I'm not enthused about writing this post. I'm not overly excited to break down the MLS All Stars or their Premier League opponents. I'm not particularly keen on the All Star game, and while I understand the reasons for it, I'd just as well have it go away.
It doesn't appear that it will, and so I feel obligated to write a little something on one of the oddest friendlies you'll see this summer. This isn't LA Galaxy-AC Milan, DC United-Real Madrid, or any other made-to-make-money match that pits an actual club with players who are comfortable with each other against a foreign side in the initial stages of their pre-season.
Instead, it's a collection of the best MLS has to offer against a foreign side in the initial stage of their pre-season. Sure, it will be nice to see talent from our league go up against a relatively strong team from one of the world's most popular competition; but beyond the curiosity of it, what's the real worth?
The game is a showcase, of course, a way for MLS to get themselves out there and in front of many in this country that usually don't pay attention; but the contrived nature of it all, and the fact that MLS from week to week won't resemble tonight's game in any real sense, means that (at least in my mind) the net effect is minimal. Do we really believe that anyone not already predisposed to MLS will turn towards it now if the All Stars beat Everton? I don't.
Maybe I'm missing something. Maybe there's an aspect of worth to the game that I don't see, something that makes it more beneficial to American soccer than it appears on the surface. Maybe Major League Soccer feels obligated (much as I do to write this post) to put on an All Star game simply because it is such a part of the professional sports fabric in the United States.
Hell, maybe the damn thing makes money. That's a reason to hold it, right? Every dollar counts for MLS, and if the All Star Game brings in a few, who am I to question it's worth?
To be fair, I rarely find myself excited for any All Star game, no matter the sport. Baseball's is more about tradition than anything else, and it could be argued that the Home Run Derby has transcended the game itself in buzz. Football's is a ridiculous exercise that matters so little that no one minds when players beg off of playing. All Star Games all around seem pointless and unnecessary, and I certainly carry that prejudice with me when I consider the MLS version. Soccer just seems even less of a fit for an exhibition like this, though, and I can't shake the feeling that holding it makes the league come off as "minor league".
I suppose that attitude is much of the reason for my disinterest in tonight
s game, and while I'm going to watch (again, I feel obligated), I doubt I'll be overly impressed/excited/involved in any of the action or the final result.
Enjoy the All Star Game. My prediction: MLS All Stars 3, Everton 1.
