There are few things that symbolize the American sports experience more than All-Star games, but in the European soccer space, they're afterthoughts on par with charity matches. MLS has partially bought into the gimmick and has outfitted their all-star week with fun events and challenges alongside the match itself in which the MLS All-Stars beat their Liga MX counterparts. But that's not the main story here.
Before the festivities had begun, the league announced that IShowSpeed, a viral content creator with tens of millions of followers, would participate in the skill challenge portion of the week. This is exactly the type of thing MLS fans want, even if a loud minority of people say otherwise. Speed is one of the most entertaining personalities in social media, and his impact on the new generation of soccer fans is undeniable.
Unfortunately, although Speed did bring some charisma to MLS All-Star Week, he didn't have the effect that MLS wanted. Speed didn't stream at all during the event and was mostly used as bait and the occasional interview. From the perspective of fans, it looked like MLS was trying to control Speed and play it safe. It's no secret that the popular streamer isn't everyone's cup of tea, but Speed has traveled all over the world, hung out with the biggest soccer stars, and even sat next to the president of FIFA during the Club World Cup!
Speed said himself that he was taking a break from streaming for about two weeks, which coincided with his MLS appearance. Maybe he actually is on a streaming break, but I find it hard to believe that he wouldn't make a single post from the event on Instagram. He's someone who can create viral moments out of anything, and if given the chance, he could have done something crazy in Austin.
Something was missing from this all-star weekend, and I thought MLS was going to fully buy into the product that they're showing, but unfortunately, they're still playing it too safe. MLS constantly tries to be something that it's not. MLS is never going to be like the European leagues, so why not make that your identity? Having people like Speed show up to games and become the stars will bring more fans than using him as a puppet. This week really had potential, and the events were by no means boring or unentertaining; it feels like they wasted a prime opportunity to make soccer cool with the next generation.