Dimming All-Stars

I wasn't always anti-All-Star Game.

I remember the first one, and how exciting it was. I seem to remember the first half being much better than the second half, but it was a large crowd at Giants Stadium and I thought it was awesome seeing all the league's stars come together for a game. And you had big stars then like Marco Etcheverry, Carlos Valderrama and Jorge Campos as well as guys like Eddie Pope and seeing all of them play on a team was cool.

Why don't I think like that anymore?

I'm not looking forward to the All-Star Game tonight. I haven't looked forward to an All-Star Game since at least five years. Not sure why.

It seems like tonight would be good and the game will probably be a decent one to watch. Becks vs. ManU... that's a story onto itself, right? And throw in Chicharito and Wayne Rooney and Thierry Henry going up against those guys and, well, that's a lot of starpower there.

It doesn't do it for me, though.

I think it's because I see it as a gimmick. It always was. All-star games in general are, and this league vs. club set-up is a gimmick within a gimmick. An interesting one but still a gimmick. It's supposed to inspire an Us vs. Them mentality, but to me that sets up a no-win situation. If MLS struggles, well what else would you expect from them? If MLS does well, of course it's because the opposing team is in preseason and obviously just going through the motions.

But I also think that there is too much emphasis on this game, with the amount of energy the league goes to, to promote it and to get the word out that this is happening, just seems like misguided attention.

Seattle lost 1-0 at San Francisco of Panama in a CONCACAF Champions League match on Tuesday. That's pretty startling, but at the same time it's not. Seattle is one of the league's best teams this season and to not be able to score against a team from Panama... surely MLS is better than Panama, right? Maybe, but this is typical of MLS teams, to struggle terribly in the CCL.

Yet this situation doesn't change as the league does little to support the teams at this stage of the season. Piling on friendlies to Seattle's slate (Man U a week ago) probably didn't make things any easier for them. Same with the Galaxy, who had to endure two high-profile friendlies in an already crowded time for them just as the team prepares itself for this league and cup challenge.

I suppose that's what does it for me, the amount of attention the league gives, that they make it seem as if this truly is an important game when it's not, when there are other important things that need attention but don't get it (Open Cup for starters). There are still all sorts of areas where the league can make changes for the better, and in some cases some changes that could be made overnight that would instantly upgrade the league (the wretched playoff format for one).

Part of me thinks that I'm being too hard on the league and I should just watch the game as a fan and enjoy watching MLS players in a different set-up. And I may do that when the game starts (if I watch it of course). But still, this is a game that would do well to go away.

For me anyway. I don't know that I'm in the majority. In fact, I don't think I am.

Definitely noticed

There may have been only a few people who bothered to read all the way through the comments on my post about Toronto fans at the MLS All-Star Game. One major point of contention was whether or not very many people were actually watching the exhibition match (the implication being that it didn't matter how the fans behaved because few saw it).

My argument all along wasn't that it was a huge amount, but that compared to most Major League Soccer games and the ratings they generally pull, the All-Star Game was a showcase and no doubt watched by many. Even if the respect the league players gain or lose can't be measured, the people watching can be, or at least a rough estimate.
Turns out, quite a lot of people were watching (once again, it's relative to MLS standards). The ratings increase is especially notable because it was a weekday broadcast, when ratings are typically lower for sports.

From the NY Times:
The ratings for the All-Star Game broadcast Thursday by ESPN and Telefutura were the highest in league history. ESPN had a rating of 0.47 and reached 453,000 households, and Spanish-language Telefutura had a rating of 0.37, reaching 389,000 households. The total was a 124 percent increase over last year, according to The Sports Business Daily.

Toronto doesn't represent well

I've had it with the fawning over Toronto fans. At the most, I'll allow that they're better fans of their home team than of anything else, including the game itself. However, the game, the concept of the beautiful sport and believing in its worth and value, is something I hold sacred.

I don't, however, understand the point of Toronto joining an American sports league if they're going to be so freaking rude about it. Booing the U.S. anthem? Singing their own anthem over it? If that happened at a U.S./Mexico match in L.A. (Where mind, the teams would be playing against each other and boorish rivalry would make a bit more sense) people would be livid. It doesn't happen, though. Mexican fans might ignore or cheer over the U.S. anthem at times, but sing their own over it? Not even in Azteca. Because it's rude and unsporting and they respect the game more than that.

I don't buy the "We didn't know our anthem was going to be played." excuse, either. Come on. Half the U.S. stadiums play their anthem even when there aren't any U.S. teams involved - just because they're hosting some event. When has the anthem ever NOT been played at BMO? Did the Canadians simply not trust their own organizers?

The Spanish announcers were simply befuddled during the game to see steamers thrown at Beckham. One questioned, when boos rained down on various MLS players, whether the Canadian fans understood that for this match, which team was the home side.

Sure they did. And they didn't care. If it's not TFC, it sucks, no matter how pretty the crosses of Becks were or the goals by Gomez and Blanco. That's so simple-minded, to not accept the larger concept of league representation, the opportunity to see some of the best players available working together for a common cause. If nothing else, respect the game, recognize and reward good play - but there was little of that from the fans.

It was especially ungracious when so many players from other teams had gone out of their way to say that they were excited to play at Toronto. They weren't talking about looking forward to the turf, either. They were hoping for a good reception from the fans.

If those fans had thought big for just a moment, thought, "Hey, here's a chance to show the world that we can be amazingly supportive fans, give the MLS players so much love that they'll be hoping their next trade is to Toronto, show the over a hundred countries this match is broadcast in that we are classy and appreciate quality play."

Instead, the fans came off like immature idiots who don't give a fig for the game. None of the cheering corresponded to good plays on the field, except when DeRo scored his penalty. Streamers were flung at the corner-kick taker when the MLS All-Stars had a chance to make good on a set play. Streamers were thrown all over the ESPN desk during the halftime show - yeah, it's not like the game needs more exposure on TV, no. (Don Garber, do you still think the Toronto fans are so wonderful when they're aiming streamers at your head on a live broadcast and making you look like a schmuck?) That'll show the world leader in sports to come to BMO.

Anyway, I suppose natural truth and consequences will take place. MLS will realize that the crazy atmosphere is very limited in scope. It is for TFC only and all other MLS events, including the final championship match, should never be held there.

The best fans in MLS? Not by a long shot. Fans who recognize how far the league has come, how far it still has to go, who can cheer generously for both club and league when the occasion presents itself - can you imagine the Fire fans if this game had been held there? They would have blown the socks off the TFC malcontents. DC fans, too. LA fans, RSL fans, heck, even Rapids fans paid more attention to the game and supported the All-Stars more last year.

* Actually, I'm wrong to over-generalize all TFC fans. Clearly, some were just fine. But more than a few made the representation of the whole look bad.

Mr. MVP to you

Photo courtesy MLS
Mr White talks about the All-Star Game.


Blanco, post game: It was a tough game, but it was fun, and most of all, it was a chance to play well, get an important win, and make sure the fans enjoyed the game.


Blanco, pregame: I think it's nice to play with other pros of different teams. You can enjoy yourself, have fun and put on a good show for the fans.
Pablo: We've faced each other in games, Mexico versus U.S., and haven't said nice things to each other, but I've talked to him the past couple of days. He's a good guy. More than anything, he's a great player and I expect a great match playing with him.
Angel: It's an honor to be chosen. I played last year and it was a good experience. it's a very American thing, to get together the best players in a league for a game. It's nice, to play those who are usually your rivals, confronting a good team from Europe.

All-Star Game running blog

Photo credit: MLS/Paul Giamou
David Beckham, Jim Brennan and Jorge Flores visit a young fan in the hospital.
Welcome to the All-Star Game - where rivalries (Chivas USA and Galaxy and TFC) are put aside as players take on the world (West Ham).

Predictions, people. I know you've already voted in our Sideline Views poll, but now you need to guess who is going to score. Get your picks in before kickoff for bragging rights.
Yay! El Juego de las Estrellas! I'm watching on Telefutura, in case you didn't get the hint. Aww, Blanco and Donovan did the welcome together, LD cracking up a bit at the end. That was cute. Now they're doing a montage where the players explain what the game means to them. Angel and Toja mention how they were injured earlier this year and makes it meaningful to get here anyway. LD says that with the players the All-Star team has, this is a real game. He also gives Toronto props. Pablo Mastroeni trips up over his Spanish, but says this is important. Blanco, in his always-surprisingly soft voice, says this is a game for the fans and that he expects and hopes that they will enjoy it.
More Blanco after the commercial - he says he'd like to rejoin El Tri, but it's up to Sven. He says that of all of LD's qualities, he'd like his quickness. He calls LD a friend, but says when they're on different teams, they're competitive rivals. As far as him contributing to the Fire, Blanco says, of course he's working hard. "Mexicans come here to work," Blanco says. He says he's been inspired by all his countrymen here that work hard, seeking the American dream.
The announcers say that Cuauh seems more relaxed these days.
Now they're interviewing LD. He says he never imagined playing with Cuauh, but that Blanco is friendly and calm and that they had fun at practice. LD says he'd like Blanco's tricks in his own arsenal. "He does what he likes with the ball."
LD says MLS is improving, and Blanco, as well as Beckham and Angel are a big part of that. The announcer also references LD's stated desire to go play abroad, says this could be his last All-Star Game.
Beckham and Blanco lead out the All-Stars. The shorts are a rather bright Pepsi blue, but I like the black shirts. West Ham is in light blue.
West Ham: Robert Green, Lucas Neill, Anton Ferdinand, Scott Parker, Dean Ashton, Matthew Etherington, Carlton Cole, Hayden Mullins, Julien Faubert, Calum Davenport, Joe Widdowson
All-Stars: Matt Reis, Frankie Hejduk, Christian Gomez, Juan Toja, Jimmy Conrad, Jonathan Bornstein, Shalrie Joseph, David Beckham, Pablo Mastroeni, Kenny Cooper, Cuauhtemoc Blanco

No LD in the starting line-up and the announcers complain a bit about this, wanting to see LD and Blanco together after all that buildup.
Becks has his hand up against the setting sun.
Kickoff!
2 - Chippy play already - Bornstien fouled.
3 - Offside on West Ham. The All-Stars are woefully our of sync, but it's early yet.
4 - Bornstein nods the ball down to Reis.
5 - Ooh, West Ham on the attack again, ball in the box, but a shot doesn't get off.
6 - The announcers talk about the lack of practice time and the difficulty of not unrestanding each other as a team. Just then, Becks crosses to Coop, but the ball gets cut off.
8 - Ashton shoves Hejduk in the box.
9 - Corner for MLS, but it's cleared. Frankie misses a chance to shoot, but Jonny cuts off the counter attack cross.
10 - Pablo's sliding tackle cuts off a shot. Corner. That one is cleared, but a ball deflects off an MLS player for another corner. Julien Faubert takes it, but it's cleared as well.
12 - Cooper with an outside low shot. It's wide.
13 - A good MLS attack is ruined when Bornstein's overlap doesn't take the turf into account and the ball runs away from him.
15 - Lots of basically pointless possession for the MLS side. They're having trouble timing runs and just hitting a lot of passes back and forth in the midfield.
17 - Blanco goes down, gets the call. It's far away, though, so neither he or Becks fight over the FK.
19 - Gomez to Cooper, who gets grabbed but doesn't go down right away, trying to shoot the ball. The ref waves it off.
20 - Cooper earns a corner. As Becks goes to take it, he gets streamers tossed at him. I though MLS was supposed to crack down on those? The announcer are surprised the TFC fans are throwing stuff at Becks. The service bounces around the area, but Green eventually corrals it as it popped up towards the goal.
22 - MLS still struggling to put together an attacking play.
24 - West Ham with a nice run of possession, but the through ball runs off on the turf, far ahead of the forwards it was meant for.
26 - GOAL! This time Ashton makes no mistake - a ball out of the midfield falls well for him and Frankie's tackle is too late. Ashton shoots to the left of Reis. 1-0 West Ham
27 - GOAL! MLS strikes back. Becks passes to Blanco, who put in a sweet backheel to Gomez, who shoots far post - side netting. Nice. 1-1 All square again.
31 - Now another run of MLS possession - Becks shoots and earns a corner. The clearance fall to him and he picks out Gomez at the top of the box, who shoots so horrible that if he hadn't already scored, everybody would hate him.
34 - Bornstein and Blanco - nice give and go, Blanco crosses to Cooper in front of the goal, who gets pulled down, but no call again.
37 - Cooper tracks way back into the midfield for the ball and gets fouled. Announcers discuss how Schelotto should be an All-Star. Toja with a nice play advances the MLS cause.
39 - Blanco earns a FK - who will take it? Becks, it looks like. He clears the wall, and Green dives to parry it. Corner.
40 - Cleared, but falls to Becks and he takes a shot. Wide.
41 - Honestly, the play looks better. MLS players finding a bit of rhythm.
43 - West Ham manages to hold them off, though. Ooh, Toja breaks through with a pass to Bornstien, but the ball back isn't great for Toja.
44 - GOAL! This time, though, Toja hooks up with 'Temo. Blanco overlaps and receives a pass back in a good spot - and hits a bending shot that finds the upper 90 and side netting. 2-1 MLS leads. Golazo! The announcers get high off 'Temo's goal.
45 - West Ham with an immediate attack, but the ball pops loose and Reis claims it.
45+ MLS with a late attack chance off a FK, but West Ham escape.
Blanco's halftime interview - he says the game is hard, but that they were able to work together to get the two goals. He's asked how important it was to answer the first goal and he agrees. He says he saw Christian make the run for the goal and made sure to get him the ball. Then he's asked about his goal and he smiles - it's a "yeah, wasn't that sweet" smile.
Halftime: MLS deserve the lead, but at the very least, West Ham have scored more than Celtic or Chelsea. Blanco is rightly the hero of the day, with a great assist and sizzling goal. It's evident that the game means a lot to 'Temo. I'm reminded of what DeRosario said when his goal beat Chelsea in 2006, "I didn't get to go to the World Cup. This is my World Cup."
Blanco was left home by LaVolpe, didn't have a great experience abroad, is fighting for Eriksson to notice him - he's definitely motivated against a Premiership team.
Garber (I switched to ESPN) says the McBride situation has been resolved. As he says this, a streamer falls across his face. Funny. So much for his edict. Garber won't reveal where McBride is going (until the official announcement tomorrow), so perhaps that's why Rob Stone doesn't care about grabbing a streamer roll (it fell across his desk) and throwing it back where it came from. "Got him!" he exults, cutting off whatever Garber was trying to say about expansion. He then bumps to commercial as more streamers fly in across the frame. "You think it's funny, Toronto?" asks Stone.
I'll bet they do.
LD comes in for Blanco, crushing the Telefutura announcers who wanted them to play together. But then they get busy proclaiming Blanco the MVP already. Cooper is out for Angel, and Luis Boa Morte comes in for Etherington.
46 - LBM has already played in an MLS AllStar game, back as a member of Fulham. They lost.
48 - Becks sets up for a corner. Cleared for another deep throw. MLS retaining possession, but no dangerous chances yet.
49 - Angel called for offside, though he doesn't agree with it.
50 - I've switched to ESPN, and Cooper is being interviewed. he gives a careful answer about the possibility of a transfer and Harkes and JP are thereby convinced a deal is done.
52 - TFC fans chanting for Brennan. Bornstein gets a yellow for holding Faubert. Dangerous FK.
53 - Reis catches the deflection.
54 - Toja nearly through, but trips at the top of the box. West Ham counter, but an offside kills the attack.
56 - Donovan starts an attack and Bornstein sends in a sweet cross, but Angel doesn't quite make in front of the goal.
57 - LD gets a ball in the box, passes it back. Harkes cracks on him for that, saying he should shoot.
58 - Shalrie looses the ball in midfield, West Ham has numbers, but Reis blocks out Faubert's shot for a corner. The corner leads to another chance, Ashton cracking it to Reis, but it's offside. Reis blocked it anyway.
60 - Crowd goes wild for DeRo and Brennan, coming in now. They are both Toronto boys.
62 - ESPN with the interviews is killing me. West Ham just took another shot on goal while they're talking to Steve Nash. We already know he wants Vancouver to join the league.
63 - Becks sets up a FK - it misses, but not by much.
64 - Buddle is shown briefly on the bench, looking a bit forlorn.
65 - Collison comes in for West Ham.
67 - GOAL! Ashton takes a shot - a double deflection fools Matt Reis. It's not really deserved, as MLS was dominating the game, but they never put the match away and West Ham hung in there. 2-2.
69 - Angel fights for the ball, turns and knocks a pass to DeRo, he's fouled in the box! PK! DeRo is taking it.
70 - GOAL! He nails it, banging it in off the top of the crossbar. He's money in All-Star Games.
71 - No goal! Angel is pissed. It didn't look offside and Angel hit a great shot.
72 - MLS pressuring the goal now, but West Ham escape as the cross of Becks is cleared.
75 - Rob Stone looks terrified of that bird. the hawk used at games to keep away pesky seagulls. Stone's voice is shaking. Again, whenever ESPN does interviews, someone takes a shot on goal.
79 - MLS again has the better of play, but it hasn't led to a goal and West Ham could still nick a draw or better.
84 - Donovan in the box, interplay with Angel, but can't get a shot off.
86 - Donovan misses a Bornstein pass. Mastro fouls Parker at the arc - threatening FK here.
87 - The ball hits the wall, but it eventually gets to Boa Morte in the box - his header attempt is caught by Onstad. MLS just can't put this game away.
89 - Ralston and Buddle coming in now.
90 - Becks to Rally, who hits a nice cross, but West Ham clear. It leads to a West Ham counter, Boa Morte goes for the tough angle on his shot, but it crosses the front of goal and goes out.
90 + Four more minutes. Donovan cut down from behind. Becks sets up, but it's kind of far. DeRo takes it, it threatens, out for a corner.
That's cleared, now West Ham threatens but the MLS team finally brings the ball out of the back.
FK - MLS plays the ball around a bit.
Final whistle! MLS wins and keeps its perfect international record. Not bad of an All-Star game. No one got hurt and there were a couple of good goals. Becks seems enthusiastic about the match. "We've done well tonight."
His accent seems stronger - must be because of talking with the West Ham guys.
If Blanco isn't the MVP, I'll eat my hat. Course, I thought Schelotto would be here.
Nope, I'm right, Blanco gets the MVP. He thanks the fans. Becks and Landon congratulate him. The players exchange shirts.

Not a defense, just an opinion

I don't mind the MLS All-Star game. I know that may not sound like a ringing endorsement of the event and it's not. I write this not to defend the league, because to me, liking the game is a matter of preference, like peanut butter. If one travels around the world at all, one realizes that outside of the U.S., most people really don't care for peanut butter.

I realize the All-Star game is similarly unique to American sports, but not really. Almost every league puts together a list at the end of the season that compiles the best players in a First XI. Fans can only imagine how such a squad would actually perform, though. Even FIFA has a World Cup team when that tournament ends that puts together the best participants on paper. The All-Star Game goes one step beyond that recognition and actually puts their team on the field for one game.
I think that's kind of exciting, even if the result is ultimately meaningless.
(Though anything that gets Chelsea fans tripping over themselves to tell everyone exactly how meaningless their 2005 loss to the MLS All-Stars was, can't be all bad).
West Ham isn't a great opponent, though. Honestly, I blame the turf. No one has said that Liverpool backed out of the All-Star game because of the field, but it remains a plausible theory. It is that much of a negative factor.
But it wasn't as if the game was going to be canceled just because the opponent wasn't really of superior caliber. That's what will make everyone appreciate the future matches versus AC Milan, Boca Juniors, Lyon, Bayern Munich and Everton. Bringing in an outside opponent is also a great tip of the hat to the international aspect of the beautiful game.
I actually find the MLS All-Star Game format superior to that of the other U.S. sports. The East/West division in the NBA means some ultimate combinations never happen - Kobe isn't passing to Kevin Garnett, for example.
David Beckham with a cross to Juan Pablo Angel, though? Oh, yeah. Cuauhtemoc Blanco working a give and go with Landon Donovan? Money, honey. It's the best of the best in MLS and I think it's worth watching, even with griping about venue, schedule, and the travesty of Guillermo Barros Schelotto's exclusion.
Then again, my Brazilian friends think I'm crazy to like peanut butter.

Complete MLS All-Star list

Remember a couple of years ago, when Peter Nowak coached the MLS All-Star team and a bunch of DC United players were on it? Well, this year, with the final pics from the coach (Steve Nicol) and commissioner (Don Garber) released, there are none. The LA Galaxy and the New England Revolution contribute the most staff this time, with three players.

Goalkeeper: Pat Onstad^ (Houston Dynamo), Matt Reis* (New England Revolution)
Defenders: Jim Brennan^ (Toronto FC), Jimmy Conrad* (Kansas City Wizards), Frankie Hejduk* (Columbus Crew), Michael Parkhurst* (New England Revolution)
Midfielders: David Beckham* (Los Angeles Galaxy), Cuauhtémoc Blanco* (Chicago Fire), Dwayne De Rosario+ (Houston Dynamo), Christian Gomez^ (Colorado Rapids), Shalrie Joseph* (New England Revolution), Sacha Kljestan* (Chivas USA), Pablo Mastroeni^ (Colorado Rapids), Robbie Rogers* (Columbus Crew)
Forwards: Juan Pablo Angel^ (forward, New York Red Bulls), Edson Buddle+ (Los Angeles Galaxy), Kenny Cooper* (FC Dallas), Landon Donovan* (Los Angeles Galaxy)
Nicol picks: ^
Garber picks: +
First 11 (fan, media and coaches' vote): *

Thing is, DC fans probably won't mind their players missing out on the All-Star game. They've got more than enough games right now, with SuperLiga and all.

All-Star First XI

Well, well, here they are, ladies and gents, and look, not a TFC player in the bunch. 2008 MLS All-Star First XI
Goalkeeper: Matt Reis (New England Revolution)

Defenders: Jimmy Conrad (Kansas City Wizards), Frankie Hejduk (Columbus Crew), Michael Parkhurst (New England Revolution)

Midfielders: David Beckham (Los Angeles Galaxy), Cuauhtemoc Blanco (Chicago Fire), Shalrie Joseph (New England Revolution), Sacha Kljestan (Chivas USA), Robbie Rogers (Columbus Crew)

Forwards: Kenny Cooper (FC Dallas), Landon Donovan (Los Angeles Galaxy)

Of course, one TFC star likely make the All-Star roster still is Maurice Edu. Here's all the info on the game.

Interesting tidbits include LD getting the highest percentage of coach, GM and player votes. He got lower percentages from the media and fans.

Sacha Kljestan, meanwhile, got higher coach/GM and player percentages than Cuauhtemoc Blanco.

Becks got the highest percentage of fan votes, but that was more than doubled by the number of media who voted for him.

The final numbers

Thank you to everyone who helped me fill out my ballot. Here's how our ballot ended up looking like:

Matt Reis

Bakary Soumare, Michael Parkhurst, Frankie Hejduk

David Beckham, Cuauhtemoc Blanco, Javier Morales, Shalrie Joseph, Robbie Rogers

Landon Donovan, Kenny Cooper

And here's the finally tally overall.

GK

Matt Reis 13, Jon Busch 11, Kevin Hartman 1

D

Bakary Soumare 15, Frankie Hejduk 14, Michael Parkhurst 13, Gonzalo Segares 11, Chad Marshall 10, Sean Franklin 5, Jimmy Conrad 4, Facundo Erpen 2, Marco Velez 1, Marvell Wynne 1, Abel Xavier 1.

M

David Beckham 25, Cuauhtemoc Blanco 23, Robbie Rogers 16, Shalrie Joseph 15, Javier Morales 8, Guillermo Barros Schelotto 6, Maurice Edu 4, Sacha Kljsetan 4, Dwayne De Rosario 3, Marcelo Gallardo 3, Kyle Beckerman 2, Andre Rocha 2, Clyde Simms 2, Stuart Holden 1, Justin Mapp 1, Pablo Mastroeni 1, Steve Ralston 1, Pablo Richetti 1, Laurent Robert 1, Andy Williams 1.

F

Landon Donovan 25, Kenny Cooper 19, Luciano Emilio 3, Edson Buddle 2.

Last chance to vote!

Final call for ballot help. I've got to turn my ballot in this week. The tally as it stands.

GK
Matt Reis 9, Jon Busch 8, Kevin Hartman 1

D
Bakary Soumare 11, Frankie Hejduk 9,Chad Marshall 8, Michael Parkhurst 8, Gonzalo Segares 8, Sean Franklin 5, Jimmy Conrad 3, Facundo Erpen 1, Marco Velez 1, Marvell Wynne 1, Abel Xavier 1.

M
David Beckham 18, Cuauhtemoc Blanco 16, Shalrie Joseph 12, Robbie Rogers 12, Javier Morales 5, Kyle Beckerman 4, Maurice Edu 4, Dwayne De Rosario 3, Guillermo Barros Schelotto 2, Andre Rocha 2, Marcelo Gallardo 1, Stuart Holden 1, Sacha Kljsetan 1, Justin Mapp 1, Pablo Mastroeni 1, Steve Ralston 1, Pablo Richetti 1, Laurent Robert 1, Clyde Simms 1, Andy Williams 1.

F
Landon Donovan 18, Kenny Cooper 15, Edson Buddle 2.

More ballot help!

Alright, here's the updated voting as it stands. I want our readers to fill out my All-Star ballot. We got eight responses last week and thus far have enough for a team. However, with the deadline a week or so away there is still time to get in more ballots.

As venerable readers Ed The Red pointed out, it may have been best to hold out. Some players, such as Ed's boy Luciano Emilio, have turned up the heat in recent weeks and have at least put themselves in the discussion.

Anyway, vote if you would and help me figure out my ballot.

GK
Matt Reis 5, Jon Busch 3

D
Bakary Soumare 5, Chad Marshall 4, Michael Parkhurst 4, Gonzalo Segares 4, Frankie Hejduk 3, Jimmy Conrad 1, Facundo Erpen 1, Sean Franklin 1, Marco Velez 1

M
David Beckham 8, Cuauhtemoc Blanco 7, Shalrie Joseph 6, Robbie Rogers 4, Javier Morales 3, Andre Rocha 2, Maurice Edu 2, Kyle Beckerman 1, Marcelo Gallardo 1, Stuart Holden 1, Justin Mapp 1, Steve Ralston 1, Pablo Richetti 1, Laurent Robert 1, Clyde Simms 1

F
Landon Donovan 8, Kenny Cooper 7, Edson Buddle 1

Fill out my ballot

MLS opened its voting for the MLS All-Star game to us media hacks, so instead of wasting my ballot with my own picks, I figured I'd put it to good use and allow the readers here to help me fill out my ballot.

Let me know who you think is most deserving. I've got to fill out a 3-5-2 formation, so space is limited.

State your case on a player or just drop a name or three or 11. We've got until July 2 so there's time.

West Ham on the docket

With apologies to former colleague Matt Zimmerman... West Ham? Is that the best MLS could do?

MLS officially announced its long-rumored All-Star game opponent Thursday as the MLS All-Stars will take on West Ham United of the English Premier League.

I'm not a fan of the All-Star game and think it should be done away with entirely but at least if it's a club like Chelsea or Celtic there is some intrigue. I don't see the intrigue West Ham brings.

Fan following

In my All-Star game preview, I mentioned as one storyline how the MLS fans would compare to the Celtic support.

A few readers took issue with me on that, griping that fan support in the U.S. couldn't really be measured by support for an All-Star team.

Thing is, the MLS fans stepped up. Here's my postgame notes - I was going to write an entire column, but I fell asleep.

They came out in the fabled green-and-white jerseys, with over a hundred years of tradition behind those venerable hoops. They planned to bring something of the true sporting experience to the yokels of Major League Soccer. It’s possible that they overlooked their opposition, because they were utterly vanquished.

I’m not talking about Celtic FC versus the All-Stars. I’m talking about the Celtic supporters who are considered among the sport’s most passionate, versus the rag-tag, cobbled together combination of fans coming out to cheer on some of the best players in the league they support.

It seems a strange thing, to support a league. Fan passion is usually more directly centered on one squad and the tradition that organization embodies.

Indeed, it probably felt strange to more than a few loyal fans of the local team, the Colorado Rapids, to cheer for the players that they normally boo when their team faces them in league competition.

For one game, however, all those rivalries were put aside, and the best in MLS stood shoulder to shoulder in an effort to defeat the outside opposition. Something akin happened years ago when the Greek city-states, normally fierce competitors, took up arms together against outside invaders.

The chorus that supported these league warriors wasn’t polished or rehearsed. Except for the “We want Pablo” refrain chanted by the locals, any wording of things yelled out was mostly unintelligible.

Some actions transcend words.

The MLS fans yelled, cheered, stood on the concourse watching, booed their adversaries mightily during corner kicks and even managed to get the wave going around the stadium.

In other words, they clearly demonstrated that they were fans with a pulse, not the comatose, clueless U.S. soccer audience that has been described by many foreign press reports.

Angel the All-Star

I had a sidebar piece for espn.com that never made the website (it basically got devoured in the Beckham coverage) so I've posted some of it here.

Juan Pablo Angel doesn’t have the international reputation of David Beckham, but his credentials to be a marquee player in Major League Soccer grow daily.

Against Celtic FC, the European opponent of the MLS All-Stars, Angel showed what a threat he is as a forward with a quality finishing touch.

While his compatriot Juan Toja showed at times more enthusiasm than control, Angel was dangerous from the start of the match and played with the dedication of something to prove. Angel’s goal, after Eddie Johnson’s penalty miss had taken some of the momentum of the MLS squad away, displayed his skill, coolness and awareness.

“We had arguably the best players in the league,” said Angel after the match. “We said that there’s no such thing as a friendly game in this league any more. We wanted to be out there and do it right. We played well and we were the better team on the night and we fully deserved to win.”

In only two short months with the league, Angel has been apprised of the low status many place on MLS. It’s possible that it contributed to his not being selected for the Colombian Copa America squad. So though he is a relative newcomer, Angel perhaps had more personal reasons than some to show both his own quality and that of where he now plays versus Celtic.

“Playing against one of the top European teams and beating them in style I think is good for the league,” said Angel.

All-Star and New England Revolution coach Steve Nicol praised Angel in particular, while at the same time defending MLS.

“We’ve come a long way in 11 years and we may be on the threshold of taking that extra step,” said Nicol. “It’s great that we have Juan (Pablo Angel) and Beckham coming in. That professionalism that Juan shows, all the young guys in the league will only get better learning from that. The American players are going to learn to be better professionals, better equipped to take on better teams.”

The All-Star game was also notable for the enthusiastic atmosphere that welcomed the MLS players. Angel, who sometimes plays before sparse crowds in New York, especially appreciated the support.

“I’ve been here only two months and to be able to play in the All-Star game, it’s a great experience,” said Angel. “It makes me look forward to the rest of my time here. I want to be involved next year again.”

If the praise of his All-Star teammates is any indication, Angel can look forward to many more outings.

“He’s top class,” said Eddie Pope. “The way he prepares himself on the field, his hard work, his finishing, everything is absolutely pristine.”

Some observers have noted that Angel’s skills indicated that he could have continued his career with another European team if he had not come to MLS.

“Everything happened really quick,” said Angel of his choice of the league. “I haven’t had the chance to think about it. It’s been hectic time for me since I got here. I’m happy. I have respect for Aston Villa - they’ve been great to me in my career, but this is a new challenge and I’m really looking forward to it.”

Thus far, it seems Angel has more than met the challenge.

“He’s unheralded, in terms of what he brings to the league,” said Jimmy Conrad. “He’s such a hard worker.”

Before the start

All about the All-Stars

Info, info

Earth-shattering Hero

Lew Wolff

Kinky rehearsal

Upgrade

Anyone want a veteran messenger bag? This one went to the World Youth cup in Peru. It's covered a lot of ground in MLS games, too.

But all that service went by the wayside when I got to the DSG pressbox and saw the All-Star courtesy gift. Two minutes later, my stuff was sitting in the new bag.