PORTLAND — A little taste of world-class soccer was pretty sweet — even if the visiting coach left a bit bitter about several late-match fouls.
In a match that featured 18 players who participated in this summer’s World Cup, the Major League Soccer All-Stars defeated German power Bayern Munich 2-1 on Wednesday in front of an appreciative Providence Park crowd announced at 21,733.
Los Angeles Galaxy star Landon Donovan scored the winning goal off an assist from the Portland Timbers Diego Valeri, and New York’s Bradley Wright-Phillips scored as the all-stars overcame an early 1-0 deficit. Donovan, playing in his 14th consecutive MLS All-Star Game, scored his sixth all-star goal and was honored with the MVP award.
The stars of Germany’s World Cup championship team — Thomas Muller, Bastian Schweinsteiger, Jerome Boateng, Philipp Lahm and Mario Gotze — entered in the last five to 10 minutes of the match. They flew to Portland on Tuesday and have not been with the team during its week in the United States.
But it was players who did not go to Brazil who scored the goals in the showcase event for Major League Soccer.
Robert Lewandowski, one of the top strikers in Europe and a newcomer to Bayern this season, delivered a top-flight finish for the German club’s first-half goal.
Receiving a short pass from Rafinha, he took on juggling touch and drove an 18-yard shot under the cross bar in the eighth minute. The goal came just moments after he forced Real Salt Lake goalkeeper Nick Rimando to make the first of his five saves.
With a fresh team on the field in the second half, the MLS was able to score twice. In the 51st minute Wright-Phillips converted at the end of quick counter-attack passes by Bobby Boswell and Erick Torres. The winner came in the 70th minute as Donovan took a lofted pass from Valeri, held off two defenders and scored past World Cup champion goalkeeper Manuel Neuer, who entered in the 62nd minute.
“We knew we would get space because they play three at the back. I saw Landon running behind and tried to assist. He finished like a good player,” Valeri said.
Bayern Munich is preparing for its 2014-15 season and plays in the German Super Cup Final next week.
Bayern Munich coach Pep Guardiola praised the fans of Portland and said his team played well despite the outcome.
He was clearly annoyed by several late fouls, including one by Timbers midfielder Will Johnson that sent Bayern’s Schweinsteiger to the turf with an ankle injury.
When the match ended, the Bayern coaching staff refused to shake hands with Timbers coach Caleb Porter, who coached the MLS team. Porter called Guardiola his idol and said he understood the frustration given that Bayern is preparing for counting games and coaches rely on their best players for success when it counts most.
“Coaches get heated. Certainly you guys have seen me in games,” Porter said. “There was so much good to talk about tonight during the game that for me there’s no reason to make that the story.”
Aside from the win, Porter said the highlight of coaching the all-star team was working with world class players.
“People talk about the result, but for me that’s secondary. I thought we played good football. Some of the sequences we put together I thought were fantastic,” Porter said, pointing to a first-half combination between Thierry Henry and Clint Dempsey he said will be a lasting memory.
Porter chose a first-half lineup that paired teammates to bring some familiarity to the All-Star lineup. The lineup included Seattle teammates Dempsey, Obafemi Martins and DeAndre Yedlin, New York teammates Henry and Tim Cahill, and Sporting Kansas City center backs Matt Besler and Aurelien Collin and midfielder Graham Zusi. The other starters were Columbus defender Michael Parkhurst and Real Salt Lake’s Rimando in goal.
The MLS played a completely different lineup after halftime, including hometown players Valeri, Will Johnson and Liam Ridgewell, who manned left back. Those fresh legs made a difference for the MLS according to Guardiola. Bayern played its starting lineup deep into the second half.
The Red Bulls’ Henry had an active first half, including a half-volley from distance that sailed just over the crossbar. Henry was the only starter still on the field for the MLS at the start of the second half. Porter replaced the French legend two minutes after halftime, inserting Donovan and allowing the crowd to salute Henry. The 36-year-old is in his fourth season with New York.
“He’s been great for the league. He’s done and done a lot for the sport in this country. He’s had a wonderful career and I just felt that he deserved that tribute,” Porter said.
By the end of the match, Timbers supporters in the crowd were chanting Porter’s name. Guardiola declined to comment about fouls from Johnson and Seattle’s Osvaldo Alonso that earned each a yellow card.
“The tackles that happened were unfortunate,” Porter said. “They’re things that happen in soccer games. I understand the (Bayern Munich) frustration completely.”
“It doesn’t matter. It’s over. We tried to play. Congratulations to MLS on the victory,” Guardiola said.
The Bayern coach ended his press conference, which included a thank-you to the University of Portland where his team trained, by quipping that a rivalry has been born.
“I expect they’re going to invite us next year to try to make revenge, and I am going to try to prepare a little bit better,” Guardiola said. “Now we will be sure what is going on so we will prepare much better. I hope our invitation is coming.”
Based on Wednesday’s show, a second serving of Bayern Munich — however unlikely — would be something to savor.
