

2021 MLS All-Star Game
MLS All-Stars United States Canada1–1Mexico Liga MX All-Stars
Murillo 53' Report Rodríguez 20'
Penalties
 3–2
Attendance: 21,000
MLS All-Stars
Liga MX All-Stars

Match rules

References

  1. ↑ "Banc of California to host 2021 MLS All-Star Game". Los Angeles Times. June 8, 2021. Retrieved June 9, 2021.
  2. 1 2 Baxter, Kevin (November 18, 2019). "MLS All-Stars will play top Liga MX players next summer at Banc of California Stadium". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved November 21, 2019.
  3. ↑ Marshall, Tom (January 4, 2017). "Chivas in finals and an All-Star game with MLS cap Liga MX wish list for 2017". ESPN. Retrieved November 21, 2019.
  4. ↑ Parker, Graham (March 15, 2018). "The MLS-Liga MX partnership could alter soccer's North American trajectory". The Guardian. Retrieved November 21, 2019.
  5. ↑ Creditor, Avi (March 13, 2018). "MLS, Liga MX Join Forces for Campeones Cup, Future All-Star Game". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved November 21, 2019.
  6. ↑ McIntyre, Doug (November 20, 2019). "MLS, Liga MX will square off in 2020 All-Star game in Los Angeles". Yahoo! Sports. Retrieved November 21, 2019.
  7. 1 2 3 "MLS vs. Liga MX: 2020 MLS All-Star Game presented by Target heads to LA". Major League Soccer. November 20, 2019. Retrieved November 21, 2019.
  8. ↑ "Major League Soccer Provides Updates on All-Star Game, Leagues Cup and Campeones Cup" (Press release). Major League Soccer. May 19, 2020. Retrieved May 19, 2020.
  9. ↑ Harris, Jack (May 19, 2020). "MLS cancels All-Star game scheduled to be held in Los Angeles". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved May 19, 2020.
  10. ↑ Bonagura, Kyle (June 9, 2021). "MLS-Liga MX All-Star Game planned for Aug. 25 at LAFC's Banc of California Stadium". ESPN. Retrieved June 9, 2021.
  11. ↑ "Updated 2021 MLS All-Star Team Roster". MLSsoccer.com. Major League Soccer. August 4, 2021. Retrieved August 25, 2021.
  12. ↑ "MLS All-Stars lineup: Roldan brothers make history among 6 Sounders starters vs. Liga MX". MLSsoccer.com. August 25, 2021. Retrieved August 27, 2021.
  13. ↑ Quiroga, Antonio (July 28, 2021). "Liga MX llama a Nahuel y Jorge Sánchez al All-Star Game por jugadores lesionados" [Liga MX calls up Nauhel and Jorge Sánchez to the All-Star Game for injured players] (in Spanish). TUDN. Retrieved August 27, 2021.
  14. ↑ "Updated Liga MX 2021 MLS All-Star Game Roster". MLSsoccer.com. Major League Soccer. July 19, 2021. Retrieved August 25, 2021.
  15. ↑ Baxter, Kevin (August 24, 2021). "MLS All-Star skills competition is not quite a classic, but it's a start". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved August 27, 2021.
  16. ↑ Bogert, Tom (August 24, 2021). "Liga MX All-Stars defeat MLS in 2021 All-Star Skills Challenge pres. by AT&T 5G". MLSsoccer.com. Retrieved August 27, 2021.
  17. ↑ "5 things to know about the 2021 MLS All-Star Game presented by Target". MLSsoccer.com. August 23, 2021. Retrieved August 27, 2021.
  18. ↑ Hernandez, Kristian (August 24, 2021). "MLS All-Star Game 2021: Fox Sports Spotlights League's Summer Jewel With 4K HDR, Pitchside Megalodon". Sports Video Group. Retrieved August 27, 2021.
  19. ↑ Shea, Bill (August 27, 2021). "MLS All-Star Game generated wildly different TV viewerships in English and Spanish". The Athletic. Retrieved August 27, 2021.
  20. ↑ Williams, Bob (August 27, 2021). "MLS All-Star Game generates mixed domestic ratings success". Sports Business. Retrieved August 27, 2021.
  21. ↑ "The complete beginner's guide to the 2017 MLS All-Star Game". MLSsoccer.com. April 11, 2017. Retrieved January 2, 2019.
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