Tag: MLS All-Star Game

Garber: MLS expansion on hold ‘for a period of time’

Commissioner Garber’s declaration may be bad news for Indianapolis

MLS is just months away from fielding its 30th team, but after years of constant growth, that number may be in place for a little while.

Addressing reporters at a press conference ahead of Wednesday night’s MLS All-Star Game, MLS commissioner Don Garber said that expansion — a near constant for a league that has added at least one team in seven of the last eight seasons — may be paused for an unspecified period of time.

“It’s going to be the end of expansion for a period of time, until we’re ready to expand again,” Garber said. “Right now there isn’t a specific plan to expand.”

Later asked if he could clarify how much future expansion might cost an incoming team, Garber laughed before stating that “it’ll be more than $500 million.” That figure was reported as the price San Diego FC’s ownership group paid to gain its place in MLS.

Garber did not close the door on expansion, conceding that if the right situation presented itself, MLS would continue adding teams.

“If there’s a good market for us to expand in, if that market makes sense, if we have the right owner and the right city — like any league — we would consider strongly expanding beyond 30 teams that we have now,” stated the commissioner.

MLS to Indianapolis? Not so fast

Garber’s declaration will be bad news for Indianapolis. Mayor Joe Hogsett declared in April that he had discussed the city’s expansion prospects with Garber, causing a local uproar over a related decision impacting a planned stadium project for USL Championship club Indy Eleven.

The commissioner acknowledged that Hogsett is in Columbus and has been seen at events relating to the All-Star Game, but did not further clarify the status of the city’s bid to get itself an MLS team.

MLS will become a 30-team circuit in 2025 when San Diego FC begins play, which — despite being the norm across U.S. sports — is uncommon in soccer. Global standards for larger countries skew towards 18- or 20-team top-flight leagues.

The only modern example of a 30-team league is Argentina’s three-season experiment with a 30-team Primera Division from 2015-17, which saw multiple competitive formats used. That league scaled down to 24 sides in the seasons that followed, only to expand back up to 28 from 2022 to today.

MLS started the 2016 season with 20 teams, but has moved aggressively to grow since then. San Diego FC will be the 10th team to join the league over that timespan.

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2024 MLS All-Star Game: How to watch, live stream

The best of MLS will take on a team of stars from Liga MX in Columbus

The 2024 MLS All-Star Game is here, and once again a team of MLS stars will take on the best that Liga MX has to offer.

The MLS All-Star team faced Arsenal last year in a game it lost 5-0. This time around, the All-Star Game will return to its previous format, which saw MLS stars take on Liga MX stars in 2021 and 2022.

Columbus Crew head coach Wilfried Nancy will lead the MLS stars at his home stadium of Lower.com Field in Columbus. While Inter Miami pair Luis Suárez and Lionel Messi have been ruled out, Nancy still has plenty of star power at his disposal.

[afflinkbutton text=”Watch 2024 MLS All-Star Game” link=”https://apple.co/3YdwNpW”]

The Liga MX stars will be coached by André Jardine, who has led Club América to consecutive league titles. Jardine will be able to call upon a formidable team that includes Andre-Pierre Gignac, Pachuca striker Salomón Rondón and rising Mexico star César Huerta.

Following the All-Star Game, every team from MLS and Liga MX will move to the Leagues Cup, which kicks off on Friday.

Here is everything you need to know ahead of the game.

2024 MLS All-Star Game

  • When: Wednesday, July 24
  • Where: Lower.com Field (Columbus, Ohio)
  • Time: 8 p.m. ET
  • Channel/streaming: MLS Season Pass on Apple TV (WATCH LIVE)

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2024 MLS All-Star Skills Challenge: How to watch, live stream

Both MLS and Liga MX will feature 10-player rosters taking part in five separate challenges

The 2024 MLS All-Star Skills Challenge is set for Tuesday night, as some of the best players from MLS and Liga MX test their abilities in five different challenges.

The Skills Challenge will serve as the appetizer for the main event, as the MLS All-Stars will face Liga MX in the MLS All-Star Game on Wednesday night.

Both MLS and Liga MX will feature 10-player rosters, with the addition of two special guests for each side.

Players will participate in five different challenges:

  • MLS All-Star Shooting Challenge
  • MLS All-Star Touch Challenge
  • MLS All-Star Cross & Volley Challenge
  • MLS All-Star Passing Challenge
  • MLS All-Star Crossbar Challenge

[afflinkbutton text=”Watch 2024 MLS All-Star Skills Challenge” link=”https://apple.co/3YfE5tE”]

For the MLS team, former MLS and U.S. men’s national team star Sacha Kljestan will join as a special guest, as well as Houston Dash and Mexico women’s national team forward Diana Ordóñez.

Meanwhile, former Mexico men’s national team and Liga MX great Luis Hernández will be a special guest, as well as Chivas Femenil and Mexico women’s national team forward Alicia Cervantes.

MLS Skills Challenge roster: Luciano Acosta, Jordi Alba, Federico Bernardeschi, Sergio Busquets, Roman Bürki (GK), Evander, Diego Luna, Cucho Hernández, Maarten Paes (GK), Riqui Puig, Sacha Kljestan, Diana Ordóñez

Liga MX Skills Challenge roster: Andre-Pierre Gignac, Juan Brunetta, Maximiliano Meza, Jonathan Dos Santos, Andrés Guardado, Cesar Huerta Luis Malagon (GK), Kevin Mier (GK), Gonzalo Piovi, Salomón Rondón, Luis Hernández, Alicia Cervantes

2024 MLS All-Star Skills Challenge

  • When: Tuesday, July 23
  • Where: Lower.com Field (Columbus, Ohio)
  • Time: 7:30 p.m. ET
  • Channel/streaming: MLS Season Pass on Apple TV (WATCH LIVE)

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We occasionally recommend interesting products and services. If you make a purchase by clicking one of the links, we may earn an affiliate fee. Pro Soccer Wire operates independently, though, and this doesn’t influence our coverage.

D.C. United fires athletic trainer for discriminatory hand gesture

The gesture was made in a staff photo taken during an MLS All-Star Game training session

D.C. United has fired an athletic trainer for a discriminatory hand gesture, the club said on Friday night.

The club did not name the trainer but The Washington Post reported that the person fired was Reade Whitney, the team’s head athletic trainer

In a staff photo taken during an MLS All-Star Game training session, Whitney was pictured giving the “OK” gesture, which the Anti-Defamation League says has been used as a symbol of white supremacy since it arose as an internet hoax in 2017.

“D.C. United have terminated the employment of the club’s athletic trainer effective immediately,” a club statement read.

“This termination is the result of an internal review following the discovery of a discriminatory hand gesture made by the individual that surfaced in a photograph published across social media platforms on July 20, 2023.

“There is no place for racism, homophobia, misogyny, or discrimination of any kind in our sport and world and D.C. United do not tolerate any acts of this nature.”

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Wayne Rooney and Apple are beefing over some stolen seats

Looks like somebody may not be getting that MLS Season Pass promo code

Wayne Rooney versus Apple wasn’t exactly the feud anyone was expecting, but maybe it’s the one we all need right now.

After his MLS side fell 5-0 to Arsenal in Wednesday night’s MLS All-Star Game at Audi Field, Rooney had several grievances to air out: against referee Ted Unkel (“he made the game a little bit about himself”), his team’s preparation for the game (“I told them I didn’t want them training at the National Mall but that’s where we trained and so we couldn’t do anything but head tennis”) and then, most strangely, against Apple.

As the D.C. United head coach told it, his assistant coaches were evicted from their seats by staffers from MLS’s media rights partner.

“Everything around the game is great and it’s great publicity for the league moving forward. Apple coming into the league has been great although they didn’t allow my staff to sit in their seats today,” Rooney charged in his post-game press conference.

“My staff got kicked out of their seats today by members of Apple. And I wouldn’t be doing my staff a service if I didn’t bring that up because if you are getting asked to do the game with your staff, you are expecting your staff to have seats to sit in, so that was very disappointing — but I do think Apple will help the league grow moving forward.”

The Athletic reported that the incident in question took place in a booth overlooking the field, rather than at field level itself.

On Thursday, MLS released a tersely worded statement that did not deny an incident took place, only that it was not in Rooney’s technical area.

“It is not true that any members of Apple’s staff were seated in the technical area during last night’s Major League Soccer All-Star Game,” the league said.

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The MLS All-Stars took on Arsenal, and it didn’t go well

Arsenal is, it turns out, pretty good

It turns out Arsenal is pretty good.

The Gunners trounced the MLS All-Stars 5-0 before 20,621 at a muggy Audi Field in Washington D.C. on Wednesday. Gabriel Jesus, Leandro Trossard, Jorginho, Gabriel Martinelli, and Kai Havertz all managed goals in a completely one-sided affair.

MLS’s high-pressing start was undone by a simple Arsenal ball in behind, with Gabriel Jesus mopping up a loose ball with a sublime curling lob after just five minutes.

The All-Stars couldn’t quite put their last moves going forward together, while at the other end, Arsenal seemed ready to deliver bangers for a Gunners-heavy crowd. Again, a loose ball popped out to the top of the box in the 23rd minute, and again the result was a golazo. This time, Trossard sent a rocket past Roman Bürki from 20 yards.

Arsenal would increase their lead almost immediately after the second half on a Jorginho penalty kick, and MLS nearly faced another only for referee Ted Unkel — after a VAR check — to stick with his original no-call.

MLS gamely tried to break Arsenal down to get on the board, but between roughly dozens of substitutions and the Gunners’ defensive organization, the All-Stars were struggling to create any sort of danger in the late going. Manager Wayne Rooney at least managed to get every MLS player into the game, and U.S. men’s national team fans in attendance got to see Folarin Balogun and Auston Trusty play for the Gunners.

Meanwhile, the Gunners were not exactly letting the match just play out. After Martin Ødegaard’s brilliant pass from deep in Arsenal’s end, Martinelli produced a tidy angled finish in the 84th minute to make it 4-0.

Havertz, one of Arsenal’s many substitutes as the game rolled on, capped off the scoring with a composed finish at the back post. Arsenal simply had no mercy.

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Rooney on Premier League all-star game: I don’t think it would work

Rooney and Mikel Arteta agree: the all-star game idea is great for the United States, but not so much in England

Wayne Rooney has said he doesn’t think the concept of an all-star game would work in the Premier League.

D.C. United head coach Rooney is set to lead the MLS side in Wednesday night’s MLS All-Star Game at Audi Field, with Arsenal the opponent.

The concept of an all-star game is ingrained in American sports culture, but other parts of the world have mostly stayed away from incorporating the idea into their own leagues.

Some, including Chelsea owner Todd Boehly, have suggested that a Premier League version of the MLS All-Star Game would be a welcome spectacle for fans, but Rooney believes there would be too much pushback from coaches to make it a viable idea.

“I don’t think it would work,” he said at a press conference. “Everything over here (United States) is different, the culture is different. It’s a huge game here. But, I think in England, it’s just the rivalry between teams [is too strong].

“The coaches will complain about players playing too much and I just don’t think it will work in England. Over here, it’s part of this league, it’s great to be a part of, but I think in England it wouldn’t work.”

For his part, Arsenal head coach Mikel Arteta seemed to agree with Rooney’s point about fixture congestion.

“For me as an Arsenal coach, to play against the MLS, that’s great,” Arteta said. “I love the idea. I love the experience and I think it’s great. If you asked me the other way around, depending on where it was in the middle of the season, probably I [wouldn’t be] that happy to let our players go.

“But I think it’s great. I think it’s great for the players to gather together the most talented players in the same team. I think if I was a player, for sure I would want to experience that.”

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Balogun and Trusty on Arsenal MLS All-Star Game roster, Turner misses out

Two of Arsenal’s three USMNT players will be in Washington, D.C. this week

Arsenal has announced a 29-player roster for Wednesday night’s MLS All-Star Game at Audi Field in Washington, D.C.

Two of the three U.S. men’s national team players currently with the Gunners were named to the squad: striker Folarin Balogun and defender Auston Trusty. Meanwhile, goalkeeper Matt Turner was left off the roster for unspecified reasons.

Balogun and Trusty had hugely successful loans last season — at Reims and Birmingham, respectively — and are both rumored to be leaving Arsenal again this summer, either on another loan or a permanent move.

Turner, meanwhile, is coming off a summer in which he played in both the CONCACAF Nations League and Gold Cup with the USMNT. He is expected to again serve as Aaron Ramsdale’s backup in goal this season.

All three of Arsenal’s major summer acquisitions are on the squad: Kai Havertz, Declan Rice and Jurriën Timber. Havertz and Balogun have also been confirmed for Tuesday night’s MLS All-Star Skills Challenge.

Arsenal MLS All-Star Game roster

GOALKEEPERS (3): Aaron Ramsdale, Alex Rúnarsson, Karl HeinDEFENDERS (9): William Saliba, Kieran Tierney, Ben White, Gabriel Magalhães, Jurriën Timber, Jakub Kiwior, Rob Holding, Takehiro Tomiyasu, Auston TrustyMIDFIELDERS (11): Bukayo Saka, Martin Ødegaard, Jorginho, Fábio Vieira, Mohamed Elneny, Kai Havertz, Oleksandr Zinchenko, Declan Rice, Amario Cozier-Duberry, Emile Smith Rowe, Thomas ParteyFORWARDS (6): Gabriel Jesus, Gabriel Martinelli, Eddie Nketiah, Leandro Trossard, Folarin Balogun, Marquinhos

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First Lady Jill Biden to host youth soccer clinic at White House to kick off MLS All-Star week

The event will be part of the league’s All-Star festivities in Washington D.C. next week

First Lady Jill Biden will host a youth soccer clinic on the South Lawn of the White House to kick off MLS All-Star week.

The event will be held on Monday and will feature the First Lady, along with several MLS All-Stars, past MLS greats, league owners, and officials from the Biden-Harris Administration.

Biden will deliver remarks at the event, which will feature MLS All-Stars leading local youth soccer players in skills training stations and scrimmages.

Some of the MLS All-Stars tentatively slated to be in attendance are Christian Benteke, Luciano Acosta, Jordan Morris, Hany Mukhtar and Walker Zimmerman, among others.

Rap stars Yo Gotti and Wale are also tentatively set to attend the event.

The clinic will kick off a series of events in the nation’s capital leading up to Wednesday night’s All-Star Game against Arsenal at Audi Field, the home of D.C. United.

Tuesday night will feature the MLS All-Star Skills Challenge, which will see 10 Arsenal players face off against 10 MLS All-Stars in a set of events including a shooting challenge, cross and volley challenge, crossbar challenge and more.

The First Lady and her husband, President Joe Biden, did not play soccer themselves growing up, but many of their children and grandchildren play the sport.

“I never played soccer, but I watched all Beau’s games,” Biden said in 2015 of his late son.

In 2010, Biden, then the vice president, attended the Philadelphia Union’s inaugural home game.

“He was very talkative, like in the staging area before we went out to midfield,” former Union CEO Nick Sakiewicz told Sports Illustrated. “He was very conversational about soccer. He knew the sport was exploding in the U.S. He said he watches the U.S. men and women, and we talked about the women’s national team, because they’re so successful.

“He said how great it was to have an MLS team playing in Chester. He knew all about the stadium, about the redevelopment that we were trying to spark on the riverfront. I was really surprised how knowledgeable he was about the project. He called it the stadium in his backyard.”

Last month, the Bidens starred in the roster reveal video for the U.S. women’s national team’s World Cup squad.

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Balogun among Arsenal stars confirmed for MLS All-Star Skills Challenge

The rosters, MLS noted, are subject to change

U.S. national team striker Folarin Balogun was named among 10 Arsenal players who will take part in the 2023 MLS All-Star Skills Challenge.

The 10 Arsenal players will face off against 10 MLS All-Stars at Audi Field on July 18, the night before the Premier League side is the opponent for the MLS All-Star Game.

The players will take part in five skills competitions: the MLS All-Star Shooting Challenge, the MLS All-Star Passing Challenge, the MLS All-Star Touch Challenge, the MLS All-Star Cross & Volley Challenge, and the MLS All-Star Crossbar Challenge.

Balogun is set to take part in the shooting, cross and volley, and crossbar competitions.

MLS did note that rosters are subject to change, with Balogun widely expected to be sold this summer after starring on loan at French outfit Reims last season.

Balogun’s USMNT teammate Jesús Ferreira headlines the MLS roster, along with stars like Thiago Almada, Dénis Bouanga, Riqui Puig and Luciano Acosta.

For Arsenal, the newly acquired Kai Havertz will take part, along with Martin Ødegaard, Eddie Nketiah and others.

2023 MLS All-Star Skills Challenge rosters

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