MLS All-Stars lose to Premier League powerhouse Arsenal
Star winger Bukayo Saka was named the game's MVP
Arsenal opened its preseason tour of the United States on Wednesday night with an emphatic 5-0 victory against the MLS All-Stars.
The Gunners may have lost the Premier League title race to Manchester City this past spring, but the London club looked like a championship team at Audi Field in Washington, D.C. before 20,621 fans.
Striker Gabriel Jesus opened the scoring after just five minutes, catching goalkeeper Roman Burki watching as the chip shot sailed past him. Leandro Trossard doubled the lead in the 23rd minute with a powerful shot that beat Burki.
Any hope of an MLS comeback crumbled in the 47th minute when center back Tim Parker handled the ball in the box. Jorginho scored on the penalty kick, beating goalkeeper Tyler Miller.
Two more goals, in a span of five minutes, capped off the goalfest. Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard launched a long pass for Gabriel Martinelli who scored and new signing Kai Havertz capped off the 5-0 win with a left-footed volley.
Bukayo Saka, Arsenal’s star winger and an England international, was named the game’s MVP.
MLS is now 9-5-5 aFai at international competition in the MLS All-Star Game. This was the second time facing Arsenal and the first since 2016. In the previous matchup, Arsenal won 2-1 at PayPal Park in San Jose.
Despite the defeat, MLS is coming off a great few days of buzz after Inter Miami made it official that it had signed Lionel Messi. The team presented the Argentine captain to fans in South Florida this past Sunday in a ceremony replete with fireworks.
MLS Commissioner Don Garber fielded questions from reporters on Tuesday about Messi’s decision to come play in North America. Inter Miami have also signed former Barcelona stars Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba to boost their lineup.
“A transformational moment for our league, for sure,” he said. “You have the best player in the history of the game to be choosing Major League Soccer is something we couldn’t be more excited about the fact that the first game will be Friday in our new inaugural Leagues Cup.”
Messi will make his debut for Inter Miami against Mexico’s Cruz Azul in the expanded Leagues Cup, a tournament that includes MLS teams from the U.S. and Canada and Liga MX.
“We want to be one of the top soccer leagues in the world,” Garber said of MLS. “Now we proved to the world that we can at least compete with the top player in the world.”