MLS stars enjoy time in spotlight
Top MLS players enjoying time in Central Florida
Team trains together for first time at ESPN Wide World of Sports.
KISSIMMEE — The top talent in MLS descended on Orlando on Monday morning as the all-star team trained together for the first time at the ESPN Wide World of Sports.
Several members of the roster were not available on Monday due to Saturday games — most notably, striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic, who was not in attendance at training after his L.A. team played in Portland on Saturday. Due to its proximity to the weekend’s games, the week’s first practice was mainly focused on rest and integration for the top athletes in the league, with the team playing five-on-two rondos for most of its hour together.
Still, the mood on the field was light as the league’s best played in the same kit for the first time. Captain Carlos Vela was joking around and flopping to the ground to make his new teammates laugh throughout the hour-long session. For the 26 players on the team, MLS AllStar Week offers an opportunity to learn from their toughest opponents while soaking in a new form of competition.
“It’s a pretty amazing group, especially in the sense of how renowned players from around the world [are] getting represented,” forward Chris Wondolowski said. “It’s pretty cool to see different styles and how they mesh. It’s been really fun so far.”
Although training was light on Monday, after an hour Wondolowski joked that he looked like he had jumped in the pool. While many of the players cracked jokes about the weather, one all-star felt a little more at home in the heat — midfielder Graham Zusi.
A native of Longwood, Zusi starred on the Lake Brantley High soccer team and played for the Central Florida Kraze in the USL at the start of his career. The return to his hometown was special for Zusi, who has taken advantage of the opportunity to see friends and family whom he typically only visits during the offseason.
“It’s an exciting time for Orlando soccer,” Zusi said. “It’s a fun opportunity to get back to the fans and show some appreciation for them and to do some in front of some familiar faces.”
Growing up, Zusi said, he never could have imagined the league’s largest event would one day take place in Orlando. He remembers going to Tampa Bay and Miami to watch competitive soccer and wished that Orlando could build a team of its own when he was young.
Now, five years after the entrance of Orlando City to MLS, Zusi says MLS All-Star Week is a reflection of how rapidly and successfully soccer has taken off in Central Florida.
“To be honest, I was amazed at
how fast it grew in Orlando,” Zusi said. “The fan base and the beautiful stadium that they built so quickly is amazing. To see it come to Orlando was really special for me.”
For six-time all-star Nick Rimando, this week offers an opportunity to look back at how far the league has grown. After 20 seasons in MLS, the Real Salt Lake goalkeeper announced at the start of this year that this would be his last campaign, and he was selected to the all-star roster by commissioner Don Garber.
Rimando’s first allstar game was more than a decade ago in 2001 when he represented the Eastern conference in San Jose. During his career, Rimando has watched All-Star Week evolve from the East vs. West game to hosting top flight clubs from around the world.
Although the game and the event have changed greatly since his early years in the league, Rimando says that the biggest difference this year is the caliber of talent across every position group. The keeper believes that this year’s game will highlight the league’s growth in its positioning in the global game.
“We only had a small practice today, but just playing against these players, it’s something different,” Rimando said. “There’s all type of talent and players that when I was growing up I didn’t think would be in this league. Now you see these players: Nani, Rooney, players that you’ve seen on TV that are gracing the fields that my kids can look up to.”