1. Donovan scores winning goal in final ASG (2014): He would shockingly announce his retirement from playing soccer just days later, but Landon Donovan capped off his MLS All-Star career by coming off the bench in the second half to score the winning goal against Bundesliga giants Bayern Munich in an MVP display in Portland. Not a bad way to go out on top.
2.
Guardiola refuses to shake Porter's hand (2014):
It's just a friendly, right? It sure didn't seem that way in the aftermath of the 2014 match, where Bayern Munich coach Pep Guardiola refused to shake MLS All-Star coach Caleb Porter's hand. So why the snub? Guardiola claimed Portland Timbers midfielder Will Johnson
gave FC Bayern midfielder Bastian Schweinsteiger an ankle injury
near the end of the game. So much for friendlies...
3. First All-Star Game played in front of a packed house (1996): The largest crowd to ever take in an MLS All-Star Game came in the inaugural edition, in front of a sellout crowd of 78,416 at Giants Stadium. Part of a doubleheader with a Brazil vs. FIFA All-Star game, Carlos Valderrama assisted two of the winning goals for the East, who won 3-2, and the Colombian superstar won the first All-Star MVP award.
4. Howard wins MVP as Everton edge All-Stars (2009): MLS squads defeated their overseas guests in the first four editions under the current format. But that streak ended at Rio Tinto Stadium, thanks to a league alumni: Goalkeeper Tim Howard. After a 1-1 draw in regulation time, the MetroStars product and US national team icon stopped spot kicks from Brad Davis, Davy Arnaud and Freddie Ljungberg to secure a 4-3 PK shootout win over the All-Stars.
5.
Blanco steals the show at BMO (2008):
On an All-Star squad featuring the likes of David Beckham and Juan Pablo Angel, Mexican legend Cuauhtemoc Blanco seized the spotlight. Chicago's ageless DP hit a delicately devastating lob and
backheeled a dazzling assist in 45 first-half minutes to inspire a 3-2 win over West Ham
at BMO Field in Toronto.
6. Biggest upset - All-Stars beat Mourinho (2006): Led by a stern coach (Peter Nowak) who approached the trip to Chicago as work, not play, the All-Stars knocked off Chelsea at the apex of Jose Mourinho's first stint in charge of the London club. Dwayne De Rosario's bullet decided a game that "Mou" was visibly unhappy to lose, and earned the league an important measure of respect at the time.
7. Donovan makes a big splash in ASG debut (2001): The East-vs-West format could usually be counted on for goals. Lots of them. The 2001 edition at San Jose's Spartan Stadium offered up 12 in a 6-6 draw – and four came from rookie Landon Donovan, making the first of his many ASG appearances. Both he and Jim Rooney, who also scored on the day, marked the occasion by whipping off their jerseys to reveal sports bras in tribute to US women's national team hero Brandi Chastain.
8. 'Keepers unleashed (2000/1997): Tony Meola got to live every goalkeeper's dream in the wild 2000 edition, playing the final 10 minutes at striker for the West. But the East netted six unanswered goals in the second half to claim a 9-4 victory at brand-new, sold-out MAPFRE Stadium. Unimpressed? How about Jorge Campos' cameo up top in 1997: The Mexican GK actually scored for the West in that 5-4 barnburner at Giants Stadium.
9. Chicharito scores on Red Devils debut (2010): Fans across North America were eager to see how Mexico's prized striker Javier "Chicharito" Hernandez would fare in his big move to Manchester United, and he made a dream start with a clinical strike against the MLS All-Stars at a packed Reliant Stadium in Houston as the English giants romped to a 5-2 win.
10. New format a hit as Chivas are beaten (2003):This year marked a departure, as the Guadalajara powerhouse became the first foreign club invited to participate in the ASG. And the difference was immediately tangible. The intensity kicked up several notches as DaMarcus Beasley and Carlos Ruiz led a 3-1 MLS win in front of an overflow audience at StubHub Center, pioneering the format still in use today.
