Vela gets MLS All-Stars going in 2-1 win over Liga MX
ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — Dayne St. Clair entered the interview room, sporting a smile as vibrant as his orange goalkeeper’s jersey and clutching a crystal trophy after serving to the MLS All-Stars beat Liga MX.
Coach Adrian Heath mentioned slyly, “What did you win?”
“MVP,” St. Clair coolly replied, relishing the respect in his crew Minnesota United’s house stadium.
Carlos Vela scored within the third minute and Raúl Ruidíaz transformed a penalty kick within the 73rd minute within the Main League Soccer All-Star crew’s 2-1 victory over Mexico’s Liga MX on Wednesday night time.
Vela, the versatile Los Angeles FC ahead who led MLS with 34 targets in 2019, headed in the early goal off a crossing cross by LAFC teammate Diego Palacios. Ruidíaz padded the lead after Carles Gil drew a penalty, sending his free shot to the decrease proper nook to elicit a roar from the sellout crowd of 19,797 at Allianz Subject.
Kevin Álvarez scored for Liga MX with a rocket from exterior the field within the 83rd minute that sailed previous diving goalie Sean Johnson. That introduced the hundreds of Mexicans in attendance to life, and so they have been simply as loud because the Individuals, however the work completed within the internet by Andre Blake and St. Clair over the primary two-thirds of the sport paid off.
St. Clair entered within the thirty second minute to sub for Andre Blake and made 4 saves, together with a diving stop to dam a header within the forty fourth minute. Liga MX had a 7-2 edge in photographs heading in the right direction, took seven corners to 1 for MLS and had a 52% possession price, so the goalkeeping
“I used to be positively a bit of bit shocked,” St. Clair mentioned. “Usually it’s the fellows who contribute to the targets who get the award, however I am positively very completely happy.”
Minnesota United, nicknamed the Loons by the membership’s ardent supporters, had Heath, St. Clair and beginning midfielder Emanuel Reynoso represented on the crew.
“Really an honor to have the ability to have a efficiency like this in entrance of the followers that assist us each week,” mentioned St. Clair, who’s tied for second in MLS with 79 saves in 22 video games. “I all the time knew I used to be able to placing forth these performances on this stage.”
CF Montreal defender Kamal Miller made historical past by turning into the primary Canadian heart again to begin in an MLS All-Star recreation. The one different Canadian heart again to play within the All-Star contest was Frank Yallop, who got here off the bench to play the second half of the 1997 recreation.
Different Canadians have made their mark within the All-Star recreation, now in its twenty sixth version. Dwayne De Rosario was named MVP in 2006.
Miller did his half on offense, hammering a shot simply excessive within the seventeenth minute. The native of Scarborough, Ont., was additionally in the precise spot within the thirty first minute when he acquired in the best way of Fernando Beltran’s shot.
Canadian goalkeeper Dayne St. Clair, who performs for Minnesota United, got here on within the thirty second minute for Andre Blake. He made a nice save within the forty fourth minute, diving to his left to parry Juan Dinenno’s header.
Miller was considered one of eight halftime substitutions for the MLS all-stars. St. Clair, from Pickering, Ont., gave technique to Sean Johnson within the 61st minute.
Canadian Michael Barwegen served as assistant referee.
This was the second version of this format for the MLS All-Star recreation, setting it aside from the opposite main U.S.-based professional sports activities leagues. The MLS crew beat Liga MX on penalty kicks in Los Angeles final 12 months after a 1-1 attract regulation. The MLS has not dedicated to an All-Star rematch.
The 2 leagues are extra enterprise companions than fierce rivals, with just one Mexican participant within the beginning Liga MX lineup: Fernando Beltrán. The MLS crew had Vela, Javier “Chicharito” Hernández and Julián Araujo, who was born within the U.S. and has twin nationality.
However the MLS, which was fashioned greater than 50 years after Liga MX, actually will take one other signal that it is catching up to its southern neighbor. The Seattle Sounders turned the primary MLS membership to defeat a Liga MX crew for the CONCACAF Champions League title earlier this 12 months after they beat Pumas UNAM.
“I’ve been in America now 13 years and that is the closest it’s ever been,” Heath mentioned. “Each time the U.S. performs Mexico now, I’m unsure who’s going to win the sport.”
Subsequent 12 months, the leagues will compete in an expanded Leagues Cup match — the primary to incorporate all 47 golf equipment from MLS and Liga MX. The winner will advance on to the CONCACAF Champions League spherical of 16.
The timing of the showcase this 12 months additionally created a bonus alternative for the U.S. nationwide crew members to attach, with the World Cup looming in a bit of greater than three months.
There have been seven MLS All-Stars presently listed on the U.S. roster, which has but to be finalized for Qatar: defenders Walker Zimmerman, DeAndre Yedlin and Aaron Lengthy, forwards Jordan Morris, Paul Arriola and Jesús Ferreira and Johnson.
Zimmerman and Morris have been within the beginning lineup. Arriola subbed in and had an early second-half aim erased by an offside name on Brandon Vázquez, who teed up Arriola with an ideal setup in entrance. Vázquez, who’s second within the MLS with 14 targets, has performed his method into sturdy consideration for the U.S. crew together with his breakout season for FC Cincinnati.
___
Extra AP soccer protection: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports
Dave Campbell, The Related Press
