SAN DIEGO, CA (Saturday, July 17, 1999) - After
watching a 4-1 halftime lead disappear after allowing the tying goal in the
83rd minute, San Jose Clash defender Mauricio Wright and the Western Conference
responded by scoring what proved to be the game-winning goal just one minute
later and then added an insurance goal in the 89th minute to give the West
a 6-4 win in the 1999 MLS All-Star Game at Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego.
After falling behind 1-0 on a Roy Lassiter (D.C. United) strike just 33 seconds into the game, the Western Conference rattled off four unanswered first-half goals (including three in six minutes) to lead 4-1 at the half.
"Since it was an all-star game, we were giving the game to the players," said Western Conference and Colorado Rapids Head Coach Glenn Myernick. "But after being down 1-0 in the first minute, we gave the game back to the coaches and it worked."
Kansas City Wizards midfielder Preki led the four-goal West barrage with two goals and an assist to capture MasterCard Most Valuable Player honors. Preki is now the all-time goals (4) and points (11) leader in MLS All-Star Game history. He also became the first player to score two goals in an All-Star Game.
The East goal 33 seconds into the match was the fastest goal in MLS All-Star game history. Columbus Crew forward Brian McBride picked off an errant West pass and fed Lassiter, who beat Chicago Fire goalkeeper Zach Thornton to give the East a 1-0 lead.
The lead didn't last long as Preki tied the game at 1-1 with a beautiful chip over East goalkeeper Tom Presthus in the 13th minute to kick off the four-goal onslaught. Chicago Fire forward Roman Kosecki put the West up 2-1 in the 32nd minute, followed by goals by Los Angeles forward Cobi Jones in the 36th minute and Preki in the 38th.
The East battled back and eventually tied the game at 4-4 on a Stern John (Columbus Crew) goal in the 83rd minute, before Wright's game-winning heroics just one minute later.
After halftime, the East started its comeback with a penalty kick in the 62nd minute. The Crew's McBride raced around Colorado defender Marcelo Balboa, who took down his fellow U.S. National Team member in the box for the second penalty kick in MLS All-Star history. New England Revolution forward Joe-Max Moore converted the spot kick to make the score 4-2, while Tampa Bay maestro Carlos Valderrama, the game's MasterCard MVP during the first two seasons, cut the score to 4-3 with a goal in the 73rd minute.
After John's equalizer 10 minutes later and Wright's go-ahead goal, San Jose Clash forward Ronald Cerritos iced the game with an insurance goal in the 89th minute.
The win by the Western Conference was its first in All-Star competition. The Eastern Conference won in 1996 and '97. The 1998 game was played in a MLS USA vs. MLS World format before returning to the East vs. West format this season.
Kansas City defender Alexi Lalas became the first player in All-Star history to be on the winning team all four years. Lalas was on the Eastern Conference squad (New England) in 1996 and '97, and on the MLS USA team as a member of the MetroStars in 1998.
JULY 17--WEST 6, EAST 4
1 2 F
EAST 1 3 4
WEST 4 2 6
Scoring Summary:
EST--Lassiter (McBride) 1
WST--Preki (Kosecki) 13
WST--Kosecki (Nowak, Lalas) 32
WST--Jones (Preki, Kubik) 36
WST--Preki (Kosecki) 38
EST--Moore (pk) 62
EST--Valderrama (Moreno) 73
EST--John (unassisted) 83
WST--Wright (Cerritos) 84
WST--Cerritos (Cienfuegos) 89
EAST--Tom Presthus (Walter Zenga 46), Eddie Pope (Robert Warzycha
46), Jeff Agoos (Leo Cullen 46), Thomas Dooley (Carlos Llamosa 46), Richie
Williams (Stern John 46), John Harkes (Brian Maisonneuve 46), Carlos Valderrama,
Marco Etcheverry, Ben Olsen (Mark Chung 46, Brian McBride 54), Brian McBride
(Joe-Max Moore 46), Roy Lassiter (Jaime Moreno 46)
TOTAL SHOTS: 22 (Moore 5); SHOTS ON GOAL: 12 (Moore 5); FOULS: 12 (John 3);
OFFSIDE: 1; CORNER KICKS: 8; SAVES: 3 (Presthus 2, Zenga 1); CAUTIONS: none;
EJECTIONS: none; POSSESSION PERCENTAGE: 49%
WEST--Zach Thornton (Matt Jordan 46), Marcelo Balboa (Alexi Lalas
66, Lubos Kubik 79), Lubos Kubik (Mauricio Wright 46), Alexi Lalas (Robin
Fraser 46) (Lubos Kubik 79, Mauricio Wright 46), Cobi Jones (Roman Kosecki
61, Ronald Cerritos 46), Eddie Lewis (Mauricio Cienfuegos 46), Peter Nowak
(Paul Bravo 46), Preki (Jason Kreis 46), Chris Armas (Ross Paule 46), Raul
Diaz Arce (Carlos Hermosillo 46), Roman Kosecki (Ronald Cerritos 46)
TOTAL SHOTS: 21 (Kosecki 3, Preki 3); SHOTS ON GOAL: 9 (Preki 2); FOULS:
5 (five players with 1); OFFSIDE: 3; CORNER KICKS: 6; SAVES: 7 (Jordan 4,
Thornton 3); CAUTIONS: none; EJECTIONS: none; POSSESSION PERCENTAGE: 51%
Referee: Sandra Hunt; Referee's Assistants: Tom Bobadilla, Jorge Reyes
Attendance: 0; Weather: Sunny, SD Surfin' blue sky, Sunny
EASTERN CONFERENCE QUOTES
THOMAS RONGEN, DC United and Eastern Conference Head Coach: "It was
a very high scoring game which is typical for an All-Star game. We played
better in the second half. The guys talked at half time about pride and winning
the game."
BRIAN McBRIDE, Columbus Crew Forward: "If we were down 2-1 or 3-1 it wouldn't have been such a big deal, but it was pretty quit at haftime in the locker room. Harksey (New England midfielder John Harkes) was the only one cracking jokes. I think we were definitely disappointed to be down by that much.
WESTERN CONFERENCE QUOTES
GLENN "MOOCH" MYERNICK, Colorado Rapids and Western Conference Head
Coach: "Since it was an all-star game, we were giving the game to the
players. But after being down 1-0 in the first minute, we gave the game back
to the coaches and it worked. I can congratulate the West. Both teams had
good chances and possesion. It was entertaining and a couple of inches either
way it could have been 12-10. It is nice to have (Alexi) Lalas on my side.
He is a great competitor. Early on he made big plays in the back."
PREKI, Western Conference Midfielder and All-Star MVP: "We all had a lot of fun, but we played well as a team. Without my teammates I wouldn't be here (as MVP). This was a game for the fans. I think we entertained them."
ALEXI LALAS, Western Conference Defender: "Letting them (East) score the first goal of the game was all a part of the game plan. It was all for the entertainment value of the fans. The MLS is a very good league with very good young players learning how to become professionals."
Courtesy MLSNET