Ah, the beginning of the millennium — a time of Sum 41, camo pants and Hit Clips. Some of the hot trends of the early 2000s we long for again, others are better left in the past. Make no mistake, the earliest kind of MLS All-Star Weekend absolutely belongs in the first category.
MLS used to be so much cooler pic.twitter.com/J5YYGlsVXT
— Zack Goldman (@ThatDamnYank) July 26, 2018
As you can see from the MLS All-Star Weekend of 2001, events were, as one might say, “off the chain” or “phat,” if you will.
Modeling itself after the NBA and MLB editions which feature a three-point contest and home-run derby, respectively, MLS version had its own individual skill events where teams from the East and West competed in everything from a straight foot race (bravo, bleach-blonde Landon Donovan!) to a free-kick accuracy contest to an event called “Gol Olympico,” in which players tried to score from the corner spot.
Fast forward 17 years and the league now delivers a very straightforward MLS All-Star weekend in which the league’s best, typically, face off against one of Europe’s top clubs, on a weekday. Last year, the All-Stars played Real Madrid. On Wednesday, they will play Italian champion Juventus.
That’s great and all but can you imagine if the 2001 MLS All-Star Weekend set up stuck around?! Zlatan Ibrahimovic in the power shot competition. Sebastian Giovinco lighting up the free kick event. Tim Howard getting way too competitive and probably yelling at people in Goalie Wars.
Perhaps it’ll take a lot of begging or a crowdfunding ploy or, maybe, like the Hit Clip, it is forever dead. For now, we may just have to nostalgically cling to gems like this video.
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