Wayne Rooney is set for his third Major League Soccer All-Star Game, and first as a manager, this summer. The DC United head coach will lead the squad of MLS All-Stars, to be selected at a later date, against Arsenal FC on July 19 at Audi Field. Call this what you want, an exhibition, a friendly, an All-Star Game if you must, but at the end of the day it is just a showcase.
“It’s great that we’re playing against the MLS All-Stars in Washington D.C. in July,” Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta is quoted via a club statement.
“Our U.S. tour last summer was very good preparation for the season. The match against the MLS All-Stars will be a good test ahead of the 2023/24 season.”
England and Manchester United’s all-time leading scorer forward was in the MLS All-Star squad that faced Atletico Madrid in 2019.
He was on the other side, with Manchester United, in 2011 when the Red Devils were the opponent for MLS’ best and brightest.
Paul M. Banks is the owner/manager of The Sports Bank. He’s also the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He’s written for numerous publications, including the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune. He regularly appears on NTD News and WGN News Now. Follow the website on Twitter and Instagram.