Events over the past 2 days have clearly illustrated why MLS will never be a significant entity until changes are made. The mentality in this country is skewed as it's become more and more apparent how much football has been Americanized into soccer. On the one hand there's no choice. Everyone agrees this isn't our sport and without tweaking it a bit to cater to the American public, it would never survive. However, this country still has a duty to respect the game, and quite frankly, we don't.
I'll get to the All Star game in a bit, but let's start with the Los Angeles Galaxy - this year's premiere team in MLS. They have dominated all competition so far winning 12, losing 2, and drawing 4. They've scored the most goals in the league and given up the fewest. Topping the Western Conference, they are still 9 points clear of second place Real Salt Lake and 6 points ahead of the Eastern Conference leader. You get the point - they ain't too shabby. The Galaxy took all this talent into Tuesday's CONCACAF Champions League qualifying match against the Puerto Rico Islanders who play in the USL - America's second tier league. Puerto Rico soundly thumped them 4-1 in Los Angeles. 4-1!! What a disgrace. LA is the face of Major League Soccer captained by arguably the most noticeable player on the planet right now in Landon Donovan. There shouldn't be any club team on the continent who comes close. Yet, in our Champions League, what should be the most prestigious tournament for club teams playing in CONCACAF, the Galaxy simply couldn't care less.