MLS NEWS

MLS All-Stars out last W. Ham 3-2

TORONTO -- A penalty kick goal from hometown hero Dwayne De Rosario in the 69th minute proved to be the difference in an exciting 3-2 victory for the MLS All-Stars against West Ham United in the 13th annual Pepsi Major League Soccer All-Star Game.

The victory was the MLS side's fourth in a row over international competition and improved their record to a perfect 5-0 overall since the MLS vs. the World format was first adopted in 2003. It also gives MLS a hat trick against London-based teams, as the All-Stars defeated Fulham and Chelsea in 2005 and 2006.

After Dean Ashton gave the English Premier League side a 26th-minute lead, Christian Gomez equalized not a minute later, set up by a terrific backheel from Cuauhtemoc Blanco. Blanco then put the MLS All-Stars ahead with a great goal of his own just before halftime, but Ashton brought West Ham on even terms again in the 67th minute, three minutes before De Rosario's spot kick provided the victory.

Blanco, the Chicago Fire's playmaker, was named the Volkswagen All-Star Game MVP, with a goal and an assist on the night.

The two sides spent much of the opening 10 minutes feeling each other out, hoping for a defensive crack to emerge rather than going on attack to create one themselves. The MLS team looked a trifle disorganized in the early going with a few missed passes and below-average footwork, perhaps a result of only two days of training with the full starting XI.

One such misplay occurred in the eighth minute. Following a David Beckham corner kick, the ball ricocheted out of the scrum and back to Columbus Crew defender Frankie Hejduk, playing back to gather the ball in just such an occasion. Hejduk, however, muffed the reception and West Ham took possession. Redemption came for the six-time All-Star a minute later when Hejduk got back in time to block a shot from Hammers forward Carlton Cole.

The sold-out BMO Field crowd lived up to its boisterous reputation, though perhaps not in the way that MLS fans might imagine. There were a fair amount of support for West Ham and booing of some of the All-Stars from Toronto FC's divisional rivals like Hejduk and Blanco. Even Beckham, making his Toronto debut, received a bit of BMO's trademark streamer shower when the midfielder went to take a corner kick. Chants of 'We Want Brennan!' in support of the insertion of TFC's lone All-Star rep, Canadian defender Jim Brennan, began roughly a minute into the game and continued throughout the first half.

After a quiet start, the game sprung to life in the 26th minute thanks to Ashton. Midfielder Julian Faubert's header sprung the forward loose downfield, and Ashton launched a hard, angled shot that sailed past goakeeper Matt Reis. It was a quality strike for West Ham's scoring leader in 2007-08, and an example of why Ashton recently received his first international cap for England.

It marked the first time that an international side had ever held a lead over the MLS All-Stars, and the first time in 260 minutes the MLS side had been scored upon in All-Star competition. But West Ham's triumph was short lived.

Just a minute after Ashton's score, the All-Stars moved the ball downfield and Beckham made an forward pass to Blanco. The Mexican internatioanl quickly delivered a pass of his own, a brilliant backheel that found an unmarked Gomez. The Colorado Rapids midfielder, who has three goals this season, took an angled shot that just caught the left side of the net to equalize the score for MLS.

Gomez's goal seemed to invigorate the All-Stars, who began to attack the West Ham defense with more vigor. A goal nearly came off of another quality pass from Blanco, as the Mexican superstar delivered an expert cross in the 33rd minute that found fellow striker Kenny Cooper on the right side of the Hammers net. The FC Dallas star mistimed his header, however, putting the ball right of the net.

In the 40th minute, a direct free kick from David Beckham snaked its way towards the West Ham goal. Hammers defender Calum Davenport was in position to clear the ball and deny Beckham one of his patented set-piece goals.

The MLS team finally broke through with another goal courtesy of Blanco, who was wreaking havoc on the left side of the park. Blanco took a pass from Dallas' Juan Toja on the left side, made a few steps to create some space from his defender and then stopped and launched a curving right-footed shot that flew into the upper right-hand corner of the net.

The Blanco show came to an end at the half, as Blanco and Cooper strike force was substituted for Landon Donovan and Juan Pablo Angel, the MVPs of the 2001 and 2007 MLS All-Star Games, respectively.

West Ham, meanwhile, made a halftime substitution of their own, inserting Luis Boa Morte in place of midfielder Matthew Etherington. Portuguese international Boa Morte, who played for Fulham in the 2005 contest, became the first player to ever appear in two All-Star Games against the MLS side. Boa Morte nearly celebrated his achievement with a goal, as his free kick in the 53rd minute required a canny save on the right side from Reis.

The New England goalkeeper had to make an even bigger save a few minutes later. In the aftermath of a Davenport corner, the ball was played back and then crossed in front of the net to Faubert. The former French international delivered a strong header that Reis was there to stop at point-blank range.

The BMO Field fans had their chants answered in the 59th minute, when Brennan was inserted into the match to a raucous ovation. Also adding to the celebration was the entrance of De Rosario, a Canadian international and native of the Toronto suburb of Scarborough. It was a hectic 24 hours for De Rosario and fellow All-Star (and Canadian) Pat Onstad, who both played 90 minutes in a weather-delayed match in Washington the previous night.

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