The selected ones of the American soccer league (MLS) prevailed this Tuesday to the chosen ones of the Mexican league (Liga MX) in the skills contest that was played in Minnesota prior to this Wednesday’s All-Star Game among the best of both leagues.
The Argentine from Austin FC Sebastián Driussi, the Colombian from FC Dallas Jesús Ferreira, the Mexican from LA Galaxy José “Chicharito” Hernández, the also Mexican from Houston Dinamo Héctor Herrera and the Spanish from New England Revolution Carles Gil represented the MLS.
Also playing for the American league were the Californian of Mexican origin from Cincinnati Brandon Vázquez, the New York City goalkeeper Sean Johnson, the German from Nashville SC Hany Mukhtar, the Canadian goalkeeper from Minnesota United Dayne St. Clair, and the Argentine Emanuel Reynoso, also from the local team.
Participating in Liga MX were the Colombian midfielder from Pachuca Avilés Hurtado, the Atlas defender Luis Reyes, the Colombian striker also from Atlas Julián Quiñones, the Argentine striker from Monterrey Germán Berterame and the Cruz Azul midfielder Uriel Antuna.
In addition, the Argentine midfielder from Club Deportivo Riestra Alexis Vega, the Spanish midfielder from Club América Álvaro Fidalgo, the Pachuca midfielder Luis Chávez, the Santos goalkeeper Carlos Acevedo and the Colombian goalkeeper from Atlas Camilo Vargas were representing the Mexican league.
The first of the duels of the night consisted of a shooting contest in which three players from each team shot at 11 targets, one of them moving. Each player shot for 60 seconds.
The MLS players won the first skills test, in which they had outstanding performances from Jesús Ferreira and Héctor Herrera, by a resounding 136 to 74.
The second test of the skills contest, the touch test, in which a receiver tries to control and redirect the ball passed by his teammates to one of four targets, was also won by MLS, thanks in particular to Fidalgo’s successes. and Mukhtar.
In the third test of the contest, ‘cross & volley’ (cross and volley), what is scored the most are volley goals with style, and although ‘Chicharito’ Hernández offered a good show, they were selected from the Mexican league Vega and, above all, Hurtado, those who best claimed to be Chilean.
In the fourth challenge of the skills contest, passing, one player from each team competed simultaneously in a race to be the first to reach each of four targets. Berterame beat Reinoso and Chavez beat Herrera.
Arriving tied in the last duel, the shot at the crossbar, the skills contest was decided by the locals, who lost this challenge last year but won the all-star game, with an extraordinary shot at the crossbar by Mukhtar.
This Wednesday, at 8:30 p.m. (ET), the best players from the Mexican and American leagues will meet in the All-Star Game.
‘Chicharito’, leader of the Galaxy, will be the captain of the MLS team.