After a tough game, the MLS All-Star team managed to defeat West Ham United on the 13th annual Pepsi Major League Soccer All-Star Game.
With West Ham being the third London-based team that has been defeated by the American All-Star team, the MLS has improved their record to a perfect 5-0 since 2003 when the MLS vs. the World format was first adopted.
The first goal came on the 26th minute by Dean Ashton from West Ham. Just one minute later, with a terrific pass from Cuauhtemoc Blanco, Christian Gomez managed to to tie the game. Not long, before the first half of the game was over, Blanco made a goal which gave the lead to the American team. On the 67th minute, with a 2-1 in favor of the MLS, West Ham’s Dean Ashton made his second goal once again tying the score to two. But this was not over yet! Dwayne De Rosario from the American team finally gave the victory to MLS with his goal just three minutes after Ashton’s goal.
Blanco was named MVP for making a goal and an assist.
The sold-out BMO Field crowd lived up to its boisterous reputation, though perhaps not in the way that MLS fans might imagine. There were a fair amount of support for West Ham and booing of some of the All-Stars from Toronto FC’s divisional rivals like Hejduk and Blanco. Even Beckham, making his Toronto debut, received a bit of BMO’s trademark streamer shower when the midfielder went to take a corner kick. Chants of ‘We Want Brennan!’ in support of the insertion of TFC’s lone All-Star rep, Canadian defender Jim Brennan, began roughly a minute into the game and continued throughout the first half.
The MLS schedule resumes on Sunday with four games. West Ham will head back to England to resume their preseason training in preparation for their Premiership season opener against Wigan on August 16.
West Ham United vs. MLS All-Stars
July 24, 2008 — BMO Field
Scoring Summary:
WHU — Dean Ashton 1 (Carlton Cole 1) 26
MLS — Christian Gomez 1 (Cuauhtemoc Blanco 1, David Beckham 1) 27
MLS — Cuauhtemoc Blanco 1 (Juan Toja ) 43
WHU — Dean Ashton 2 (Luis Boa Morte ) 67
MLS — Dwayne De Rosario 1 (penalty kick) 69
