MLS All-Star Game preview: Giovinco, Kaka and co. battle mighty Real Madrid
Bastian Schweinsteiger said if he and the 2017 MLS All-Stars can beat Real Madrid on Wednesday at Soldier Field, then maybe they have a real shot at winning the FIFA World Cup.
It was, of course, a comment made in jest, as the league's latest marquee man once fielded a question about his new club Chicago Fire's chances at winning the international prize. But that comment just about sums up the general sentiment surrounding the MLS All-Star game: It's a bit of fun, really, and not much more.
A meaningless, meaningful occasion
There's no need to read too much into the result of this exhibition fixture; a loss doesn't act as an accurate barometer of growth in MLS, nor would a shock win indicate a fatal flaw in Zinedine Zidane's Champions League-winning side. Instead, fans will simply be treated to the sight of Kaka, Sebastian Giovinco, and David Villa taking on Gareth Bale, Toni Kroos, and Sergio Ramos.
Not Cristiano Ronaldo, though. The Portugal icon hasn't returned to training yet and won't be available for selection on Wednesday. All-Stars manager Veljko Paunovic won't mind his absence one bit, though some fans might be miffed as tickets for the match went for as much as $400 on StubHub.
Still, for fans of MLS, this is an enjoyable day where the best and brightest (and most U.S. international-est) stars come together to try and topple a European giant. For the white-clad fans in Chicago, it's a chance to see their favorite players live, in person, at home.
What should fans expect?
(Photo courtesy: Getty)
Real Madrid will be hungry for a win as pre-season has not been kind to the squad thus far; Los Blancos kicked off the year with a 2-1 loss to Manchester United on penalties, then lost 4-1 to Manchester City three days later. A trip to Miami saw Real Madrid square off and lose 3-2 against bitter rival Barcelona.
Clearly, Zidane and co. don't care much for the result from this All-Star match, but losing multiple games in succession won't do much to inspire confidence among the team's ranks. As it stands, Zidane will expect victory in order to set the right stage for a title defense in La Liga, now just a few weeks away.
The All-Stars will also be hoping for a better showing than the Chuba Akpom-inspired loss to Arsenal last year. The league's star players have yet to take on a Spanish side, though they did find success over Bayern Munich and Tottenham in 2014 and 2015, respectively.
For Kaka, this match represents a chance to take on his former teammates at Real Madrid; similarly, Villa and Giovani Dos Santos might still feel the fire of a rivalry burning in their hearts as the former Barca duo take on an old foe once more.
Who's playing in this thing, anyway?
Paunovic's 24-man roster includes all the names you'd expect, but is rounded off by MLS staples like Ignacio Piatti, Dom Dwyer, and Diego Valeri. The U.S. contingent is robust, as always, with Tim Howard, Jozy Altidore, Michael Bradley, Graham Zusi, DaMarcus Beasley, and Dax McCarty all included.
Schweinsteiger is joined by fellow newcomers Nemanja Nikolic, Miguel Almiron, and Hernan Grana, while Dos Santos gets the nod despite some poor form with the LA Galaxy this season. The full squad, below:
Goalkeepers: Stefan Frei (Seattle Sounders), Tim Howard (Colorado Rapids)
Defenders: DaMarcus Beasley (Houston Dynamo), Greg Garza (Atlanta United FC), Hernan Grana (FC Dallas), Matt Hedges (FC Dallas), Johan Kappelhof (Chicago Fire), Michael Parkhurst (Atlanta United), Jelle Van Damme (LA Galaxy), Graham Zusi (Sporting Kansas City)
Midfielders: Kellyn Acosta (FC Dallas), Miguel Almiron (Atlanta United), Michael Bradley (Toronto FC), Giovani Dos Santos (LA Galaxy), Kaka (Orlando City SC), Dax McCarty (Chicago Fire), Ignacio Piatti (Montreal Impact), Bastian Schweinsteiger (Chicago Fire), Diego Valeri (Portland Timbers)
Forwards: Jozy Altidore (Toronto FC), Dom Dwyer (Orlando City SC), Sebastian Giovinco (Toronto FC), Nemanja Nikolic (Chicago Fire), David Villa (New York City FC)
Related - The alternate All-Stars: Building an XI of underappreciated MLS talent
As for Real Madrid, the squad is relatively unchanged from the team that lost 3-2 to Barcelona earlier in the week in Miami:
Goalkeepers: Kiko Casilla, Keylor Navas, Ruben Yanez, Luca Zidane
Defenders: Dani Carvajal, Achraf Hakimi, Theo Hernandez, Manuel Hernando, Marcelo, Nacho, Luis Miguel Quezada, Sergio Ramos, Alvaro Tejero, Jesus Vallejo, Raphael Varane
Midfielders: Marco Asensio, Casemiro, Dani Ceballos, Mateo Kovacic, Toni Kroos, Marcos Llorente, Luka Modric
Forwards: Gareth Bale, Karim Benzema, Francisco Feuillassier, Daniel Gomez, Isco, Borja Mayoral, Oscar Rodriguez, Lucas Vazquez
(Photos courtesy: Action Images)