MLS ALL-STARS vs. ARSENAL FC
2016 AT&T MLS All-Star Game
July 28, 2016 • Avaya Stadium, San Jose, Calif.
7:30 pm ET (ESPN, UniMás, TSN2, RDS)
The 2016 AT&T MLS All-Star Game will pit the best of Major League Soccer against English Premier League giants Arsenal. The English club, participating in the MLS All-Star Game for the first time, will face off against the All-Stars at the home of the San Jose Earthquakes, Avaya Stadium, which opened in 2015.
Youthful All-Star Lineup
Sure, there are plenty of big, veteran names on the All-Star roster, but what marks this group may be the youth. With two young goalkeepers in Quakes stopper David Bingham and Philadelphia's Andre Blake, and two rookie defenders in Blake's Philadelphia teammate Keegan Rosenberry and Chicago's Brandon Vincent, there are some up-and-comers getting a chance to shine, right now. Add in the likes of Columbus midfielder Wil Trapp and Orlando City striker Cyle Larin, and there is certainly an infusion of youth in this year's group of MLS All-Stars.
Arsenal preparing for upcoming season
The North London side, which surged to a second-place finish in the Premier League last season, will certainly be in the reckoning for silverware again in 2016-17, between the league, the UEFA Champions League, where Arsenal routinely reach the knockout rounds, and the domestic cups, including the FA Cup, which they last won in 2014-15. With Arsene Wenger the club's longest-tenured manager, at the helm for another season, and a group of talented players returning, the club will look to continue preparations for the season ahead with a clash against the MLS All-Stars.
Can the winning streak continue?
Given the parameters in play, with a group of players from various teams coming together for a couple days at most, it can be tough for the MLS All-Stars to get results against their visitors. But in fact, the MLS All-Stars have won the last two editions of the midseason classic, 2-1 to Arsenal's biggest rivals Tottenham Hotspur last year, and 2-1 to German giants Bayern Munich in 2014. Can the MLS team make it three years in a row?
2016 AT&T MLS ALL-STAR GAME ROSTERS:
2016 AT&T MLS All-Stars:
Goalkeepers (2): David Bingham (San Jose Earthquakes), Andre Blake (Philadelphia Union)
Defenders (7): Steve Birnbaum (D.C. United), Laurent Ciman (Montreal Impact), Andrew Farrell (New England Revolution), Liam Ridgewell (Portland Timbers), Keegan Rosenberry (Philadelphia Union), Brandon Vincent (Chicago Fire), Kendall Waston (Vancouver Whitecaps)
Midfielders (9): Kyle Beckerman (Real Salt Lake), Mauro Diaz (FC Dallas), Giovani dos Santos (LA Galaxy), Jermaine Jones (Colorado Rapids), Kaká (Orlando City), Sacha Kljestan (New York Red Bulls), Darlington Nagbe (Portland Timbers), Andrea Pirlo (New York City FC), Wil Trapp (Columbus Crew SC)
Forwards (7): Clint Dempsey (Seattle Sounders), Didier Drogba (Montreal Impact), Sebastian Giovinco (Toronto FC), Cyle Larin (Orlando City), Ignacio Piatti (Montreal Impact), David Villa (New York City FC), Chris Wondolowski (San Jose Earthquakes)
Arsenal FC:
Goalkeepers (3): Petr Cech, Emiliano Martinez, David Ospina
Defenders (7): Hector Bellerin, Krystian Bielik, Calum Chambers, Mathieu Debuchy, Kieran Gibbs, Rob Holding, Nacho Monreal
Midfielders (9): Santi Cazorla, Francis Coquelin, Mohamed Elneny, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Jeff Reine-Adelaide, Chris Willock, Jack Wilshere, Granit Xhaka, Gedion Zelalem
Forwards (4): Chuba Akpom, Joel Campbell, Alex Iwobi, Theo Walcott
