MLS All-Star game trumps other sports in USA
People may argue that soccer still lags behind the other “bigger” sports in America, but one area in which MLS is streets ahead of their competitors is the All-Star game.
Sports like basketball, American football and baseball fail to make their All-Star games competitive, and in American football in particular many of the top players fail to even make an appearance in their sport's showcase game.
NBA All-Star games are normally void of defense with players more interested in showcasing their individual talents rather than playing as a team, while baseball has had to offer the winners home field advantage in the World Series to make their showpiece more competitive.
MLS offers something a little different as the league’s best come together to represent soccer in America against foreign opposition. It gives both the players and fans of MLS a sense of camaraderie and both have done a tremendous job of representing our league over recent seasons.
The result against Manchester United may not have been as pleasing as we would have liked, but it doesn’t change the fact that MLS has the best All-Star game in American sports.
Do the best really care about the Champions League?
The Galaxy have been in superb form all season long so it is hard to understand why they were so soundly beaten by the USL side Puerto Rico Islanders in Champions League play on Tuesday night.
The Islanders are a very good side who have had a good record in Champions League play over recent seasons, but on paper should have been no match for a Galaxy side that included Edson Buddle and Landon Donovan.
The most obvious answer is the players don’t see the CONCACAF Champions League as a premier competition. The Galaxy’s priority this season is quite rightly to win the MLS regular season and the MLS Cup, but it is still important for the growth of this league that the players give a good account of themselves in competitions that include foreign teams.
The more international titles MLS teams win, the more respect this league will earn and the Galaxy players should remember that the next time they set foot on the field in Champions League play.
Richards flatters to deceive
With his match-winning goal against Manchester City last weekend, Dane Richards showed us all what a talented player he is. The only problem is that since his arrival in MLS, those match-winning performances have been few and far between as the Jamaican has failed to live up to his vast potential.
The Red Bulls wingers has all the attributes of a player with the ability to change a game -- pace, technique and an ability to beat a defender one on one better than the majority of players in MLS.
Richards has shown flashes of genius in his time in MLS, but has never really put together a decent run of form that we expect from a player of his quality. The Red Bulls' own struggles over the last few years have not helped the development of Richards either, but at 26-years old, the time has now come for him to deliver on a more consistent basis.
If he can, then performances like the one against Manchester City will be much more common at Red Bull Arena and Richards can develop into one of the finest wingers in MLS.
Timing of All-Star game not ideal
The All-Star game is supposed to be a chance for the best players in MLS to showcase their talents against top foreign opposition, so the decision to play the game so close to CONCACAF Champions League qualifying matches is perplexing.
The scheduling robbed Landon Donovan, Dwayne DeRosario and Edson Buddle the chance to start the match against United, and the MLS All-Stars suffered because of it.
LD, Buddle and DeRo have been superb over the first half of the season and they were deserving of being named in the starting 11. Quite rightly their club matches must be given precedent over the All-Star game, but it doesn’t seem fair that these players miss out on a right they have earned simply because of a scheduling conflict.
MLS showed that by shutting down for the first few weeks of the World Cup that it is open to changes for the better of the league. A move to make the All-Star game a centerpiece of the season without any other games within three days that will deprive players the right to play their full part in a game they have fought hard to be a part of will be seen as another positive step for MLS.
On to the MLS Power Rankings ...
1. Los Angeles Galaxy: The Galaxy followed up a poor draw with San Jose with a crushing home loss to Puerto Rico Islanders in the Champions League to prove that they are beatable when not at their best.
2. Columbus Crew: The Crew dismantled Houston over the weekend to prove once again they are the best team the Eastern Conference has to offer.
3. Real Salt Lake: RSL failed to take full advantage of the Galaxy’s rare slip against San Jose by failing to take maximum points from a home clash with Chivas USA.
4. FC Dallas: Dallas continued its unbeaten streak with a very creditable draw in Toronto last weekend. This team is one of the most difficult teams to beat in MLS.
5. Toronto FC: Toronto looked like a team that had one eye on their midweek Champions League clash as they were held by Dallas in MLS play last weekend.
6. San Jose Earthquakes: The Earthquakes were very unlucky not to come away with all three points from their clash with L.A. as Frank Yallop’s men continued their recent good form.
7. New York Red Bulls: The Red Bulls return to MLS action off the back of some impressive performances against English opposition last week.
8. Chicago Fire: The Fire’s decision to trade Justin Mapp was a shock and a Chicago side that has yet to hit top gear this year will miss the experienced midfielder.
9. Seattle Sounders: The Sounders are starting to show signs of life as they followed up a win over the Rapids with another victory in Champions League play.
10. Chivas USA: Chivas USA is a far better team than it was just a couple of weeks ago but they have left it too late to make a real run at the playoffs.
11. Colorado Rapids: The Rapids loss to Seattle has given the Sounders new life in the playoff race and now makes Colorado’s clash with Dallas this weekend a must-win game.
12. Houston Dynamo: Houston may well be ahead of Chivas USA in the standings but right now they are undoubtedly the worst team in the Western Conference.
13. Philadelphia Union: The Union’s improving play over recent weeks was given a further boost with the acquisition of Justin Mapp. This is a team moving in the right direction.
14. Kansas City Wizards: Kei Kamara was the laughing stock of MLS after his amazing miss against L.A. earlier in the season, but he was the toast of the league on Sunday after leading K.C. to a famous victory over Manchester United.
15. New England Revolution: The Revs return to MLS action this week on the back of four straight victories after a disastrous start to the season.
16. D.C. United: D.C. was very impressive in its win over Portsmouth but unfortunately a victory in a meaningless friendly doesn’t do anything to help their awful league position.
Keith Costigan is a writer for FoxSoccer.com covering Major League Soccer.
