Wednesday night’s MLS All-Star Game appearance was the culmination of a lifetime of work for Colorado Rapids defender and captain Drew Moor, but that didn’t mean he could sit back and soak in the atmosphere. A second-half substitution, Moor was tested heavily by an aggressive Tottenham Hotspur club hungry to leave Colorado with a victory before they begin Premier League play next week.
The MLS All-Stars jumped out to an early lead in the match thanks to superb goaltending in the first half by Real Salt Lake goalkeeper Nick Rimando, twice denying Tottenham’s Harry Kane, and the fast feet of Orlando City’s attacking midfielder Kaká, who was involved on both MLS goals.
The goals game only three minutes apart, first at 20 minutes on a penalty kick following a handball in the box, and the second on a beautiful slip pass from Kaká to David Villa. Kaká’s involvement on both goals earned him match MVP honors.
Kane finally broke through with a long-distance drive into the top left corner at minute 37 after Matt Beasler slipped and could not control pass at midfield. That score would be the final of the match, though the Spurs applied plenty of pressure throughout the second half.
Much of that pressure fell on the Rapids defender, Moor, who was making the first All-Star appearance of his eleven-year MLS career. Moor drew the tough task of marking Kane and, often, Nacer Chadli to open the half. Tottenham’s main attack fell on Moor’s corner of the pitch for most of the second half and the Colorado veteran held his ground, conceding just one corner. Moor made several key clearances from the box and never really allowed any of his men to get open looks at second-half keeper David Ousted.
Following the game, Moor spoke to mlssoccer.com, saying of Kane, “He didn’t do too much in the second half so I’m happy with the way we matched up against him.”
He also acknowledged how important it was to have this opportunity in front of his home crowd, and how special the night was for him, along with teammates Sam Cronin and Clint Irwin (also on the MLS All-Star roster):
“When you don’t know if you’re going to get this opportunity again, it was very nice to share some special moments with these guys.”
Despite the major effort, Moor was still beaming with excitement following the win. “It was as much fun as I’ve ever had playing soccer, even if it was just 45 minutes playing on the field.”
Moor and his teammates, along with coach Pablo Mastroeni, who led the MLS side on Wednesday, will have little time to revel in the win. Colorado takes on the LA Galaxy Saturday at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park, seeking their fourth-consecutive victory.
