2016 MLS All-Star Game

2016 AT&T MLS All-Star Game

Event	2016 Major League Soccer season
MLS All-Stars Arsenal 1 2
Date	July 28, 2016(2016-07-28)
Venue	PayPal Park,San Jose, California
Most Valuable Player	Chuba Akpom(Arsenal)
Referee	Chris Penso(United States)
Attendance	18,000
Weather	Clear, 84 °F (29 °C)

The2016Major League SoccerAll-Star Game,the 21st annualMajor League Soccer All-Star Game,took place on July 28, 2016 (7:30 p.m.EDT,4:30 p.m.local time) atAvaya Stadium,the home of theSan Jose Earthquakes.The game was televised live onESPNandUnivisionin the United States, and onTSNandRDSin Canada.The game featured the MLS All-Star team playing English sideArsenal,with the match being a preseason friendly for Arsenal as part of theirtour of California.

Chuba Akpomwas named MVP.

Background

TheMajor League Soccer(MLS) All-Star Game is an annualexhibition gameplayed by a selection of players from the league's teams. It began in1996with theEastern ConferenceandWestern Conferencefielding their own teams, similar to other major North American sports. After numerous format changes, the2003 editionsaw the format change again to matchup Mexican clubGuadalajaraagainst the "MLS All-Stars", a team with the best players competing in MLS. After reverting back to the original format in 2004, the "MLS All-Stars" had since played various club teams from across the world, includingPremier LeagueclubsManchester UnitedandChelsea.

MLS announced in May 2015 thatAvaya Stadium,the home stadium of theSan Jose Earthquakes,would host the 21st edition of the MLS All-Star Game.In February 2016, it was announced that Premier League sideArsenalwere set to play the MLS All-Stars on July 28.Telecommunications companyAT&Tsponsored the game and the match was broadcast live in the United States throughESPNandUnivision;it was also available internationally in over 100 countries.

Squads

MLS All-Stars

The MLS All Star Fan XI was announced on July 9, 2016, however members of this XI were not guaranteed a slot in the 22 man game day squad.

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

No.	Pos.	Nation	Player
1	GK	JAM	Andre Blake(Philadelphia Union)
2	FW	USA	Clint Dempsey(Seattle Sounders FC)
3	DF	USA	Brandon Vincent(Chicago Fire)
4	DF	CRC	Kendall Waston(Vancouver Whitecaps FC)
6	MF	USA	Darlington Nagbe(Portland Timbers)
7	FW	ESP	David Villa(New York City FC)
8	FW	USA	Chris Wondolowski(San Jose Earthquakes)
9	FW	CAN	Cyle Larin(Orlando City SC)
10	FW	ITA	Sebastian Giovinco(Toronto FC)
11	FW	CIV	Didier Drogba(Montreal Impact)
12	DF	USA	Keegan Rosenberry(Philadelphia Union)
13	MF	USA	Jermaine Jonesa(Colorado Rapids)
14	DF	USA	Andrew Farrell(New England Revolution)
15	DF	USA	Steve Birnbaum(D.C. United)
16	MF	USA	Sacha Kljestan(New York Red Bulls)

No.	Pos.	Nation	Player
17	MF	MEX	Giovanni Dos Santos(LA Galaxy)
18	DF	USA	Matt Beslera(Sporting Kansas City)
19	DF	ENG	Liam Ridgewella(Portland Timbers)
20	MF	USA	Wil Trapp(Columbus Crew SC)
21	MF	ITA	Andrea Pirlo(New York City FC)
22	MF	BRA	Kaká(Orlando City SC)
23	DF	BEL	Laurent Ciman(Montreal Impact)
24	GK	PUR	Josh Saunders(New York City FC)
25	MF	USA	Kyle Beckerman(Real Salt Lake)
28	FW	ARG	Ignacio Piatti(Montreal Impact)
29	MF	ARG	Mauro Diaz(FC Dallas)
34	GK	USA	David Bingham(San Jose Earthquakes)
37	DF	BEL	Jelle Van Damme(LA Galaxy)
95	DF	USA	Kellyn Acosta(FC Dallas)

Notes:

^aInjured or otherwise unable to play.

Arsenal

On July 22 Arsenal announced a 25-man traveling squad for the MLS All-Star game:

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

No.	Pos.	Nation	Player
2	DF	FRA	Mathieu Debuchy
3	DF	ENG	Kieran Gibbs
4	DF	GER	Per Mertesacker[a]
5	DF	BRA	Gabriel
10	MF	ENG	Jack Wilshere
13	GK	COL	David Ospina
14	FW	ENG	Theo Walcott
15	MF	ENG	Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain
16	DF	ENG	Rob Holding
17	FW	NGA	Alex Iwobi
18	DF	ESP	Nacho Monreal
19	MF	ESP	Santi Cazorla
21	DF	ENG	Calum Chambers

No.	Pos.	Nation	Player
24	DF	ESP	Héctor Bellerín
26	GK	ARG	Emiliano Martínez
28	FW	CRC	Joel Campbell
29	MF	SUI	Granit Xhaka
31	MF	FRA	Jeff Reine-Adélaïde[b]
32	FW	ENG	Chuba Akpom
33	GK	CZE	Petr Čech
34	MF	FRA	Francis Coquelin
35	MF	EGY	Mohamed Elneny
37	MF	POL	Krystian Bielik[b]
40	MF	USA	Gedion Zelalem[b]
68	FW	ENG	Chris Willock[b]

Notes:

^aInjured or otherwise unable to play.

^bDevelopment Squad

Match

2016MLS All-Star Game

July 28, 2016(2016-07-28)

19:30EDT

MLS All-Stars	1–2	Arsenal
Drogba45+2'	Report	Campbell11' (pen.) Akpom87'

Avaya Stadium,San Jose, California

Attendance: 18,000

Referee:Chris Penso(United States)

MLS All-Stars

Arsenal

GK 1 Andre Blake 45' DF 12 Keegan Rosenberry 45' DF 23 Laurent Ciman 10' 45' DF 37 Jelle Van Damme 45' DF 95 Kellyn Acosta 57' MF 21 Andrea Pirlo 32' MF 25 Kyle Beckerman 45' MF 17 Giovani dos Santos 45' MF 22 Kaká(c) 45' FW 7 David Villa 33' FW 11 Didier Drogba 45' Substitutes: GK 34 David Bingham 45' DF 3 Brandon Vincent 57' DF 4 Kendall Waston 45' DF 14 Andrew Farrell 45' DF 15 Steve Birnbaum 45' MF 2 Clint Dempsey 73' MF 6 Darlington Nagbe 45' MF 8 Chris Wondolowski 73' MF 16 Sacha Kljestan 32'73' MF 20 Wil Trapp 45' MF 28 Ignacio Piatti 33'73' MF 29 Mauro Díaz 45' FW 9 Cyle Larin 77' FW 10 Sebastian Giovinco 45'77' Manager: Dominic Kinnear

GK 33 Petr Čech(c) 67' DF 2 Mathieu Debuchy 45' DF 16 Rob Holding DF 37 Krystian Bielik 45' DF 3 Kieran Gibbs 45' MF 35 Mohamed Elneny 67' MF 34 Francis Coquelin 45' MF 10 Jack Wilshere 45' MF 15 Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain 67' MF 28 Joel Campbell 68' FW 14 Theo Walcott 67' Substitutes: GK 26 Emiliano Martínez 67' DF 18 Nacho Monreal 45' DF 21 Calum Chambers 45' DF 24 Héctor Bellerín 45' MF 17 Alex Iwobi 45' MF 29 Granit Xhaka 45' MF 31 Jeff Reine-Adélaïde 68' MF 40 Gedion Zelalem 67' FW 32 Chuba Akpom 67' FW 68 Chris Willock 67' Manager: Arsène Wenger

Most valuable player: Chuba Akpom(Arsenal) Assistant referees: Frank Anderson Matthew Nelson Fourth official: Juan Guzman Fifth official: Chris Strickland

Match rules 90 minutes. Unlimited substitutions. No extra time. Penalty shoot-outif scores still level.