With a sellout crowd at Q2 Stadium, Austin proved itself a worthy host of Major League Soccer’s showcase event. Credit: credit: Austin FC

In a delightfully entertaining, impressively well-played, and satisfactorily competitive exhibition match, the MLS All-Stars defeated the Liga MX All-Stars, 3-1, in the much-anticipated 2025 MLS All-Star Game at a sold-out Q2 Stadium Wednesday night.

The MLS squad, despite the no-show of one Lionel Messi, got goals from all three of its strikers as Nashville’s Sam Surridge, Philadelphia’s Tai Baribo, and Vancouver’s Brian White all found the back of the net. Meanwhile, 16-year-old Tijuana phenom Gilberto Mora impressed and scored the lone goal for the Liga MX side, which was also without a household name in James Rodríguez.

From the opening whistle, both sides demonstrated a healthy intensity and desire, inspired in part by team captains Evander for MLS and Sergio Ramos for Liga MX. Evander produced the first two shots on goal of the match and nearly scored a worldie in the 13th minute, while Ramos barked at his teammates to remain organized while defending set pieces.

Hometown favorite Brad Stuver, who started the match in goal for the MLS All-Stars and received a hero’s ovation in the pregame introductions, delivered a signature diving save in the 19th minute to deny Sergio Canales and evoke a mighty “STUUUV” roar from the crowd, which was loud and engaged throughout the match.

Stuver, naturally, kept a clean sheet in his 33 minutes before handing the gloves over to Minnesota United’s Dayne St. Clair.

“The experience was amazing,” said Stuver, whose national profile deservedly got a massive boost throughout the week. “I’m so grateful and just so thankful to be here in Austin representing, and can’t thank the fans enough for supporting me through everything.”

In the 28th minute, LAFC superstar Denis Bouanga nearly scored an individual goal for the ages, stealing the ball from midfielder Agustín Palavecino and then sprinting past half the Liga MX roster into the 18-yard-box. Liga MX keeper Luis Malagón made the save on Bouanga’s shot, but Bouanga chased down his own rebound, then curled a perfect cross toward Surridge for an easy headed finish and the opening goal.

Five minutes into the second half, the MLS All-Stars doubled their lead, this time via a tremendous team goal. Baribo finished off a star-studded transition move that also involved Carles Gil, Diego Luna, and Diego Rossi. Baribo, who won MVP honors on the night, compared the league-versus-league competitive atmosphere of the night to a national team match.

The story of the second half, though, was the teenager Mora – baby-faced and born during the Obama administration, but not to be messed with. Mora produced the best finish of the night on Liga MX’s lone goal, stuffing it into the top corner and giving MLS’s third keeper, Yohei Takaoka, no chance.

“He makes every play look like it’s easy to play soccer, and those plays are the ones that are different,” Austin FC and MLS All-Star coach Nico Estévez said. “He has a bright future.”

Depending on how Mora’s career progresses and how quickly he makes a seemingly inevitable move to a top European club, Wednesday might end up being a “I saw him when” moment for those in attendance.

Austin FC’s Guilherme Biro, named an All-Star less than 10 hours before the start of the match as a replacement for Inter Miami’s Jordi Alba (who joined Messi in flaking last-minute), entered to a warm ovation in the 75th minute. And in the 80th, MLS got its insurance goal thanks to White to cap off the 3-1 final to a satisfying All-Star Game and a great showing for Austin as a soccer city.

“That was the goal of the entire week, right? The goal was to showcase what makes Austin, Austin. It was to showcase what Austin FC means to this community,” Stuver said. “I think Austin showed exactly what we knew they could, and I’m glad that the rest of the league was able to see that.”

For more MLS news and analysis, visit The Austin Chronicle‘s Austin FC hub. Follow The Verde Report columnist Eric Goodman on X: @goodman.

This article appears in July 18 • 2025.

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Eric Goodman has covered Austin FC for the Austin Chronicle since before the club first kicked a ball in 2021. His column, The Verde Report, continues the Chronicle's decades-long tradition of soccer-focused commentary, serving as a spiritual successor to Nick Barbaro's Soccer Watch column. Eric has also covered multiple Olympic Games and FIFA World Cups as a freelance sports journalist, and is a two-time Emmy-winning producer.