Arsenal FC of the English Premier League defeated the MLS All-Star squad 2-1 on an 87′ goal in front of a packed Avaya stadium in San Jose that showed equal parts MLS blue and Arsenal red.
Both teams started in a 4-2-3-1 formation and employed an evolving lineup in order to get as many players game time as possible.
The first 10 minutes was all Arsenal as the team in red wowed the crowd with several quick chances and slick tricks. Midfielder Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain showed off his skills early with a swift move to tuck the ball behind his back before setting up forward Theo Walcott for a clear-cut chance in the middle of the box in the 3rd minute, but Walcott curved his shot just outside the right post.
Arsenal was rewarded for their bright start when Joel Campbell received a long pass down the left flank in the 10th minute, tipped it over the goalie, and was brought down in the box by defender Laurent Ciman to prevent a sure goal. Referee Chris Penso immediately pointed to the spot and Ciman earned a yellow card. Joel Campbell stepped up and fired the penalty home calmly for a 1-0 Arsenal lead, and was one of several impressive Arsenal performers. Mohamed Elneny and Francis Coquelin bossed the midfield while playing together, while Oxlade-Chamberlain was a constant threat down the right wing.
Walcott especially had a first half to forget for Arsenal, missing several good chances and never looked quite on the same page with his teammates. Two minutes after his first chance he fired a low free kick directly into the goalie’s arms for an easy save. Oxlade-Chamberlain teed him up again with a direct pass on the break at the 15’ minute mark that Walcott squandered with a tame shot directly at MLS All-Star goalie Andre Blake, who saved it easily. Although his pace gave the defense some problems, his finishing quality was conspicuously lacking.
The MLS All-Stars started slowly in the face of Arsenal’s high pressing and energetic passing, relying on NYCFC star David Villa to singlehandedly provide all of the team’s excitement from his position on the left flank. He earned two quick shots in the 7th minute, fooled a defender on the touchline several minutes later, and attempted an audacious bicycle kick from Kyle Beckerman’s lofted cross just before 20 minutes. He was subbed out shortly after. The rest of the squad created very few chances in the rest of the first half against a stout Arsenal back 4, never really threatening Peter Cech, highlighted only by a blocked Giovani dos Santos attempt from the right flank.
The MLS squad spent much of the first half trying to cope with Arsenal runners and a patient passing attack, looking dangerous only from set pieces that they were unable to convert from. But just as the half seemed to be winding down to a quiet end, the MLS All-Stars equalized through Chelsea legend Didier Drogba.
A diagonal pass to Giovani dos Santos found him in a dangerous position on the left wing, and he passed to a cutting Drogba who saw two attempts blocked by a frantic defense before powering his third shot into the back of the net in the final minute of stoppage time. The teams entered the break tied at one goal apiece.
The second half revealed a startling reversal of roles as the All-Stars sent multiple substitutions on and capitalized on the momentum from Drogba’s stoppage time goal. The changed lineup, featuring 2015 MLS MVP Sebastian Giovinco and Timbers star Darlington Nagbe, challenged Arsenal with direct forward running and energetic, quick passing moves. Giovinco had a shot attempt blocked almost immediately and was a primary outlet through the center and the flanks for the MLS midfielders.
The MLS All-Stars dominated the first 15 minutes of the second half as the Arsenal defense predictably began to devolve, until Arsene Wenger made some influential changes of his own, bringing on the exceptional Granit Xhaka and young right back Hector Bellerin. Bellerin forced the play out to the flanks for Arsenal where the quicker Arsenal wingers and full-backs could dominate the ball, and Arsenal started to recalibrate the balance of the game after the 60 minute mark. Xhaka nearly stunned the San Jose crowd with a 30-yard thunderbolt in the 69th minute, and was instrumental in starting to shift the possession of the game back towards Arsenal.
San Jose Earthquakes forward Chris Wondolowski came on to a loud ovation in his home stadium in the 73rd minute, followed by Dempsey, who was greeted with loud boos. But Dempsey created the best chance of the second half minutes later, passing a clever ball across the face of the goal that just missed the diving foot of Nagbe.
Both teams stepped up the intensity in the last 15 minutes, with Arsenal coming close on several chances while Wondolowski missed a golden fast break chance high and over the bar with mere minutes to go. Rob Holding of Arsenal and Bandon Vincent of the All-Stars then traded missed shots before Arsenal struck once more in the 87th minute to seal the game late.
Fullback Nacho Monreal was played through on an overlapping move in the box and managed to squeeze a low cross past the goalie and into the waiting feet of substitute Chupa Akpom, who slotted home from close range confidently to ice the game.
The endgame statistics paint the picture of an evenly matched game, and that conclusion is a fair assessment; the MLS All-Star team has to rue second-half missed chances, but overall the team responded ferociously to a classy display from Arsenal in the first half and rallied admirably around goal-scorer Didier Drogba, who subbed out at halftime. Both teams took 15 shots while Arsenal enjoyed 4% more possession, and both teams took and failed to convert on 6 corners. Each squad made 10 substitutions, ensuring that both halves played out in markedly different ways. In the end, Arsenal converted their final chance and came out on top of a well-played, balanced match.