Hammers suffer defeat to All-Stars

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West Ham failed to become the first English side to beat the Major League Soccer All-Stars after going down 3-2 at BMO Field in Toronto.

The MLS All-Stars, driven by impressive first-half goals from Argentinian Christian Gomez and Mexico’s Cuauhtemoc Blanco and a second-half penalty from Canada’s Dwayne De Rosario, turned on the style in front of a stadium record sell-out crowd of 20,844 to cancel out two goals from England striker Dean Ashton.

The victory continued the All-Stars’ winning run against foreign opposition since the introduction of the format in 2003, with Fulham, Chelsea and Celtic among their previous victims.

MLS coach Steve Nicol started with England star David Beckham on the right wing and Blanco up front alongside Kenny Cooper.

West Ham boss Alan Curbishley deployed 19-year-old Joe Widdowson at left-back, handing the teenager the job of marking Beckham, while midfielder Matthew Etherington was recalled after missing Sunday’s 3-1 win over Columbus Crew.

The Hammers opened the scoring in the 26th minute when Ashton ran onto a through ball from strike partner Carlton Cole before rifling home right-footed.

The lead lasted less than a minute, however, as MLS hit straight back, Beckham playing the ball to Blanco, who backheeled it into the path of Gomez to slot home right footed past Robert Green.

It was Blanco who gave the All-Stars the lead they deserved.....continued below

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a minute before half-time after the Mexican received a short pass from Toja, cut inside from the left and then curled a shot right-footed through a maze of players and around Green at the far post.

West Ham drew level against the run of play when Ashton sent in a 67th-minute shot from 20 yards out that appeared to take a deflection off a defender’s head but again the All-Stars hit straight back, De Rosario brought down in the box by Neill in the 70th minute.

The Canadian took the penalty himself, smashing the ball home off the crossbar to give the home side a 3-2 lead.

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