In a stunning Wednesday night upset in Philadelphia, the MLS All-Stars pulled off a 3-2 victory over reigning Champions League champs Chelsea thanks to a stoppage-time goal that nobody could have seen coming.

The MLS All-Stars got on the board first, with San Jose Earthquakes striker Chris Wondolowski scoring in the 21st minute. "Wondo," a California native, took a cross from New York Red Bulls striker Thierry Henry and managed to find the back of the net after a Chelsea defender failed to make a clearance.

Chelsea was not to be outdone, though, as centre-back John Terry found the back of the net with his head in the 32nd minute. All was quiet for the remainder of the first half and the two teams went into the break drawn knotted at 1-1.

The Blues threatened from the moment they stepped on field after the break, and it looked like only a matter of time until the MLS defensive dam would burst. That was indeed the case, as Roberto Di Matteo's side took the lead in the 58th on a goal by Frank Lampard that was given to him on a silver platter.

Had this been anything more than an exhibition, Chelsea very well may have hung back and waited for full time to come about, but luckily for the MLS, this was an All-Star showcase.

Chris Pontius found the back of the net in the 73rd minute for the All-Stars on a helper from his D.C. United teammate Dwayne De Rosario. It's no surprise that a duo from the same team combined on goal, as it is obviously a difficult task for All-Stars to develop solid chemistry in such short order.

It was Eddie Johnson's day to shine, though, as he posted the final tally of the match in the 92nd to give his side the win.

Must-See Highlight

Here is Eddie Johnson's winner:

Twitter Reaction

Fox Soccer Trax let the Twitterverse know just how great of a host the City of Brotherly Love can be:

Tonight's attendance at the MLS All-Star Game: A new PPL Park record crowd of 19,236. Packed house and a lively crowd. Good night for Philly

Sports Illustrated's Grant Wahl took a nice little jab at MLB commissioner Bud Selig and the weight the MLB All-Star Game bears:

In the Selig tradition, Chelsea gets home-field advantage in the Champions League final by winning the MLS All-Star Game, right?

NBC Sports' Troy Machir might be getting a little ahead of himself with the following bit of self-mockery:

So this confirms that US soccer is back and that the MLS is better than the Champions League, right?

Former MLS Defender of the Year Jimmy Conrad provides us with a nice photo to show the humor of the Philadelphia crowd:

SPOTTED: The best sign at the MLS All-Star game. Well played, Sons Of Ben. Well played. twitter.com/JimmyConrad_co…

Deciding Factor: Eddie Johnson's Late Run

Seattle Sounders forward Eddie Johnson overran a through ball, but was able to retrieve and dribbled up toward the Chelsea goal. Johnson then unleashed a shot that deflected off a Chelsea defender and bounced over the oncoming Ross Turnbull's head and into the back of the net.

Johnson and company were helped out by a couple of late no-calls that could have gone against them in their own zone, but his goal looks like a line-drive blast in the box score.

Game MVP: Chris Pontius

D.C. United's Chris Pontius scored the goal that got his team back in the game and was awarded the Volkswagen MVP Award.

He came on for Landon Donovan at halftime and was all over the place, working effectively with his teammates to score the upset.

What's Next?

The entire world wakes up tomorrow and finds themselves in shock that a collection of players from America's domestic league was able to grab a victory over one of the best in the English Premier League and Europe.

As for the actual football part, the MLS All-Stars get a couple days off before play starts up again, beginning on Friday, July 27, when Real Salt Lake meets the Vancouver Whitecaps.

Read more MLS news on BleacherReport.com

Source: Click Here

The MLS All-Stars are going to make a statement by taking down the defending Champions League winners Chelsea. Of course, the statement will be somewhat muted, considering this is nothing but a tune up for Chelsea. Yet that makes it even more important for the all-stars to produce a good showing—and they will. 

The last two years, the all-stars were embarrassed by mighty Manchester United by a combined score of 9-2. The all-stars will be trying hard to prove they are able to hang with the big boys better than those lopsided outcomes indicate. 

Let's get into the specifics of how the game, which will be Wednesday at 8:30 p.m. ET, will unfold. 

High Scoring Affair

The all-stars played Chelsea in 2006. They won that match by a score of 1-0. This one will feature quite a bit more scoring. 

The MLS side was shutout last year, and it will be on full attack to prevent that from happening again. Meanwhile, Chelsea has little reason to put full effort into team defense. 

This will leave some opening for the all-stars, and for their part, they certainly won't be able to keep Chelsea off the board this time around. 

There will be at least five goals scored in this contest. 

MLS Will Edge Out a Victory 

As stated above, the MLS all-stars will return to the winning side of this exhibition. It will be their first win since 2008 against West Ham United. 

Chelsea isn't going to give their starters much run here, but that is actually when I expect the all-stars to gain their edge. 

The Chelsea starters won't be playing for anything other than to get their legs under them, while some of the subs will be battling for playing time. 

I expect the all-stars to score two early goals, and hold their lead the rest of the way. 

Prediction: All-stars 3, Chelsea 2

Glimpse of the Future

The most exciting part about this contest is that it is going to be a glimpse of how the evaluation of sports and athletes is evolving. Zach McCann of ESPN shed some light on the kind of technology that will be used for this contest: 

...every precise detail of every player will be digitally tracked. Speed, acceleration, field position—even heart rate—will be instantly available to coaches, players and trainers throughout the match.

This is the kind of technology that will someday be commonplace. I'd tell you what kind of difference this will make in on-field performance and training etc., but only time will tell. 

Read more MLS news on BleacherReport.com

Source: Click Here

In March, my eldest nephew, 8, accompanied me to WrestleMania XXVIII in Miami. His brother, 5, had to stay at home.

Unsurprisingly, the five-year-old only had one thing to say: "It's not fair!" It didn't appease him that he can go to WrestleMania with me in three years, so I had to find a substitute.

Since these boys are at a very impressionable age (and still think I'm a cool enough uncle to emulate), I have a great deal of influence when it comes to choosing professional sports teams to support. I have one team in each of the five majors (including the MLS), and my nephews have duly accepted these teams as their own.

So to pacify the five-year-old, I told him that he and I will make a weekend trip out of a professional soccer game. Since we both reside within the 515 area code (home to Des Moines and the Iowa State Cyclones), I decided to take him to see a game in Kansas City.

However, Sporting KC is not my MLS team; I support the Columbus Crew. My sister has already ordered a jersey for my nephew, who calls me several times a week to ask when the game is and how many more days until we leave.

I've never attended a professional soccer game at any level, so I'm just as excited even though I'm not a die-hard fan by any means. As passionate as I am about professional wrestling, that zeal doesn't overflow into any of the "real" professional sports.

All that to say: I have no idea what to expect. I'm wondering if the fans at Bleacher Report can clue me in.

I know that Sporting KC have been fighting to stay atop the Eastern Conference while the Crew are still trying to make a second-half-of-the-season comeback to even qualify for the playoffs. Will this game even be competitive?

Also, I've heard great things about the stadium in Kansas City. Are we really going to be blown away? Is there anything special I should check out?

What about MLS fans? How do they compare to the die-hards who attend the World Cup? Will the stadium be packed? Will many Crew fans show up? Will we get harassed if we're wearing Crew gear?

Soccer is a big deal in my hometown, where my nephew will be attending school, so I really want to get him excited about the sport while he's young. What can I do to make sure this is a good experience for him?

I'm excited for the game, and I'll write a review on Sunday morning. But if any of you have any general recommendations for Kansas City that would be appropriate for a five-year-old, please feel free to let me know that as well!

Read more MLS news on BleacherReport.com

Source: Click Here

The MLS All-Stars will out-class Chelsea en route to a major upset.

These two sides will square off tonight, as a band of the best Major League Soccer players come together in a matchup against the European Champions in Philadelphia.

While Chelsea features the more talented roster, exhibition matches tend to be fickle things.

Often, the top players on each side will only play in a short burst; then, the game comes down to whichever side of reserves wants it more.

For Chelsea, that means some of their younger stars will get the opportunity to prove themselves and push for playing time when the league season kicks off next month.

However, for the MLS All-Stars, there is significantly more on the line—pride.

This may not sound like much, but these players are consistently told that the level of soccer in the MLS isn't on par with that of the top European leagues.

That constant knock on their brand has to wear on these players, and you will surely see a passionate effort from these talented North American footballers.

Still, it will be a tough matchup.

Chelsea has some of the top talents in the world, including, English stars Ashley Cole and John Terry, Spanish striker, Fernando Torres and the amazingly consistent Petr Cech in goal.

Those are only a few of Chelsea's stars. Hell, they're so talented that a player like Torres doesn't even get the start every match.

Still, there is nothing on the line for Chelsea in this showdown. They’re just trying to get back into game shape for their league season. This game means nothing to them, outside of impressing their coaches in a play for time on the pitch.

The MLS All-Stars may not play overseas, but they still feature some gifted players.

Eddie Johnson of the Seattle Sounders is an accomplished goal scorer, and Landon Donovan is the best player in US history.

In addition, this squad has some former European greats on their roster. David Beckham still brings a flair to the pitch that few others are capable of, and Thierry Henry remains a world-class finisher.

These players, along with a mix of up-and-coming youth and crafty veterans, make the All-Stars stiff competition for any club, no matter how lauded.

The Blues can't afford to take this team lightly, and if Roberto Di Matteo makes numerous substitutions (which he assuredly will as the substitution limit has been increased to 10), Chelsea will be pushed.

Actually, they have already been tested in their tuneup schedule. The Blues played two matches as a part of the World Football Challenge, coming away with an entertaining 4-2 win over the MLS's Seattle Sounders and playing Paris-Saint Germain to a 1-1 draw.

The MLS All-Star squad they will face is more talented than both of these sides, and if Chelsea doesn't send their best to the pitch, they will fall.

However, the thought of losing won't even push Chelsea to put in their best players.

Di Matteo has to keep his players healthy for league season and is just looking to get an idea of where his footballers are.

The All-Stars, on the other hand, have no such restrictions. They will come out playing free and should put a lot of pressure on the Blues.

It will be an up-and-down game with a lot of scoring, but in the end, the MLS will come away with a victory over the European champs.

They're just more motivated and have the ability to play freely.

Prediction: MLS All-Stars 4 Chelsea 3

Read more MLS news on BleacherReport.com

Source: Click Here

Like it or not, David Beckham is the most widely known MLS player in the world.

He's a flagship player, and has been ever since he arrived with the Los Angeles Galaxy in 2007.

Debate will undoubtedly rage forever about the effectiveness that Beckham has had in "winning Americans over to soccer," as argument goes.

Yet he has certainly had an impact, scoring trademark free kicks and whipping in beautiful crosses for his Galaxy teammates.

So what have been Beckham's top MLS moments? Here's a look at a few.

Begin Slideshow

Source: Click Here

This will be the first of two matches in which I just provide numbers and a summary of my thoughts on the players donning the Punjab third kit strip of the Los Angeles Galaxy. There may be more if the Galaxy schedule some end-of-season friendlies.

All in all, I think this was a very gutsy performance by Bruce Arena's Galaxy. Believe it or not, they were just as capable of winning this match as Andre Villas-Boas's Tottenham Hotspur were, as both teams were inept with their finishing.

But leave it to David Junior Lopes to make Tottenham look like an MLS side tonight.

When you don't clear a set piece properly in the 28th minute, and let a similarly unheralded player in Hector Jimenez single out Lopes for his first-ever Galaxy goal, it makes you wonder, are Tottenham really going to take the Premier League this season?

I mean, they didn't run over Stevenage in their first preseason game (they only won 2-0), and it wasn't a completely awful display (see Gareth Bale).

But when you take on the best teams in the world, you tend to play your best game.

The Galaxy didn't have David Beckham. The Galaxy didn't have Landon Donovan. Heck, Todd Dunivant and Josh Saunders didn't start, either. And yet, their depth held the Spurs to a 1-1 draw.

Spurs. A storied club that could have been playing in the UEFA Champions League if Chelsea hadn't spoiled the party. And they were held to a 1-1 draw against a team that is trying to get back on the rebound after a dismal start to their season.

These types of performances are morale boosters, believe me. The Galaxy should be able to perform against FC Dallas in a match that truly matters.

Here are my Galaxy player ratings for Tuesday's international club friendly with Tottenham Hotspur.

Brian Perk 7
A.J. DeLaGarza 6.5
Omar Gonzalez 7
David Junior Lopes 8
Bryan Gaul 6.5
Sean Franklin 7
Marcelo Sarvas 6.5
Michael Stephens 6
Hector Jimenez 7
Robbie Keane 7.5
Jose Villareal 6.5
Brian Rowe 7
Tommy Meyer 6
Andrew Boyens 6
Rafael Garcia 6.5
Kenny Walker 7
Chad Barrett 6
Pat Noonan 6
Jack McBean 6.5

Read more MLS news on BleacherReport.com

Source: Click Here

Tuesday was a great night for football, but a poor night for finishing as Bruce Arena's Los Angeles Galaxy took on Andre Villas-Boas's Tottenham before a crowd of over 25,000 at the Home Depot Center in Carson, California.

The match ended in a 1-1 draw. A gutsy performance for Los Angeles, but a disappointing outing for Tottenham, who had this game in hand on paper.

Spurs continue their preseason on July 28 against Liverpool in Baltimore, while the Galaxy continue their 2012 MLS season this weekend against FC Dallas.

Here are six things we learned in this friendly match between the Galaxy and Spurs.

Begin Slideshow

Source: Click Here

On Wednesday the best MLS has to offer will face off against the defending European Champions Chelsea.

Historically the MLS All-Stars have had mixed results against visiting clubs, with results varying anywhere from solid victories to crushing losses.

While there may not be too much on the line for Chelsea, there will be many youngsters who want to solidify their place in the squad.

As for the guys from the States and Canada, many of them want to prove that they can play against some of the best in the world and they will go all out for this matchup. Here are the top five players who have something to prove against the West Londoners.

Begin Slideshow

Source: Click Here

The AT&T MLS All-Star Game is only a day away, and as anticipation builds, I had the chance to spend an afternoon on the phone with former Major League Soccer star Alexi Lalas talking about the upcoming match and all things soccer.

Lalas has a resume that would make any American soccer player proud. His career achievements include the 1991 Hermann Trophy, representing the United States as a two-time Olympian in 1992 and 1996, as well as being a member of both the 1994 and 1998 World Cup squads.

Lalas also enjoyed a great club career with time in Italy, Ecuador and the United States' MLS. His last career move to the L.A. Galaxy is where he finally achieved major club success. During his three seasons with the Galaxy, he raised the 2000 CONCACAF Champions' Cup, 2001 US Open Cup, 2002 MLS Cup and the 2002 MLS Supporters Shield before retiring in 2003.

However, a lot of things have changed since the ESPN analyst and Major League Soccer Hall of Fame inductee last played in an MLS All-Star Game in 1999. During his time in the league, MLS All-Star games were played in a traditional East versus West or U.S. Stars versus World Stars format, as is the case with the majority of professional American sports.

In the last eight years, the MLS has broadened its audience and the anticipation of the All-Star game by bringing in well-known international club teams such as Chivas de Guadalajara, Fulham FC, Chelsea FC, Celtic FC, West Ham United FC, Everton FC and for the last two years, Manchester United.

This year’s 2012 AT&T MLS All-Star Game features the best 18-man squad that MLS has to offer against reigning UEFA Champions League winners Chelsea. When the two sides last met in the 2006 All-Star Game, the MLS All-Stars emerged as 1-0 winners, and Dwayne DeRosario was named the MVP. It is possible DeRosario could once again be a thorn in the London club’s side, as he was named to MLS All-Star team again in 2012.

When asked which MLS players he is excited to see in the match against Chelsea, Lalas named several.

Alexi Lalas: San Jose’s Chris Wondolowski, who is leading the league in goals and trying to get the all-time MLS single-season scoring record...Osvaldo Alonso from Seattle, a defensive midfielder that has been so important over the last couple of years to the club...Dan Kennedy, the goalkeeper for Chivas USA, who is playing with a pretty weak team in Chivas and continues to get shutouts and big saves at a time where there’s not a lot of great young American goalkeepers. 

Thomas Atzenhoffer: What do you think about Chris Pontius? Do you believe this is a good call up for him and do you think that he potentially could be one of the younger players that has a chance to move to Europe later in his career?

AL: Oh, I think so. You know he had such a difficult and heartbreaking season last year with the injury and the way that he has come back, and not just the goals, that’s obviously important, but I think just the way that he has played is wonderful and has really brought him back into the conversation of players that have potential not only to go to Europe but also to be involved with Jurgen Klinsmann’s squad going forward.

It’s fun to see a player like that come back from adversity and start to do the things that a lot of us early on thought he was capable of but had never attained. 

TA: It is unfortunate that Heath Pearce is injured, as he has had a great season as well; what are your thoughts on him?

AL: It is difficult for anyone to get traded early in the season and to come in and not only start right away and make a positive impact, but even be named captain. I think it shows a lot about him and about how Hans Backe looks at him, how his teammates look at him.

So I think he looked at it much more as an opportunity and he has grabbed a hold of it with both hands, and although he is hurt for the AT&T MLS All-Star Game, it is certainly an All-Star nod that is much deserved. 

TA: I also believe it is a great story to see Jay DeMerit in the All-Star game. Your thoughts on his selection?

AL: Yep, Jay has been an important part of Vancouver, and yes, Martin Rennie has done a great job of bringing in some great pieces defensively. I think Jay had to figure out the MLS last year and had to deal with some injuries, but now he’s got some consistency under his belt, he's playing with a better team, which certainly helps from a mental stand point. He’s doing what a lot of people wanted him to do and expected him to do last year. 

TA: Switching to the Chelsea side, there has been a lot of controversy between Roberto Di Matteo first not being sure if he was going to get the job [manager of Chelsea], although he seemed to deserve it, and with that now sorted, the club also has a lot of new young talent between Eden Hazard, Marko Marin and others. What do you see from them moving forward?

AL: That’s what makes this AT&T MLS All-Star Game so exciting—the stories on both sides. And when you look at Chelsea and what they have done with the transition they are in, we don’t know what kind of Chelsea we are going to see going into the EPL [English Premier League], season and that makes it so interesting.

To see what Roberto Di Matteo is going to do now that he’s not just an interim coach but is the coach, and he’s brought in Marko Marin and Eden Hazard, who are two great talents, young guys like [Romelu] Lukaku.

Who is going to replace Didier Drogba? Is it going to be a younger player like Lukaku, or is it going to be Fernando Torres, and what type of Fernando Torres are we going to see with Chelsea this year? Because, let’s be honest, even though they won the Champions League, the way that they did it was very unique and very defensive and basically a one-off. 

TA: What do you see as far as match prediction? The last couple of years, the MLS has been defeated after before having seemed to be getting the better of the European clubs. What do you think for his year?

AL: You know, it’s hard for an MLS team to come together and to get organized in a very short period of time. Having said that, I actually think the MLS team is going to do much better against Chelsea. Chelsea, like I said, is a team in transition. When you have an opportunity to show like we [MLS All-Stars] did in 2006 when we beat Chelsea then, that message goes out and people wake up in the morning and read that, and it's important, and that’s a good message to send.

I think it’s a major opportunity and I think the players [AT&T MLS All-Stars] recognize that, and actually, I think that the MLS All-Stars are going to come out and give a good account of themselves. 

TA: What do you think of the changes to the All-Star game in the last eight years, having gone to playing international clubs rather than the traditional East versus West format that a lot of United States sports go with? Do you think that has helped to raise the profile of MLS?

AL: Yes, I think it is brilliant and it is inspired, and it puts us [MLS] at a completely different level when you compare our All-Star game to different sports that have just succumbed to catharsis. It is competitive, it is teams that people want to see, and, in many cases, like this AT&T MLS All-Star Game, it involves an elite team from an elite league in the world. 

TA: What is your best personal experience from an All-Star game in the past?

AL: From an All-Star game? Let’s see—you know, early in the days, it was a free-for-all. It was a lot of back-and-forth. It was lots of goals and not a lot of defending, and so for a defender, it was no fun, I’ll be quite honest with you.

Being that, the worst part of my All-Star experiences were usually the 90 minutes or the 45 minutes that I was actually on the field. The rest of the party was wonderful. But for the most part, when I was on the field, I was running around chasing people and no one was defending and I was basically sitting on top of my box trying to make sure that people didn’t score. 

TA: Alexi, thank you so much for your time this afternoon.

The complete 2012 AT&T MLS All-Star team is listed below.

GK: Dan Kennedy (Chivas USA), Jimmy Nielson (Sporting Kansas City)

DF: Steven Beitashour (San Jose Earthquakes), Aurelien Collin (Sporting Kansas City), Ramiro Corrales (San Jose Earthquakes), Jay Demerit (Vancouver Whitecaps FC), Justin Morrow (San Jose Earthquakes), Heath Pearce (New York Red Bulls), Carlos Valdes (Philadelphia Union)

MF: Osvaldo Alonso (Seattle Sounders), Kyle Beckerman (Real Salt Lake), David Beckham (LA Galaxy), Dwayne De Rosario (DC United), Landon Donovan (LA Galaxy), Grahan Zusi (Sporting Kansas City)

FW: Thierry Henry (New York Red Bulls), Eddie Johnson (Seattle Sounders), Chris Pontius (DC United), Chris Wondolowski (San Jose Earthquakes)

For more coverage of my exclusive interview with Alexi Lalas thanks to AT&T, please visit SoccerWithOutLimits.com (SWOL) today and over the coming weeks.

Thanks for reading and please follow me on Twitter @thedailyatz.

Read more MLS news on BleacherReport.com

Source: Click Here

At your average All-Star Game, the entire roster is full of must-watch players. But when the European champions, Chelsea, are taking on the MLS All-Stars, there are a select few talents who stand above the rest.

And most of them play for the Blues.

But that doesn't mean the MLS doesn't have a few players of its own that you need to watch carefully on Wednesday evening. Let's take a look a few particularly intriguing players you'll want to watch when the MLS All-Stars clash with Chelsea.

Eden Hazard, Forward, Chelsea

One of the top signings this summer, the 21-year-old Belgian is one of the most exciting young players in the game today. The young forward flashes brilliant control of the ball, ability to facilitate opportunities for his teammates and the ability to finish goals for himself.

He had an excellent 2011-12 season for Ligue 1 side Lille, scoring 20 goals and dishing 17 assists in 44 appearances this season.

Thus far at Chelsea, he's been slotting into the lineup centrally as a second striker, a role he is probably best suited for. With his pace and vision, he is also a possibility on the wing. One way or another, if there is one player you should pay special attention to on Wednesday evening, it's this kid.

He's special.

Chris Wondolowski, Striker, San Jose Earthquakes

With 17 goals in 20 appearances for San Jose this season, I think it's fair to say Wondolowski is on fire this season. And if the MLS All-Stars are to crack Chelsea's defense and score a goal, it will likely come off of the foot of this man.

John Terry and Frank Lampard, Chelsea

Who doesn't enjoy watching these old veterans go about their craft?

Terry remains one of the most technically solid center-backs in football, susceptible against speedy forward but always seeming to recover and prevent Chelsea from conceding.

Lampard still engineers Chelsea's attack from a deeper midfield position, and he's always a threat to score from a deep shot or send a beautiful lob to an open teammate in the box. As box-to-box midfielders go, he's still a strong option.

Thierry Henry (New York Red Bulls), Landon Donovan and David Beckham (LA Galaxy)

It will be interesting to see how the three biggest names in the MLS fare when they face Chelsea. All have spent time in the English Premier League (Henry famously with Arsenal, Beckham with Manchester United, Donovan with Everton), so the skill of Chelsea won't be anything new for this trio.

Will they rise to the challenge and lead the MLS All-Stars to a shocking win? Or will they show their age and be outclassed by the superior athletes of the Blues?

Hit me up on Twitter—my tweets bring it home like Big Easy.

Read more MLS news on BleacherReport.com

Source: Click Here