Every year, soccer fans in the US get to watch a one-off game between select soccer stars from various teams and a foreign team. The game is widely advertised and it’s popular within the American soccer community. This one-off game is dubbed the MLS All-Star Game and to learn more about it, simply continue reading this comprehensive guide. The other popular MLS tournament is the MLS Cup Playoffs.
A Brief History of the All-Star Game
The All-Star Game was first played in 1996, the same year that the MLS was founded. This game was inspired by most other sports in the country including the NBA where such All-Star games are played. All-Star games in the U.S. generally see select players from the Western Conference go head-to-head with those from the Eastern Conference. Of course, up for grabs during the match will be bragging rights.
The East-West format wasn’t used for long in the MLS All-Star Game. Rather, the organisers decided to implement various strategies to make the game much more appealing not just to soccer lovers from the U.S. but also to global soccer supporters. Thanks to this, in 1998, the All-Star Game saw a select group of MLS players face off against a select group of American soccer players plying their trade abroad. This carried on until 2002.
In 2002, the MLS All-Star Game organisers decided to romp in a national team to be the opponent. This however didn’t stay as such for long as the following year, it was decided to invite a foreign club rather than a national team. From 2005 to 2019, the MLS All-Star Game pitted America’s top domestic soccer stars against European teams, predominantly those from the English Premier League. This is largely necessitated by the fact that the scheduled dates for the MLS All-Star Game coincide with the preseason preparations for European teams.
The players from the MLS who are chosen to represent the MLS All-Star team are chosen using the following criteria (as of 2014 and onwards):
- 10 players are chosen by the All-Star Game coach
- 2 players are selected by the MLS Commissioner
- 11 players are selected by fans via fan voting
All-Star Game Format
The MLS All-Star Game is just a one-off game that is played between select players from different MLS teams and an invited team. The match uses the standard soccer format that is, it’s played on a permitted soccer field which meets FIFA stipulations and it’s played in 90 minutes. If at the end of the 90 minutes, both teams are still level, the match proceeds straight to the penalty shootout instead of extra time.
Preceding the All-Star Game typically a night before is the Skills Challenge. Introduced in 2018, the Skills Challenge is a freestyle soccer event played by 3 player teams competing against each other in mini-games. These mini-games include a touch and volley goal showcase, a shooting accuracy competition and a passing and shooting challenge.
All-Star Game Schedule
The MLS All-Star Game is typically played in July. At this time, most European leagues will be doing their preseason preparations hence the reason they are the most invited teams to play the All-Star Game.
All-Star Game Prizes
The main reward on offer for teams playing the MLS All-Star Game is the bragging rights. That feeling of becoming the ultimate champions is what makes teams play the All-Star Game at a fast, pulsating and intense pace. Apart from the bragging rights, the teams also share some prize money and receive a trophy on the day to celebrate their triumph. For individual players, there is a Most Valuable Award given to the player who would have impressed the most.
Top Teams in the All-Star Game
A variety of teams have competed in the MLS All-Star Game against select players from the MLS league. In all the matchups that have happened since 1996, the MLS All-Star Select Team has won the most titles on 11 occasions. The two teams which come in a distant tied for second place are Manchester United and Arsenal (both from the English Premier League). Both Manchester United and Arsenal have won the All-Star Game on 2 occasions.
The other teams to have played in the MLS All-Star Game include Everton, Juventus, Roma, Atletico Madrid, Real Madrid, Chelsea, Fulham, Tottenham Hotspur, West Ham United, Bayern Munich, Guadalajara, Celtic, MLS World (U.S. players playing abroad), and the Liga MX All-Stars.
All-Star Game Interesting Facts
- Preceding the All-Star Game is a Skills Challenge where 3 player teams go head to head in various mini-competitions
- From 2005 until 2019, the All-Star Game pitted the All-Star team against a European opponent
- The team earmarked to break the long MLS All-Star Game featuring a European club was the Liga MX All-Star Team in 2020 but unfortunately, that game was suspended owing to the Covid-19 pandemic.