Thomas Godoj Thread » match in the second half for a short appearanc

PORTLAND, Oregon - The MLS All-Star game was an entertaining affair on Wednesday night at Providence Park in Portland, as the hosts staged a second half comeback to defeat Bayern Munich by a score of 2-1. Goals from the New York Red Bulls Bradley Wright-Phillips and the Los Angeles Galaxys Landon Donovan saw the All-Stars overcome a wonderful Robert Lewandowski first half volley for the Germans. Purists are critical of the All-Star game; they believe that a mid-season fixture can only result in fatigue for the players at best, or injury and a lengthy spell on the sidelines at worst. Yet the game was played at a surprisingly lively pace, as Bayern showed their class early on. Regarded as one of the best club teams in world football, Bayern were excellent in the opening 45 minutes. Swiss international Xherdan Shaqiri pulled the strings for Bayern in a central attacking midfield role, while the duo of Lewandowski and the ageless Claudio Pizarro caused havoc with their movement up front. That Bayern were only up 1-0 at the break was down to some desperate defending and heroic goalkeeping from the All-Stars. Wholesale changes at the half for the hosts made the second half a sight to behold. Wright-Phillips, the leading goalscorer in MLS right now, hammered a strike past Tom Starke in the Bayern goal to bring the All-Stars level in the 51st minute before 14-time All-Star Donovan scored the games winner in the 70th minute, latching on to a Diego Valeri cross before calmly beating substitute – and German World Cup winner – Manuel Neuer in the Bayern goal. The game even had a bit of bite to it in the second half, as Osvaldo Alonso and Canadian international Will Johnson made their presence felt in midfield, putting in the requisite crunching tackles that we have come to expect from both players. Bayern Munich manager Pep Guardiola was not a happy man at the final whistle – in part because of the rough treatment his star players came in for in the second half but also, Im sure, because he simply hates losing, regardless of the "friendliness" of the competition. It was a highly entertaining match in front of a raucous crowd – if youve never been to watch a game in Portland, put it on your bucket list because you wont regret it – but it would be foolish to draw any sweeping conclusions about the state of the game in North America from one result. Pre-season training is for players to find their form and fitness, and Bayern Munichs objective in this game was entirely different to the All-Stars. A glance at the Bayern bench in the first half showed just what a stunning wealth of talent Guardiola has at his disposal. World Cup winners like Neuer, Bastian Schweinsteiger, Thomas Müller, Jerome Boateng, Philipp Lahm and Mario Götze all entered the match in the second half for a short appearance, as did Dutch star Arjen Robben. Their brief cameos delighted the sellout crowd more than they did anything to rescue Bayern from defeat. The All-Stars looked a reasonably cohesive bunch – something that cannot always be said for such squads. Far too often, players in such games look like they have only just met, which is often the truth. Credit has to go to All-Star head coach Caleb Porter for scrambling together a simple, yet effective, game plan on such short notice. For the purists, dont expect this game (or the midseason "friendly" that is popular with MLS clubs) to go away any time soon. MLS is still in its infancy as a league, and the general consensus is that such games are growing the awareness of MLS around the world. My advice to you is to do what Luke Wileman and I did on Wednesday night – sit back, enjoy the ride and marvel at the talents of some world-class players on display. Ecco Shoes Wholesale .com) - Australian Open champion Li Na, former Wimbledon winner Petra Kvitova and former world No. Ecco Shoes Clearance Australia . His apology came before a pregame ceremony in which the team honoured its 2004 team that won Bostons first World Series championship since 1918. "I realize that I behaved bad in Boston," Ramirez said. http://www.cheapeccoaustralia.com/. "I just think what it does for everybody in life is real simple," said Babcock early on Friday afternoon. "You dont give in. You just keep on keeping on. Is it going to go your way every time? No. But you choose your attitude and how you perform and how hard you dig in." Nearly four years to the day of the 2010 gold medal match in Vancouver, his team dug in with its best effort of these Olympics, snuffing out the high-powered Americans for another opportunity at gold. Ecco Shoes On Sale .5 million contract with the right-handed reliever. Ziegler revealed the agreement via Twitter, saying hes "really excited to stay in Arizona for a couple more years, at least. Ecco Shoes Australia Wholesale . Span, Danny Espinosa and Adam LaRoche had two hits apiece as Washington won the final two games of the series. The Nationals improved to 3-7 against Atlanta. They increased their division lead over the Braves to 1 1/2 games.MONTREAL - If its not a must-win game, the Montreal Impacts home opener is certainly one they would very much like to win. After opening the Major League Soccer season with two tight losses on the road, the Impact will play host to the Seattle Sounders before more than 25,000 at Olympic Stadium on Saturday afternoon. It will be a first home game for new coach Frank Klopas, the first time Brossard, Que., native Patrice Bernier will play at home as team captain, and the last that star striker Marco Di Vaio will sit out from the three-game suspension he got for wading into a skirmish in the playoffs last October. "Its the third game of the season, but we need to start getting some points," former Chicago Fire boss Klopas said this week. "Its good to be home. "We definitely felt that we should have picked up some points on the road, but thats the game." The Impact opened the season March 8 with a 3-2 loss in Dallas marked by a harsh penalty awarded to the home team. They followed a week later with a 1-0 defeat in Houston. There was a feeling the team played better in the second game — that the defence was sharper, that better chances were created and that Di Vaios replacement Andrew Wenger looked more comfortable up front. "We have some momentum even if were 0-2," said Bernier, who replaced the departed Davy Arnaud as captain. "Its not like we played bad and got cleaned out. "We felt we progressed last game from the first game and now were coming home. We have to defend our home and weve been very good at home the last two years. This is a game that could send us in the right direction and give us a positive boost." They are up against a Seattle side (1-1-0) with a formidable attack, but which is coming off a 2-1 loss at home to Toronto FC on former Tottenham striker Jermain Defoes pair of first-half goals. The Sounders, old foes of the Impact from their A-League and United Soccer League days, have not beaten Montreal in MLS play. The Impact won 4-1 in Montreal in 2012 and opened the 2013 campaign with a 1-0 win in Seattle. But Seattle has been among the better away sides in MLS, with a 29-28-24 road record since they entered the league in 2009.dddddddddddd Di Vaio and midfielder Andres Romero, both with three game suspensions, wont see action until a March 29 game in Philadelphia. In Di Vaios absence, winger Justin Mapp and attacking midfielder Felipe Martins have led the offence. The veteran Mapp was among their best players last season, but Felipe looks to have rebounded from a mediocre campaign and is looking more like the energetic playmaker he was as a rookie in 2012. He has yet to score, but leads the team with eight shots. "I had a few chances," he said. "But the hardest thing is to create chances and were doing that. "The only thing is we have to put it in the net, but that is going to come. Its not after one or two games you have to figure out whats going on. Its just soccer, no? One time a goal goes in and after that it comes natural." Klopas likes what hes seen of the Brazilian. "He missed the beginning of the season with injury last year and that was one reason his fitness level and sharpness werent the same," the coach said. "Hes a guy that sometimes doesnt get the points, but he helps the team in so many ways without the ball, with his work rate and stuff like that. "Ive been very pleased with him and I know he has a lot more room to grow." Bernier, coming off knee surgery, missed the season opener but got in 72 minutes in Houston. The team is still waiting for Bernier, Felipe and designated player Hernan Bernardello to all be at peak form to see what the centre of their midfield can do. Bernardello was injured shortly after signing last summer. The Impact are to play their first three home games at the Big O before moving outdoors to Saputo Stadium. Klopas coached Chicago against the Impact in Montreals first MLS game at Olympic Stadium in 2012, a 1-1 draw. "Its amazing that two years ago I was on the opposite side in the first game here, with a tremendous atmosphere," he said. "I hope its the same, only now theyre cheering for me and our team." ' ' '