Despite Record Defeat, MLS Still Benefits From All-Star Game Format

Getty Images MLS's winless streak in the annual All-Star friendly has reached a record four games, but the game's sell-out crowd remains entertained a bit more by a famous foreign opponent.

ORLANDO — As at all all-star games, the result of Major League Soccer’s is secondary. It’s the event that matters—the showcase, the parties, the networking and the stage. It’s as much about fans, executives and sponsors as it is the stars, and the on-field pyrotechnics tend to be literal rather than figurative.

But the MLS version features more of a competitive wrinkle then the rest, as a league select team matches up against a big-name foreign club. It looks like soccer. There’s defense. There’s even the…