Bayern Munich vs. MLS All-Stars: Live Score, Highlights for Preseason Friendly

MLS All-Stars 2, Bayern Munich 1 Goals: Robert Lewandowski (BAY) 9'; Bradley Wright-Phillips (MLS) 51'; Landon Donovan (MLS) 70' Bayern Munich: Starke (Neuer 62') Rafinha, Bernat, Alaba (Robben 86'), Martinez, Shaqiri, Rode (Schweinsteiger 80'), Gaudino (Dante 62'), Hojbjerg, Lewandowski (Muller 80'), Pizarro (Green 37') (Gotze 80') MLS All-Stars: Rimando (Hamid 46'), Yedlin (Franklin 46'), Collin (Boswell 46'), Besler (Edu 46'), Parkhurst (Ridgewell 46'), Zusi (Valeri 46'), Cahill (Johnson 46'), Bradley (Alonso 46'), Henry (Donovan 48') (Dwyer 71'), Dempsey (Wright-Phillips 46'), Martins (Torres 46')   Follow Joe on Twitter, @JTansey90Read more MLS news on BleacherReport.com

MLS All-Stars vs. Bayern Munich: Lineup Info, Odds, TV Schedule and Live Stream

The stars will be out. The fix for soccer fans before the major European club seasons get underway will be relieved. The chance for the best of the MLS to stare down the best of Germany will play out over 90 minutes on the pitch.  The MLS All-Stars will face Bayern Munich on Wednesday night. And boy, should it be fun. Below, you'll find everything you might need to prepare for the match, from the viewing schedule to odds to a preview of the major storylines on tap.    Match Information   Rosters The full roster of the MLS All-Stars can be found here, while the Bayern Munich roster is located here.   What's At Stake?  Technically nothing, but underneath the surface, several interesting storylines should play out throughout the course of the game.  For starters, one of the debates heading into this contest is whether the MLS should consider reverting back to an East vs. West showdown to get more MLS players into the spectacle. Clint Dempsey spoke to Bleacher Report's Jason Pettigrove about the format: On a global scale I think it’s more interesting the more players that you have from different parts of the world, because people will feel a connection and want to watch those games. But at the ...

MLS All-Star Game vs Bayern Munich Must Be League’s Big Night: What If It’s Not?

As the marquee event for Major League Soccer, the 2014 All-Star Game, finally arrives (9:30 p.m. ET, ESPN2), everything has lined up perfectly for the American soccer league. A deep roster of U.S. Soccer talent teaming up with notable stars from around the world to play against the best club side on the planet in Bayern Munich, with their own set of world-renowned stars fresh off Germany's victory in the 2014 World Cup in Brazil. It should be the league's greatest night. And yet the concern has to be: What if it's not? Before we delve into the negative, let's look at all the positives. The MLS roster is stacked with known quantities, and not just MLS standouts who may only be household names to those who habitually watch the American soccer league, but bona fide stars in this country after the performance of the U.S. national team in Brazil this summer. Michael Bradley did not have the best World Cup by any means, but he did solidify himself as a cornerstone of American soccer over the last calendar year. Clint Dempsey—the current iteration of soccer's Captain America—must be considered one of the most recognizable figures in American sports today, in any sport. De'Andre Yedlin ...

MLS All-Star Game 2014: Full Rosters, Starting XI and Predictions

The most interesting exhibition match of the summer will be between the MLS All-Stars and Bayern Munich. Instead of a competition featuring half of the top Major League Soccer players against the others, the league decided to put all of its best players together against a European opponent. While the American contingent has struggled for the most part in these matches, the group continues to fight hard in each matchup. Most importantly, the upcoming competition will feature a number of players who were prevalent at the recent World Cup. The MLS squad will include a bunch of members from Team USA, while Bayern Munich have plenty of athletes from Germany and other teams. This will make the friendly an exciting match to watch no matter who wins. Here is a look at what to watch for in the upcoming battle.   When: Wednesday, August 6 Time: 9:30 p.m. ET Where: Providence Park, Portland, Oregon TV: ESPN2 Live Stream: ESPN3   MLS Top Player to Watch: Clint Dempsey If MLS wants to compete with one of the best teams in the world, it will need a lot of help from a player with tons of international experience. Clint Dempsey has played a big role for the United States national team and has also had ...

MLS All-Stars vs. Bayern Munich: Date, Time, Live Stream, TV Info and Preview

When you look at some of the rosters in European club football, it's hard to argue they aren't all-star teams themselves. Real Madrid, Barcelona, Manchester City, Juventus and Bayern Munich, among others, all boast some of the brightest and most exciting talent in footy.  So in a way, it makes complete sense that the MLS All-Stars would take on a team like Bayern Munich. Really, it's like the MLS All-Stars are taking on a slightly watered-down version of the Bundesliga All-Stars.  Below, we'll preview and predict the match, as the MLS looks to prove it can hang with one of the top clubs in the world. It should be one heck of a spectacle, if nothing else.   Match Information   Preview With Bayern Munich having their full complement of European stars for this contest, the neutral observer might note that this one could get ugly for the MLS All-Stars. After all, most of the Bayern Munich players are accustomed to playing with one another—including the large contingent that just helped Germany win the World Cup—and you could make a strong argument that no players from the MLS All-Stars would crack Bayern's starting 11.  Add in the fact that the MLS All-Stars are a collection of players brought together ...

5 MLS Teenage Stars of the Future

The All-Star festivities in MLS have begun with the inaugural Homegrown Game on Monday. The game was significant as several future stars were on display, and some of them are teenagers. Many youngsters in MLS have tremendous potential to rise to the top of the league, and some who were deserving did not get called up to play in the big game. In this slideshow, five players who are 19 years old or under are featured as potential game-changers in MLS in the future. Most of them have been prominently featured with their clubs already. Here are the ones to watch.  Begin Slideshow

MLS All-Stars vs. Bayern Munich: Schedule and All-Star Game Predictions

Let's be honest—most all-star games are frivolous affairs. Sure, they are fun for the kids, but ultimately the games suffer because very little is at stake.  And when there is something at stake—like the MLB's absurd policy of having the league that wins its All-Star Game earn home-field advantage in the World Series—we tend to critique them for trying to force relevance onto something that should be meaningless.  Not that these events can't be enjoyable, of course, but they're generally enjoyable like a casual game of volleyball between beers at a barbecue is enjoyable. They're, well...relaxing.  But the MLS has done something a bit different, and a bit more fun, with their all-star exhibition—they gather their top stars and have them face a top European side. This year, it's none other than German powerhouse Bayern Munich. For a league that often suffers from (the perhaps unfair) comparisons to minor league baseball when stacked against the English Premier League, Spain's La Liga or the Bundesliga, this is the chance to stack their best against some of Europe's top talents.  So, what should you be watching for at this year's game? And which squad is likely to come out on top? Let's break it down.   Match Info   Analysis Fans of the MLS ...

MLS Player Power Rankings: Wright-Phillips Remains at Top After 18th Goal

The play in Major League Soccer this week delivered us with something we have become used to seeing—a goal from Bradley Wright-Phillips. While players like Robbie Keane, Gyasi Zardes and Chris Wondolowski catch the headlines, the Golden Boot leader has gone about his business en route to a four-goal lead in the race to be 2014's top scorer.  As a surprise to no one, Wright-Phillips is once again on top of the MLS Player Power Rankings, but there was plenty of movement beneath him. Continue reading on to see who the potential challengers to Wright-Phillips are in the list of the league's top 20 players. Begin Slideshow

Clint Dempsey Interview: Star Talks to B/R About MLS All-Stars vs. Bayern Munich

Clint Dempsey, the captain of both the USMNT and the Seattle Sounders, took some time out of his hectic schedule to talk with Bleacher Report about the forthcoming MLS All-Star game against Bavaria's finest, Bayern Munich. The game at Portland Timbers' Providence Park ground on Wednesday, August 6, kicks off 6:30 p.m. PT (9:30 p.m. ET/2:30 a.m. BST) and promises to showcase the best talent that MLS has to offer, with the Bundesliga champions providing genuine high-quality opposition. Dempsey was an easy "Fans XI" pick for the All-Star squad after a stunning start to the Sounders MLS season—where they sit proudly atop the Western Conference—and a successful World Cup campaign which really engaged the U.S. footballing public. It's the third time the 31-year-old Texan has been selected, after his appearances in 2005 and 2006, and clearly a prospect he is relishing: B/R: The first All-Star games in the mid-90s were generally "East v West" type affairs. Since then, various European sides have been invited, but does having Bayern Munich in opposition represent a pinnacle for this fixture and if so, why? CD: I mean it’s exciting for the fans, to have a game with the quality of players that will be on the pitch, especially ...

Tony Meola Exclusive: Former Star Talks MLS, USMNT and Life After Tim Howard

In his United States men's national team career, which spanned nearly two decades, Tony Meola earned 100 caps for the Americans and represented the team in three World Cups. These days, in addition to his work as a commentator and as a coach with the U.S. youth national team setup, Meola works with Allstate to promote youth soccer in underserved communities. This week, as part of that work, he's in Portland where Major League Soccer will be hosting its All-Star game against Bayern Munich on Wednesday. While there, Meola and Allstate will surprise a local youth team and supply the team with new uniforms, warm-ups, bags, balls and tickets to the All-Star game. "Basically, we outfit an entire team," Meola told Bleacher Report. "And, in the end, we give them tickets to the [All-Star] game. The fact that they get to go to these big events...that's the coolest part for me." For the All-Star game itself, Meola expects a wide-open game—the type he wouldn't want to be in the net for. "From a goalkeeper's standpoint, they're not always fun," Meola said laughing. "[It's] always an open game, always a lot of goals, it seems, in the All-Star game. Guys are willing to take risks a ...