Doug McIntyre
Soccer Journalist
For the primary time in three tries, Liga MX’s greatest gamers beat their counterparts from Main League Soccer on the MLS All-Star recreation, with a variety Mexico’s high league successful the 2024 occasion 4-1 on Wednesday at Decrease dot com Subject in Columbus, Ohio.
Monterrey striker Germán Berterame opened the scoring a quarter-hour in, a strike that was canceled out moments later by hometown hero Cucho Hernandez, the Columbus Crew’s Colombian star. Pachuca standout Oussama Idrissi put Liga MX up for good when he scored the game-winner shortly earlier than halftime. The guests padded their lead with two extra targets seconds aside just a little greater than 20 minutes earlier than full-time.
Wednesday’s contest marked the third time since 2021 that the All-Star recreation pitted the neighboring leagues within the MLS’s midsummer basic. MLS’s greatest beat Liga MX 2-1 in 2022 and gained on penalties following a 1-1 tie the 12 months earlier than. English Premier League energy Arsenal crushed the MLS All-Stars 5-0 final 12 months.
Listed below are a couple of fast takeaways from the twenty ninth MLS All-Star recreation.
Play of the sport
Cucho’s objective was as well-worked because it was well timed. Former Barcelona and Spanish nationwide staff mainstay Sergio Busquets confirmed off his pedigree with a seeing-eye feed to Diego Rossi on the wing, the burden of which allowed the Uruguayan to make a first-time go to his streaking Crew teammate. With LIGA MX keeper Luis Malagón at his mercy, Hernandez coolly slotted the ball residence — a lot to the delight of the yellow-clad residence followers:
Turning level
Each coaches made wholesale substitutions as the competition went on. One among MLS boss’ Wilfried Nancy’s practically produced one other equalizer when the rating was 2-1, however the shot by the LA Galaxy’s Riqui Puig could not beat the far put up:
Key stat
MLS now has a file of 11 wins and 10 losses for the reason that All-Stars-versus-guest-team format first debuted all the way in which again in 2002. Along with its two current triumphs over Liga MX, MLS has additionally crushed European powers Bayern Munich, Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea (twice).
What’s subsequent for Liga MX?
For the second consecutive season, Mexico will shutter its high home league and ship its groups into the U.S. and Canada for the Leagues Cup, the 47-team event that features each Liga MX and MLS membership. In an all-American last within the inaugural occasion final 12 months, Lionel Messi led Inter Miami previous Nashville SC to hoist the trophy.
A few of the off-field logistics have been improved for the Liga MX reps this summer season, and the Mexican squads will certainly anticipate higher outcomes on the pitch. As a result of when the taking part in area is even — as it’s in the course of the home-and-home Concacaf Champions Cup sequence earlier within the 12 months — Liga MX has confirmed that it’s nonetheless North America’s standard-bearer, a minimum of for now.
What’s subsequent for MLS?
The 2023 Leagues Cup was an immediate hit for MLS, and never simply due to Messi & Co.’s storybook journey to the trophy. With video games nearly each evening in the course of the group stage of the month-long, World Cup-style competitors — lots of them of the fascinating intra-league selection — the still-novel tourney provides some welcome mid-summer spice throughout what was the canine days of the marathon common season. With its stadiums crammed with potential new supporters and its groups in peak type, MLS has one other quick alternative to indicate that it may possibly constantly beat Mexico’s greatest.
Doug McIntyre is a soccer author for FOX Sports activities who has lined the United States males’s and girls’s nationwide groups at FIFA World Cups on 5 continents. Comply with him at @ByDougMcIntyre.
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