2011 MLS All-Star Game Open Thread

Right now, the likes of FC Dallas and the Seattle Sounders are playing meaningful Champions League qualifiers. The Los Angeles Galaxy are one game's worth of points ahead of their closest competitor in the league table. MLS will have a full slate of games this weekend. First, the league must give Manchester United a nice send-off as they head back to merry old England to start the English Premier League season with the annual Charity Shield match, this year against derby rival Manchester City.

In other words, there are a ton of important matches coming up in the next few weeks, and Man Utd's League Cup side versus a team that has practiced together all of two or three times isn't one of them. What it lacks in importance, it does make up for in significance. The European power vs. all-star team isn't a concept unique to MLS. Chelsea and Liverpool took on the Malaysian All-Stars during their Asian pre-season tours.

Chicharito (Javier Hernandez) rejoins Man Utd after taking a post-Gold Cup rest (A luxury not afforded Landon Donovan, who now is having leg muscle problems) [although correlation is not causation]. It will be fun to see David Beckham, Thierry Henry, and Brad Davis all on the same team. And certainly it's another chance to see Wayne Rooney and his amazing talents. So there are reasons to tune in and watch Sir Alex's squad take on Hans Backe.

Feel free to use this thread to chat away during the ASG. My typing skills are improving since the great chocolate incident, so I should be able to keep up.

Kickoff: 5:55 PDT

TV: ESPN2 ; ESPN3