COMMERCE CITY — DeAndre Yedlin made the MLS All-Star team two years ago as a 20-year-old rookie, and the Seattle Sounders homegrown player made the All-Star team again last season.
He played in the MLS All-Star Game Wednesday night, but this time with visiting Tottenham Hotspur of the English Premier League. A talented defender who played for the U.S. national team in the World Cup last summer, Yedlin joined Tottenham in January. He came on in the 63rd minute Wednesday in a game won by the MLS Stars, 2-1.
“It was good to get back with the team and get some minutes under my belt,” Yedlin said. “Obviously not the result we wanted, but we knew it was going to be a challenge.”
Yedlin is a highly regarded player, and he looked dangerous attacking from his right back position Wednesday night, but at age 22 he is trying to earn time with a team that finished fifth in one of the world’s toughest leagues last season. There is speculation that Tottenham will put Yedlin out on loan this season so he can gain experience rather than sitting on the bench with Spurs.
After the game he was asked if he felt “comfortable” with Spurs.
“I feel comfortable wherever I go,” Yedlin said. “Whether it be with Tottenham or it be a loan, it doesn’t matter. It’s one of the things you have to deal with as a pro. Wherever I go, I’ll put in my best effort.”
Harry Kane shows his pedigree
For the MLS All-Stars, the game carried some heft. It was about representing themselves and their league well. For rising international superstar Harry Kane, it was just a preseason friendly.
“From my point of view, it was good to get my first game under the belt and probably could have had a few goals, but it’s good to get on the score sheet and good to get 75 minutes,” said Kane, who scored Tottenham’s goal in the 37th minute. “The most important thing for me was getting match fitness under my belt.”
And where better to work on your fitness than in Denver — a mile above sea level.
“Yeah, it was tough,” Kane said of the thin mile-high air. “A lot different than back home in England anyway, it’s very hot and humid and sometimes you felt yourself catching your breath, but that’s part of preseason.”
But if the 22-year-old was sucking wind, it wasn’t too evident. The 6-foot, 2-inch striker was all over the field, popping up in dangerous spots and putting four shots on target in the first half. If not for some class saves by Real Salt Lake goalkeeper Nick Rimando, he may have bagged a few goals.
“Top saves,” Kane said. “The ‘keeper was on top form and I was delighted to see the goal go in and get the cobwebs off me.”
With MLS leading 2-0, Kane broke through, collecting a ball around midfield and taking Los Angeles Galaxy defender Omar Gonzalez on 1-v-1, switching the ball onto his right foot, and burying a screamer from about 20 yards out.
“As a striker you’re going to get chances, if you miss them you have to put them behind you and just get ready for the next one. And that’s what I try to do,” Kane said. “A good striker always misses chances, and then they say how they deal with that and take the next one.”
Tough coaching assignment
Pablo Mastroeni had an abundance of talent to coach but not much time to prepare the MLS All-Stars for the game. It worked out just fine for the second-year Rapids coach.
It didn’t help that there were several withdrawals and replacements to the team in the past few days.
“The roster was finally settled (Wednesday) afternoon at noon,” Mastroeni said. “The focus to initially start the game is that Tottenham, they’re at the peak of their pre-season, getting ready to start their season (a week from Saturday). Mentality is everything. I felt it was important we keep a high line and really make it difficult for them to play out. And I think the guys really applied themselves really well the first half and were really able to think about where they wanted to make them play. And for the most part, they did a good job. Obviously when they (Spurs) broke (into the attack), they’re a very dangerous team — a well-coached team.”
Denver Post staff writer DanielPetty contributed to this report.
