Wayne Rooney is back to facing Arsenal -- just not in the way he's used to.
The D.C. United manager will take the sidelines to lead the 2023 MLS All-Stars in the All-Star Game against English Premier League giants Arsenal.
Audi Field, home of D.C. United, will be the venue for the fixture slated for Wednesday, July 19 and the excitement for the annual event where MLS' best players take on a top European club is reaching new heights.
The Gunners are fresh off a campaign where they rivaled Manchester City, who won a historic treble, for the league title as the youngest team in the division managed by a young manager in Mikel Arteta. They eventually fell short, however, but quickly improved in the current transfer window where they signed Kai Havertz from Chelsea and have agreed deals with Declan Rice (West Ham) and Jurrien Timber (Ajax, Netherlands).
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The MLS All-Stars will surely have their hands full as they look to earn their first win against a European side in the event since 2015. That year they defeated Tottenham 2-1 in Colorado.
So, which players could be the difference makers against Arsenal? Let's look at these five:
CAM Thiago Almada, Atlanta United
Atlanta United might not be high in the Eastern Conference, but Almada is riding high on the statistical leaderboards. The 22-year-old Argentine, who currently is the only active MLS player with a World Cup to his name, is enjoying a breakout campaign where's recorded eight goals and nine assists across 18 games.
For context, he had six goals and seven assists in 29 appearances last season, his first for the club. He leads the league in assists, is second in overall goal contributions and is top three in key passes with over 40. Almada may need to be the one to deliver the final ball to score past Arsenal's sturdy defense when they're healthy.
CAM Hany Mukhtar, Nashville SC
On the other hand, Nashville currently is a top-two Eastern side and is the leading goalscorer in MLS with 13. The 28-year-old reigning league MVP also has seven assists to his name for 20 total goal contributions, also the most in the league. While Almada may be the one to provide the final pass, Mukhtar may need to supply the finishing touch.
GK Roman Burki, St. Louis City SC
St. Louis City may be the newest expansion team in MLS, but it currently sits in first place in the Western Conference. That's in large part due to Burki's presence in between the sticks, as the 32-year-old new signing brought plenty of experience with him to the club.
The former Borussia Dortmund goalie leads the league in saves with 76 and counting and has a save percentage of 75+%. The All-Stars will need goals to win, but they'll also need Burki to come up with big saves against a versatile and lethal Arsenal forward line.
CB Walker Zimmerman, Nashville SC
Nashville has conceded only 16 goals through 21 games, the fewest of any team in MLS. Zimmerman has been a pivotal part of that, as the 30-year-old center back stars in the middle of the defensive line. Though he tends to struggle with the U.S. men's national team and is no longer a regular starter, he'll need to be flawless against an Arsenal side that'll pose significant problems on offense.
ST Christian Benteke, D.C. United
Benteke might need to be called upon to be the hometown hero. Why? He's played against Arsenal the most as the former striker of multiple Premier League clubs such as Liverpool, Aston Villa and Crystal Palace. The 32-year-old Belgian international has eight goals and two assists in 20 games this season, so if he's on the pitch, look for the All-Stars to spam crosses into the box to get him aerial opportunities.
