Stars deliver Hammers blow

Huddersfield Daily Examiner (Huddersfield, England), July 25, 2008

WEST HAM failed to become the first English side to beat the Major League Soccer All-Stars after going down 3-2 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 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.

Chelsea expect to learn more about Jose Bosingwa's thigh injury today after a scan was delayed.

The 25-year-old Portugal right-back, who joined Chelsea from FC Porto over the summer, managed just 20 minutes of his Blues debut on Wednesday in southern China before complaining of a thigh problem. Chelsea initially insisted he was withdrawn as a precautionary measure.

CAPTION(S):

HIGH FIVES: MLS All-Stars' David Beckham, centre, celebrates a goal by teammate Christian Gomez, left, as Frankie Hedjuk joins in during the first half against West Ham United in Toronto