MLS All-Stars will be looking to prove themselves against English and European giants Arsenal on Friday. The match will be broadcast live in the early hours of Friday on Sky Sports 2, with the American side having been selected via a voting process.
David Villa was the only inclusion away from the voting process, and will be expected to play a key role in the match, while the likes of Didier Drogba, Kaka and Andrea Pirlo could also play their parts in the match.
San Jose manager Dominic Kinnear will be tasked with organising the All-Star team, and is keen to install some balance to his side.
“My instructions were as the coach of this team to be as balanced as possible in picking players from around the league and making sure that when the team steps on the field, we’re trying to win the game,” said Kinnear. “That’s my intention and I’ll pass that on to the players.”
Former Anderlecht midfielder Sacha Kljestan is also a possible inclusion in the starting line-up, and he believes that his side do not have anything to prove, although he thinks some players will not go all out in order to keep fit for the remainder of the MLS season.
“We want to show against a very good team like Arsenal that the quality of play in our league is at a very high level, while at the same time not getting injured and getting ready for the second half of the season,” Kljestan said.
“I think we’ll put in a competitive effort. I think all of us as players have that fire inside of us to win all the time, so I think we’ll give our best effort.”
It must be said that for the MLS, this is still a showcase event, and Kinnear is well aware that while no broad conclusions will be reached from the match, plenty of eyes will be watching.
“I think the proving stage for me is kind of going by us,” he said. “I don’t think we need to step out on the field and prove anything. These players are out there to show [well]. It’s an All-Star game, so it should be entertaining. They do want to show that they’re good players.
“I don’t think we’re out here to prove anything. I think we’re out here to be competitive and try to win, but also to show everybody that we have good players in this league.”
Tune in to Sky Sports on Friday to see if we can get our first win of the summer.
Do you rate the MLS? Do they have what it takes to deny us a win?
Patrick J