Houston, (EFE). – The announcement made this Thursday by the Professional League of Soccer of the United States (MLS) that the Athletic one of Madrid will be the invited equipment to dispute the twenty-fourth edition of Match of the Stars, turns it into the fourteenth European club that does it and the second Spanish in the history of the match that marks the middle of the regular season.
This year the stage for the MLS All-Star Game will be Orlando City Stadium and the chosen date will be Wednesday, July 31.
“The atmosphere in Orlando will be passionate and memorable when Atlético de Madrid faces the MLS All-Stars,” said MLS Commissioner Don Garber, who was in charge of announcing the Spanish team’s choice.
Atlético de Madrid joins Real Madrid, which played the 2017 edition, at Soldier Field in Chicago, where the former European Champion could not go from a 1-1 draw to what happened last year to Juventus, as two only Spanish teams that have played the MLS All-Star Game.
As usual in this type of friendly match, the result does not have any kind of sporting value, but it does generate a special projection within the world of soccer (soccer) in the United States, where until now Atlético de Madrid has been in the background.
All the protagonism has been for Real Madrid, Barcelona FC, who has not yet played in an All-Star and especially the English teams, led by Manchester United, which has played two consecutive editions, those of 2010 and 2011, both paid with European goals by 2-5 and 0-4, respectively.
Ironically it has also been the European team that has had the best results in the duels against the MLS Stars, among which Latin American players have always stood out, because only Roma and Arsenal were the other two clubs that have won.
Roma did it in the 2013 edition when they prevailed by 1-3 and Arsenal in the 2016, which won by 1-2, while Everton, Real Madrid and Juventus could not pass all of them 1-1. , although then the three European teams ended up winning their respective matches for the penalty shoot-out.
The presence of Atlético de Madrid in the Partido de las Estrellas is when the Spanish team also arrives this season for the first time in the US to play the already traditional summer tournament of the International Champions Cup with two scheduled games.
One will be against Chivas del Guadalajara at the Globe Life Park in Arlington, Texas, the Dallas Cowboys stadium of the National Football League (NFL), which will be played on July 23.
The Mexican team is the only one in their country’s soccer that has played an MLS All-Star Game and did so in the 2003 edition with a 3-1 defeat.
The other Atlético match in the tournament will have Real Madrid as its protagonist, in what will be the first Madrid “Derby” out of Spanish territory, which will be played on July 26, and will be staged at MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford (New Jersey).
“Atlético de Madrid joins the list of the many prominent clubs in world football that have been a great rival in our midseason exhibition game, and I know that Orlando’s passionate fans make up” The Wall ” and the rest of Orlando City Stadium will give the MLS All-Stars a home advantage in a match that will be exciting and full of interest, “said the MLS commissioner.
While players like Houston’s Dynamo international striker, Alberth Elis, described the experience of playing the All-Star Game as something special, but if there is a team like Atlético de Madrid over rival, the motivation is greater.
“It’s good for the league, to continue showing that we grow, and great motivation for any player,” said Elis. EFE
