The Major League Soccer All-Star Game means something.
Let that sink in for a while. Yes, I know, it’s not the traditional mode of thinking. After all, it’s an exhibition match, played against an opponent that’s in pre-season form. Last night’s match, played in front of 19,236 fans at a sold out PPL Park in Chester, Pa., featured current European champions Chelsea F.C. The visitors’ lineup featured only three starters from their recent Euro Cup victory, and they fielded both of their backup keepers.
Never mind all of that. What we saw last night—a convincing 3-2 victory over “The Blues,” means something. After back to back drubbings in 2010 and 2011 at the hands of Manchester United, MLS badly needed to put together a respectable effort this year, and they most certainly did. A victory against any Chelsea side is worth celebrating.
And what made this victory even sweeter? Three of the prominent figures in the game— Chris Pontius, Dwayne De Rosario and Head Coach Ben Olsen—belong to our very own D.C. United. Benny brought all of his assistant coaches—right down to the equipment manager—to the game. United’s logo somehow even ended up being accidentally “burned” into the pitch, the result of a United flag accidentally being left on the field before the match. Olsen was aware of the game’s importance to the league, which often struggles to find opportunities to shine on the global stage.
“We know MLS is on stage, and every time we play, people are interested in how the MLS is doing,” Olsen said after the match. “I thought they did the MLS proud.”
“There are a lot of quality players over here,” Chelsea midfielder Frank Lampard said. “Obviously we know about David Beckham and Thierry Henry and they are huge players here and in the world game, but the other players will take a lot of credit with lots of energy and lots of desire and quality. We have played the MLS before and lost before [in 2006] and we know they have a lot of quality on their team.”
San Jose forward Chris Wondolowski—currently on pace to break the MLS record for goals in a single season—got the scoring started for the home side in the 21st minute. Wondolowski took advantage of a costly defensive miscue by Chelsea legend John Terry, who stumbled and fell to the ground on the play. New York Red Bulls forward Thierry Henry drifted a cross in from the left side to Wondolowski, who ran on to it and slipped a shot past Chelsea goalkeeper Henrique Hilário. The goal was classic Wondo—lacking in visual appeal but rich in opportunism.
Asked after the match about being on the end of the legendary Henry’s cross, the San Jose forward’s excitement showed: “It was a great moment. It’s something that I’ll always carry with me. My kids and grandkids can look forward to hearing that story a few times when they’re growing up. I was extremely happy to put that one in.”
After Chelsea answered with goals from Terry and Lampard, the MLS boys looked headed for another drubbing. D.C. United’s representatives, however, would have none of that. Los Angeles Galaxy midfielder David Beckham—who traveled from London for the game (and left immediately afterward to fly back home)—played a long, looping ball towards the corner for De Rosario, who dribbled to the end line and calmly played the ball back to Chris Pontius. Pontius, the game’s eventual MVP, made no mistake with it, cooly slotting the ball past the near post.
De Rosario was all smiles after the match when I asked him about connecting with his teammate in the match. “It was great, man,” he said. “The way it worked out was sweet. I’m happy for the kid, I’m happy he was able to get the MVP award. It’s hopefully one of many more to come.”
A 2-2 tie would have been a satisfactory result for an MLS team that only had several days to train together, but the home side continued to push until the final whistle. Its tenacity would pay off in stoppage time, as Seattle’s Eddie Johnson would have his low, driven effort deflected over Chelsea goalkeeper Ross Turnbull and into the back of the net.
“We’re disappointed with the result,” said Chelsea Head Coach Roberto Di Matteo. “We’re always looking to win, we want to win. We were a bit stretched in the second half.”
De Rosario, who was given the captain’s armband for the evening, was quick to share his victory with his coach.
“This is huge for him,” De Rosario said. “You look at the transition he made from a player to coach—it’s not easy. We had to deal with it in such a short time-span. He’s an all-star coach in his second year. That speaks volumes of the guy he is.”
