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Soccer exhibition match in Columbus, Ohio, U.S. From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The 2024 Major League Soccer All-Star Game was the 28th annual Major League Soccer All-Star Game, an exhibition soccer match in the United States. It featured all-star squads from Major League Soccer (MLS) and Liga MX of Mexico—the third edition to use the inter-league format. The All-Star Game was played on July 24, 2024, at Lower.com Field in Columbus, Ohio, and won 4–1 by Liga MX. The MLS All-Star Skills Challenge was played the day before at the same venue.
Lower.com Field hosted the All-Star Game | |||||||
| Event | 2024 Major League Soccer season | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| |||||||
| Date | July 24, 2024 | ||||||
| Venue | Lower.com Field, Columbus, Ohio, U.S. | ||||||
| Most Valuable Player | Juan Brunetta (Liga MX All-Stars) | ||||||
| Referee | Guido Gonzales Jr. (United States) | ||||||
| Attendance | 20,931[1] | ||||||
On June 28, 2023, MLS announced that the 2024 MLS All-Star Game would be hosted by the Columbus Crew and played at their home stadium, Lower.com Field in Columbus, Ohio. The 2005 MLS All-Star Game was hosted by the Crew at their previous stadium.[2] The Liga MX All-Stars, representing the top flight league of Mexico, were announced as the 2024 All-Star Game opponents on March 4, 2024. It is the third MLS All-Star Game to feature an inter-league all-star team; the Liga MX All-Stars had previously played in the 2021 and 2022 editions before MLS switched back to a friendly against a European club for the 2023 game. The All-Star Game was played two days before the start of the 2024 Leagues Cup, an international competition featuring all clubs from MLS and Liga MX.[3]
The MLS All-Star team's 30 players were determined by sixteen selections by host head coach Wilfried Nancy of the Columbus Crew, two players selected by MLS commissioner Don Garber, and twelve selections from an online vote of fans, media personnel, and MLS players.[4] The online vote for players in a 4–1–2–3 formation and one additional slot began on May 29, 2024, and concluded on June 10. Players on the ballot were required to have appeared in at least 50 percent of their club's matches by May 13.[5] Garber selected Houston Dynamo FC midfielder Héctor Herrera and Columbus midfielder Darlington Nagbe.[4]
Real Salt Lake forward Cristian Arango, who was voted onto the roster, was suspended by the league on July 15 for a violation of the MLS anti-harassment policy.[6] Miles Robinson withdrew from the All-Star Game due to his selection for the United States under-23 team at the 2024 Summer Olympics. Real Salt Lake midfielder Diego Luna and Colorado Rapids defender Moïse Bombito were announced as replacement coach selections on July 19.[7] Forwards Gabriel Pec of the LA Galaxy and Petar Musa of FC Dallas were added as coach selections on July 21, after the withdrawal of Inter Miami forwards Lionel Messi and Luis Suárez, who were both injured during the 2024 Copa América.[8][9] Luciano Acosta of FC Cincinnati, the reigning league MVP, was named captain of the MLS All-Star Team for the second consecutive year.[10]
André Jardine was selected as the manager of the Liga MX All-Stars after winning the Balón de Oro award for Best Head Coach of the Season. His selection of 14 players from the Balón de Oro finalists and 14 additional players was announced on July 17.[11]
The MLS All-Star Skills Challenge was held on July 23 at Lower.com Field and comprise events in five fields: shooting, touches, cross-and-volley, passing, and a crossbar challenge. The rosters include ten all-star players, one former "great" player, and a female players from the National Women's Soccer League and Liga MX Femenil. The MLS roster includes former player Sacha Kljestan and Diana Ordóñez of the Houston Dash; the Liga MX roster includes former player Luis Hernández and Alicia Cervantes of C.D. Guadalajara Femenil.[12] The Liga MX All-Stars won three of the five events during the Skills Challenge.[13] A single-elimination Goalie Wars tournament was also held and featured four MLS Next Pro goalkeepers; Chituru Odunze of Crown Legacy FC won the team's second consecutive Goalie Wars title.[14]
| Event | MLS score | Liga MX score |
|---|---|---|
| Shooting | 96 | 158 |
| Touch | 137 | 71 |
| Cross & Volley | 45 | 90 |
| Passing | 2 wins | 1 win |
| Crossbar | Loss | Win |
The All-Star Game and Skills Challenge were broadcast globally in English, French, and Spanish on MLS Season Pass, an online streaming platform operated by Apple TV with rights to all MLS matches.[5]
The initial MLS All-Stars roster was announced on July 1, 2024.[4] The Skills Challenge rosters for both teams were published on July 15.[12] Players from 18 clubs were selected; the most-represented teams on the roster are the Columbus Crew with five players and Inter Miami CF with four players who are all making their All-Star Game debut.[4][16]
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
† indicates a player who participated in the MLS All-Star Skills Challenge.[12]
The first half of the Liga MX All-Stars roster was announced on June 30, 2024, as part of the Balón de Oro awards. The remaining 16 players were announced on July 15.[18]
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
† indicates a player who is participating in the MLS All-Star Skills Challenge.[12]
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