2012 MLS All-Star Game

The 2012 Major League Soccer All-Star Game, held on July 25, 2012, was the 17th annual Major League Soccer All-Star Game, a soccer match involving all-stars from Major League Soccer. The game was played at PPL Park, now known as Subaru Park, in Chester, Pennsylvania, the first time an all-star event was played in the Philadelphia area since the 2002 NBA All-Star Game.[1]

AT&T MLS All-Star Game 2012
Event2012 Major League Soccer season
DateJuly 25, 2012
VenuePPL Park, Chester, Pennsylvania
Most Valuable PlayerChris Pontius (MLS All-Stars)
RefereeBaldomero Toledo
Attendance19,236
2011
2013

The game featured the MLS All-Stars against Premier League team Chelsea, who were the FA Cup and European Champions League holders. Chelsea made their 2nd appearance in the MLS All-Star Game; the Blues were visiting side in the 2006 MLS All-Star Game at Toyota Park in Bridgeview, Illinois, losing to the MLS XI 1–0.[2]

Piotr Nowak, the coach of the Philadelphia Union (the All-Star Game's host), was originally announced to coach the MLS All-Stars.[2] After Nowak was dismissed from the Union on June 13,[3] MLS chose D.C. United coach and Pennsylvania native Ben Olsen to coach the All-Stars.[4]

A tracking system was worn by each player to monitor heart rate, intensity of play, speed, distance covered and other personal characteristics in real-time.[5]

Rosters

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MLS All-Stars

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Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player
1 GK   DEN Jimmy Nielsen (Sporting Kansas City)
2 DF   COL Carlos Valdés (Philadelphia Union)
5 MF   USA Kyle Beckerman (Real Salt Lake)
6 DF   USA Jay DeMerit (Vancouver Whitecaps FC)
7 MF   CAN Dwayne De Rosario (D.C. United) (Captain)
8 FW   USA Chris Wondolowski (San Jose Earthquakes)
9 FW   USA Eddie Johnson (Seattle Sounders FC)
10 MF   USA Landon Donovan (LA Galaxy)
11 MF   USA Graham Zusi (Sporting Kansas City)
12 DF   USA Ramiro Corrales (San Jose Earthquakes)
13 FW   USA Chris Pontius (D.C. United)
14 FW   FRA Thierry Henry (New York Red Bulls)
15 DF   USA Justin Morrow (San Jose Earthquakes) **
16 MF   CUB Osvaldo Alonso (Seattle Sounders FC)
21 MF   USA Michael Farfan (Philadelphia Union) %
22 GK   USA Dan Kennedy (Chivas USA)
No. Pos. Nation Player
23 MF   ENG David Beckham (LA Galaxy)
33 DF   IRN Steven Beitashour (San Jose Earthquakes)
78 DF   FRA Aurélien Collin (Sporting Kansas City)
00 GK   USA Nick Rimando (Real Salt Lake)
00 GK   USA Jon Busch (San Jose Earthquakes)
00 DF   COL Jamison Olave (Real Salt Lake)
00 DF   USA Geoff Cameron (Houston Dynamo)
00 MF   USA Brad Davis (Houston Dynamo)
00 MF   GUA Marco Pappa (Chicago Fire)
00 MF   USA Brek Shea (FC Dallas)
00 MF   HON Roger Espinoza (Sporting Kansas City)
00 MF   HON Marvin Chavez (San Jose Earthquakes)
00 FW   USA Kenny Cooper (New York Red Bulls)
00 FW   ARG Fabian Espindola (Real Salt Lake)
00 FW   SLE Kei Kamara (Sporting Kansas City)
00 FW   COL Fredy Montero (Seattle Sounders FC)

♦ - Players selected by MLS Commissioner Don Garber
* - Injured and unavailable for matchday
** - Added as a replacement for Heath Pearce
% - Promoted from the Inactive Roster to the Active Roster to fulfill Chelsea's request that the number of substitutes be increased from seven to ten.
♥ - "Inactive Roster" players voted for by other players in MLS

Chelsea

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Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player
1 GK   CZE Petr Čech (third captain)
2 DF   SRB Branislav Ivanović
3 DF   ENG Ashley Cole
4 DF   BRA David Luiz
5 MF   GHA Michael Essien
7 MF   BRA Ramires
8 MF   ENG Frank Lampard (vice-captain)
9 FW   ESP Fernando Torres
12 MF   NGA Mikel John Obi
14 MF   BEL Kevin De Bruyne
15 MF   FRA Florent Malouda
16 MF   POR Raul Meireles
17 MF   BEL Eden Hazard
18 FW   BEL Romelu Lukaku
No. Pos. Nation Player
19 DF   POR Paulo Ferreira
20 MF   ENG Josh McEachran
21 MF   GER Marko Marin
22 GK   ENG Ross Turnbull
24 DF   ENG Gary Cahill
26 DF   ENG John Terry (club captain)
27 DF   ENG Sam Hutchinson
30 MF   ISR Yossi Benayoun
31 MF   FRA Gaël Kakuta
35 FW   BRA Lucas Piazon
40 GK   POR Henrique Hilário
45 DF   ENG Nathaniel Chalobah
46 GK   ENG Jamal Blackman

Match

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Details

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MLS All-Stars    3–2  Chelsea
Report
Attendance: 19,236
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
MLS All-Stars
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Chelsea

Volkswagen MLS All-Star MVP:
  Chris Pontius (MLS All-Stars)
Assistant referees:
(Ian Anderson)
(Greg Barkey)
Fourth official:
(Jorge González)

Match rules

  • 90 minutes.
  • No extra time
  • Penalty shoot-out if scores still level.
  • Maximum of ten substitutions.

References

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  1. ^ "With PPL named ASG home, Philly's vision is rewarded". MLSsoccer.com. Major League Soccer. January 24, 2012. Retrieved May 17, 2012.
  2. ^ a b "All-Star Game: Chelsea return for grudge match at PPL". MLSsoccer.com. Major League Soccer. April 11, 2012. Retrieved May 17, 2012.
  3. ^ "All-Star: MLS to announce Nowak's replacement soon," from MLSsoccer, 6/13/2012
  4. ^ "Olsen's appointment a 'team honor' for United," from MLSsoccer.com, 6/21/2012
  5. ^ "Adidas to Debut World's First 'Smart Game'". Discovery News. Retrieved July 21, 2012.