COMMERCE CITY, Colo. – After last year’s feisty encounter, there was little doubt left as to the competitive nature of the AT&T MLS All-Star Game. And while Tottenham Hotspur coach Mauricio Pochettino has already said there will be no repeat of last year’s handshake saga, his players are prepared for a serious test in this year’s edition of the summer showcase on Wednesday (9 pm ET; Fox Sports 1, UniMás, TSN, RDS).
“I think these times there are no friendly games anymore,” Spurs defender Toby Alderweireld told reporters after Tottenham’s open training session at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park on Tuesday. “Everybody wants to show themselves, wants to give their best. So it’s going to be tough, we know that. And it’s going to be very hard for us as well, so we have to give 100 percent.”
Preseason or not, there’s no room for complacency as far as Spurs are concerned. They are less than two weeks away from their Premier League opener against Manchester United on Aug. 8 and will be targeting a top-four finish in the league table for the first time since 2012.
“We take it quite seriously, of course, because we are in preseason, and we have to prepare ourselves for the game in two weeks in the Premier League,” Alderweireld said. “But I think they are playing against Spurs they will want to show themselves, and it will be a nice game, I think.”
In addition to a test against a star-studded All-Star team, the venue in Colorado presents an additional wrinkle for Tottenham, who will be facing the unusual task of playing a game at altitude. It’s a challenge the team is embracing, though, especially as they shift to a more up-tempo, higher-pressing style under Pochettino, which requires greater levels of fitness.
“It’s always going to be more difficult than where we come from, but it’s something good, it’s good for our physical development,” Spurs midfielder Mousa Dembele told MLSsoccer.com.
Added midfielder Christian Eriksen: “With the altitude, I think it’s good for lungs. And it’s a really nice game to play tomorrow with some big players who have played in all of the big leagues. So of course it will be a tough test tomorrow, but there’s only two weeks to go before the season starts.”
