MLS Stars Beat West Ham United

MLS ALL-STARS 3, WEST HAM UNITED 2

TORONTO (Ticker) -- Major League Soccer players extended their unbeaten All-Star Game record with a 3-2 victory over England's West Ham United at BMO Field. The MLS All-Stars, driven by impressive first-half goals from Argentine Christian Gomez and Mexico's Cuauhtemoc Blanco and a second-half tally by Canada's Dwayne De Rosario on a penalty kick, turned on the style in front of a stadium-record sellout crowd of 20,844. Striker Dean Ashton netted both goals for West Ham United.

The MLS All-Stars continued the winning run of victories of overseas opposition since the introduction of the format in 2003, with West Ham joining Guadalajara, Fulham, Chelsea and Celtic as losing sides. MLS coach Steve Nicol started with England star David Beckham on the right and Blanco up front alongside Kenny Cooper. Landon Donovan and Juan Pablo Angel served as the striking options on the bench. West Ham boss Alan Curbishley deployed 19-year-old Joe Widdowson at left back, handing the teenager the job of marking Beckham. Matthew Etherington was at midfield after missing last Sunday's 3-1 win over the Columbus Crew.

The Hammers opened the scoring in the 26th minute, when Ashton ran onto a through ball from striking partner Carlton Cole before rifling home a right-footed shot from the right side of the area. West Ham's lead lasted less than a minute, however, as the All-Stars hit straight back. Beckham played the ball to Blanco, who back-heeled it into the path of Gomez for a right-footer that beat goalkeeper Robert Green. The English side had to play second fiddle for the rest of the opening half as the MLS midfield of Beckham, Blanco, Gomez and Juan Toja took control.

Gomez missed a perfect chance for a second tally in the 32nd minute, when Beckham cut the ball back to him from the right only to have the Colorado Rapids midfielder miss high and wide. Two minutes later, it was Blanco's turn to create, crossing low from the left to Cooper at the far post. But FC Dallas' striker sent a stooping header wide. Beckham had his first free-kick opportunity in the 39th minute, when Blanco was fouled 25 yards away from the net. The England star curled his kick around the wall, only to see his effort headed clear by Hammers captain Lucas Neill. Blanco gave the All-Stars the lead they deserved a minute before halftime. The Mexican received a short pass from Toja, cut inside from the left and then curled a right-footed shot through a maze of players and around Green at the far post. It was Blanco's last contribution as Nicol took him, as well as Cooper, out of the action at halftime.

Donovan and Angel came on in their place, while West Ham brought on Luis Boa Morte at the expense of Etherington. The substitution the Toronto fans were baying for, however, was the introduction of club captain Jim Brennan, a native of Canada. That came on the hour as Nicol withdrew Toja and Gomez for the Canadian duo of Brennan, a defender, and midfielder De Rosario. Within three minutes of the switch, Beckham had two chances to extend the MLS' lead. Unmarked, he received a cross from the left from Jonathan Bornstein but drove the ball back across goal and wide of the far post.

Later, he sent a curling 20-yard free kick into the side netting. West Ham drew even against the run of play when Ashton sent in a 67th-minute shot from 20 yards out that appeared to deflect off a defender's head. But again, the MLS All-Stars hit straight back. De Rosario was brought down in the box by Neill in the 70th minute. The Houston Dynamos midfielder took the penalty kick himself, smashing the ball home off the crossbar for a 3-2 lead. The advantage nearly was doubled a minute later, when former Aston Villa striker Angel found the net. But the goal was disallowed as offsides was called.