ASGs might have lost some of their prestige, but for MLS All-Stars, being selected still comes with pride and opportunity
AUSTIN, Texas – The first thing Gio Saverese remembers is the noise. There were nearly 80,000 fans at Giants Stadium on July 15, 1996, when the then-MetroStars forward took the field in the 42nd minute. It was the first MLS All Star Game. And the crowd was into it.
"As soon as they said my name there was a big clap," he recalled.
Saverese rewarded the fans. He scored a crucial second goal to equalize for the Eastern Conference against their Western counterparts. Steve Pittman buried the winner with two minutes to go. Saverese's team had done it.
Back then, the win meant a lot. Major League Soccer was still in its infancy. The ASG, back then, was a mimicry of the kind of thing the NBA, NFL and MLB did every year. This was an honor to be selected, an honor to play in, and a must win game – especially once the competition got going.
"Your DNA always gets competitive, yeah. And the more that you're in the game, the more that you want to do well. And then it gets a little bit choppy," Saverese said.
Fast-forward 30 years, and it's different. MLS had tweaked the format over the years, going from East-West faceoffs to clashes against European teams, to, more recently, matchups with the best Liga MX has to offer. And now, although the format has struggled for consistency, players maintain that the significance of being named an All Star isn't lost.
"It's an honor," Cincinnatti FC's Evander said. "It says that all you've been doing all season is working. You've been selected to play among the best players in the league, and that really means something."
GettyThe early days
That first fixture was a wonderful act in brand building. MLS designed it cleverly. They made the ASG part of a high-profile doubleheader. First, was the East vs West. After that, came Brazil's national team against the rest of the world.
That fixture featured some ridiculous names. Roberto Carlos, Rivaldo and a teenager named Ronaldo Nazario all played for the Selecao. The "rest of the world XI" didn't do too badly either, fielding Marcel Desailly, Lothar Matthaus, Jurgen Klinsmann, and reigning Ballon d'Or winner George Weah. Brazil won, 2-1. Saverese, just a year removed from playing for the Long Island Roughriders, was starstruck.
"In the locker room, being with the Brazilian players, was a great experience," he said.
In the years since, the specifics of the fixture have changed. In 1998, "MLS USA" played against "MLS World" (the Americans battered them, 6-1.) A return to the East-West format in 1999 brought a hectic, back-and-forth 6-4 West win. The 2001 iteration yielded a 6-6 draw – and no penalty shootout to decide a winner.
Then, they flirted with a European era. Fulham, Chelsea, Celtic, West Ham, Man United, Roma, Bayern Munich, Tottenham, Arsenal, Atletico Madrid, Real Madrid and Juventus all, at some point, faced off against North America's best.
And MLS competed. They beat Chelsea and Bayern, and lost narrowly to Juventus. And even in defeat, things were always respectable.
"I think everybody disrespects America. So they disrespect MLS, in my opinion. I wanted to go and show like, there are players here. We can play. We can hang with you guys, even if we lose, make it respectable," Bradley Wright-Phillips said.
AdvertisementGettyFor the Americans
In 2024, though, the MLS-Liga MX format was resurrected. And it worked – even if MLS were handily seen off, 4-1. But it brought back a rivalry that American soccer, and MLS at large, has tried to cultivate.
"I like going up against Mexico. I feel like it's more country versus country. The U.S.-Mexico rivalry has been going on for so long. It's a strong rivalry. It brings all of MLS together, instead of dividing into two," Orlando City's Alex Freeman, a first time All Star, said.
It's something of a trend among the younger players getting their first taste of MLS action – especially those who have broken into the USMNT setup under Mauricio Pochettino.
"It is cool to kind of play against the Mexican League, just because I think it makes it a bit more competitive for us, because we're representing the whole league, and they're representing their league," Max Arfsten said.
It has been a recognizable trend for some time. MLS has pushed hard to reinforce the rivalry. The Leagues Cup has been tinkered with on numerous occasions. This year, the competition has been outright reinvented, with 93 percent of the games set to be played between MLS and Liga MX teams up until the final. The ASG, then, is part of a movement.
Anne-Marie Sorvin-Imagn Images'They don't have this in the UK'
The European view, though, is slightly different. There are always going to be differences between the European and American game. MLS exists in its own universe, in a different country, in a soccer culture that is still evolving. For those who have come from Europe, there's almost a charm to an ASG.
It was something that Wright-Phillips experienced when he came to the league in 2013.
"I didn't understand it. I wasn't used to the American theatrics. So I didn't care about it, but as soon as I got called into it. I was positive, really, it lets you know that you are like the best in your position," he told GOAL.
That perception has stayed remained.
"They don't have this in the UK, in Scandinavia," Chicago Fire midfielder Philip Zinckernagel said. "But it's awesome. It's fun to go out and train with the best players, see some of the guys. It's just good days."
For some, it's an honor previously they knew nothing about.
"At first I didn't know what it was. I don't know what it brings, what I have to do, and now I know, and now I'm really happy and thankful," Marco Palisic of Orlando City said.
Others have just seen it as something to look forward to.
"As a European player, you don't normally see things like this, wherever you play in Europe. But in MLS, it's nice. And I'm just looking forward to it," San Diego winger Anders Dreyer said.
There is perhaps a sense, too, that this could work in Europe – even if that means removing a certain sense of snobbery.
"Having it in Germany would be cool. It's so competitive, like it's a religion for a lot of fans. I think having an event where it's more about entertainment and fun. A skills challenge, you know, could be a cool thing to have in Germany," Nashville attacking midfielder Hany Mukhtar said.
Getty Images Sport'I hope he can be there'
Still, there has been some reluctance from some of the bigger names in the league to participate over the years. Zlatan Ibrahimovic made waves in 2018 by electing not to play in the game. The striker had played three times in nine days before choosing to sit out the league's hallmark fixture. He was suspended for the next game – and made his feelings clear on the league's decision.
"I think it is ridiculous, but yeah, no comments. They do whatever they want. I come from a different world, I come from the real world. It is what it is. I respect in the end, and I'm sorry for my teammates only that I could not help them in the game," he said. "But yeah, people are interested in different things. They lose on it, and for me it doesn't matter."
There have been similar concerns this year. Lionel Messi was selected for the team, but did not report to training for the first two days ahead of the game. His Inter Miami teammate Jordi Alba was also a no-show. Head coach Nico Estevez admitted that he didn't know if the eight-time Ballon d'Or winner would be available for selection or not.
"That’s a question for his club. I just coach and use the players I’m given. I hope so – I’m very optimistic and I hope he can be there," he said on Monday.