2016 MLS All-Star Game

2016 AT&T MLS All-Star Game

Event	2016 Major League Soccer season
MLS All-Stars Arsenal 1 2
Date	July 28, 2016 (2016-07-28)
Venue	PayPal Park, San Jose, California
Most Valuable Player	Chuba Akpom (Arsenal)
Referee	Chris Penso (United States)
Attendance	18,000
Weather	Clear, 84 °F (29 °C)
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The 2016 Major League Soccer All-Star Game, the 21st annual Major League Soccer All-Star Game, took place on July 28, 2016 (7:30 p.m. EDT, 4:30 p.m. local time) at Avaya Stadium, the home of the San Jose Earthquakes. The game was televised live on ESPN and Univision in the United States, and on TSN and RDS in Canada.^[1] The game featured the MLS All-Star team playing English side Arsenal, with the match being a preseason friendly for Arsenal as part of their tour of California.^[2]

Chuba Akpom was named MVP.

Background

The Major League Soccer (MLS) All-Star Game is an annual exhibition game played by a selection of players from the league's teams. It began in 1996 with the Eastern Conference and Western Conference fielding their own teams, similar to other major North American sports. After numerous format changes, the 2003 edition saw the format change again to matchup Mexican club Guadalajara against the "MLS All-Stars", a team with the best players competing in MLS. After reverting back to the original format in 2004, the "MLS All-Stars" had since played various club teams from across the world, including Premier League clubs Manchester United and Chelsea.

MLS announced in May 2015 that Avaya Stadium, the home stadium of the San Jose Earthquakes, would host the 21st edition of the MLS All-Star Game.^[3] In February 2016, it was announced that Premier League side Arsenal were set to play the MLS All-Stars on July 28.^[4] Telecommunications company AT&T sponsored the game and the match was broadcast live in the United States through ESPN and Univision; it was also available internationally in over 100 countries.^[3]

Squads

MLS All-Stars

The MLS All Star Fan XI was announced on July 9, 2016, however members of this XI were not guaranteed a slot in the 22 man game day squad.^[5]

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player 1 GK  JAM Andre Blake (Philadelphia Union) 2 FW  USA Clint Dempsey (Seattle Sounders FC) 3 DF  USA Brandon Vincent (Chicago Fire) 4 DF  CRC Kendall Waston (Vancouver Whitecaps FC) 6 MF  USA Darlington Nagbe (Portland Timbers) 7 FW  ESP David Villa (New York City FC) 8 FW  USA Chris Wondolowski (San Jose Earthquakes) 9 FW  CAN Cyle Larin (Orlando City SC) 10 FW  ITA Sebastian Giovinco (Toronto FC) 11 FW  CIV Didier Drogba (Montreal Impact) 12 DF  USA Keegan Rosenberry (Philadelphia Union) 13 MF  USA Jermaine Jonesa (Colorado Rapids) 14 DF  USA Andrew Farrell (New England Revolution) 15 DF  USA Steve Birnbaum (D.C. United) 16 MF  USA Sacha Kljestan (New York Red Bulls)

No. Pos. Nation Player 17 MF  MEX Giovanni Dos Santos (LA Galaxy) 18 DF  USA Matt Beslera (Sporting Kansas City) 19 DF  ENG Liam Ridgewella (Portland Timbers) 20 MF  USA Wil Trapp (Columbus Crew SC) 21 MF  ITA Andrea Pirlo (New York City FC) 22 MF  BRA Kaká (Orlando City SC) 23 DF  BEL Laurent Ciman (Montreal Impact) 24 GK  PUR Josh Saunders (New York City FC) 25 MF  USA Kyle Beckerman (Real Salt Lake) 28 FW  ARG Ignacio Piatti (Montreal Impact) 29 MF  ARG Mauro Diaz (FC Dallas) 34 GK  USA David Bingham (San Jose Earthquakes) 37 DF  BEL Jelle Van Damme (LA Galaxy) 95 DF  USA Kellyn Acosta (FC Dallas)

Notes:

^a Injured or otherwise unable to play.

Arsenal

On July 22 Arsenal announced a 25-man traveling squad for the MLS All-Star game:^[6]

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player 2 DF  FRA Mathieu Debuchy 3 DF  ENG Kieran Gibbs 4 DF  GER Per Mertesacker [a] 5 DF  BRA Gabriel 10 MF  ENG Jack Wilshere 13 GK  COL David Ospina 14 FW  ENG Theo Walcott 15 MF  ENG Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain 16 DF  ENG Rob Holding 17 FW  NGA Alex Iwobi 18 DF  ESP Nacho Monreal 19 MF  ESP Santi Cazorla 21 DF  ENG Calum Chambers

No. Pos. Nation Player 24 DF  ESP Héctor Bellerín 26 GK  ARG Emiliano Martínez 28 FW  CRC Joel Campbell 29 MF  SUI Granit Xhaka 31 MF  FRA Jeff Reine-Adélaïde [b] 32 FW  ENG Chuba Akpom 33 GK  CZE Petr Čech 34 MF  FRA Francis Coquelin 35 MF  EGY Mohamed Elneny 37 MF  POL Krystian Bielik [b] 40 MF  USA Gedion Zelalem [b] 68 FW  ENG Chris Willock [b]

Notes:

^a Injured or otherwise unable to play.

^b Development Squad

Match

2016 MLS All-Star Game

July 28, 2016 (2016-07-28)

19:30 EDT

MLS All-Stars	1–2	Arsenal
Drogba 45+2'	Report	Campbell 11' (pen.) Akpom 87'

Avaya Stadium, San Jose, California

Attendance: 18,000

Referee: Chris Penso (United States)

MLS All-Stars

Arsenal

GK 1 Andre Blake  45' DF 12 Keegan Rosenberry  45' DF 23 Laurent Ciman  10'  45' DF 37 Jelle Van Damme  45' DF 95 Kellyn Acosta  57' MF 21 Andrea Pirlo  32' MF 25 Kyle Beckerman  45' MF 17 Giovani dos Santos  45' MF 22 Kaká (c)  45' FW 7 David Villa  33' FW 11 Didier Drogba  45' Substitutes: GK 34 David Bingham  45' DF 3 Brandon Vincent  57' DF 4 Kendall Waston  45' DF 14 Andrew Farrell  45' DF 15 Steve Birnbaum  45' MF 2 Clint Dempsey  73' MF 6 Darlington Nagbe  45' MF 8 Chris Wondolowski  73' MF 16 Sacha Kljestan  32'  73' MF 20 Wil Trapp  45' MF 28 Ignacio Piatti  33'  73' MF 29 Mauro Díaz  45' FW 9 Cyle Larin  77' FW 10 Sebastian Giovinco  45'  77' Manager: Dominic Kinnear

GK 33 Petr Čech (c)  67' DF 2 Mathieu Debuchy  45' DF 16 Rob Holding DF 37 Krystian Bielik  45' DF 3 Kieran Gibbs  45' MF 35 Mohamed Elneny  67' MF 34 Francis Coquelin  45' MF 10 Jack Wilshere  45' MF 15 Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain  67' MF 28 Joel Campbell  68' FW 14 Theo Walcott  67' Substitutes: GK 26 Emiliano Martínez  67' DF 18 Nacho Monreal  45' DF 21 Calum Chambers  45' DF 24 Héctor Bellerín  45' MF 17 Alex Iwobi  45' MF 29 Granit Xhaka  45' MF 31 Jeff Reine-Adélaïde  68' MF 40 Gedion Zelalem  67' FW 32 Chuba Akpom  67' FW 68 Chris Willock  67' Manager: Arsène Wenger

References