The MLS Stop The Blues

     The MLS reached it's half way point with a shocker of a game last night. The 2012 All-Star game was billed like the rest of them. In one corner you had the scrappy, unappreciated MLS squad and in the other a huge English Premier League team looking to wipe the pitch with them. Surprisingly, I've always liked this All -Star game over all the rest. It always had something just a little bit different than the rest: meaning. There is no bigger meaning than the message that was sent last night.

     Coming into the game there was a little more excitement. Chelsea were the Champions of Europe in transition; never before had the MLS played such a meaningful game. Through it was just the pre-season for the English giants, this would still be a great step forward for the MLS. I didn't have much hope for the MLS'ers. All I had to reference was the 4-2 beat down of the Sounders. Sure, the Blues didn't seem to sharp in that match, but they pulled away  when they needed to and that's all that mattered. When Chris Wondolowski's 21st minute hard fought goal went in, my mind was changed. 

     Wondo's goal will forever be remembered in my mind as the moment that the MLS stuck it to the world. 

I know that it wasn't the game winner, but it was still just as powerful. The lead up to that goal was brilliant as well. The MLS never seemed to be star stuck because they were playing the European champions. The back four looked solid in deterring strong attacks from the rising star Lukaku and Marin. 

     After Wondo's goal I knew that the Blues would be fighting back and sure enough they did. The Blues called upon the old timers John Terry and Frank Lampard to salvage the match. Terry scored on a not so glamorous corner kick and Lampard scored a low, sizzling shot that was produced after a fine cross from Ramires. Though at first it seemed like the goal from Lampard was a world class effort, it truly wasn't. There were about four players from the MLS that should have gotten to the cross, but just didn't. 

     The game continued to wind down into the final stages and I was sure that Chelsea had another goal in them. That goal never came and the exact opposite of my expectations game to reality with two goals from the MLS. Chris Pontius' made a great run into the box and slotted away a great feed from De Rosario and Eddie Johnson's almost fluke goal in stoppage time was almost a microcosm of the game. 

     I was in shock after the game. The MLS All-stars had done it! I was very excited and knew that it was a great step forward for the League, but for some reason I still can't shake the doubt. There are a lot of factors that go into this game. Chelsea was instituting a lot of new parts and were only playing their third semi-competitive match. In short, this was not the best version of Chelsea. At the same time though, I have to take into account that this was an All-star team that had only been playing together for less than a week. So in turn, this was not the best version of the MLS team. I don't think I would truly be satisfied unless an MLS All-star team was created at the end of the season and then toured Europe. That would give us a real gauge on the competitiveness of the league. 

     All in all, I have to be excited as an MLS fan. This was a great win for the league and a great win for American soccer, but we have to keep it in perspective. US soccer fans have a tendency of over reacting (Remember how our national team was the best after a 5-1 win over Scotland? How did that turn out for us?) and they will over react here. The MLS still isn't an elite league and still won't be for a few years, but after last night I have to believe we are heading in the right direction.