PORTLAND, Ore. – Managing minutes. It's one of the most popular topics of discussion at every MLS All-Star Game and this week it's no different.
Except for Sporting Kansas City's Aurelien Collin.
"Last year I played 90 minutes and I told [Caleb Porter] already, 'Hey, I'm going 90 minutes,'" Collin told MLSsoccer.com. "For me, I take it seriously. I take seriously all these games. For me, it’s like a league game."
The MLS Cup champion central defender is not just blowing smoke. He hasn't forgotten last year's match, a 3-1 loss to AS Roma on his home field at Sporting Park. The All-Stars were dominated in the game.
"Last year, I was very disappointed with the team. We didn’t take it seriously," Collin continued. "I was very very mad at the end of the game because even if you only play one half, but those 45 minutes you’re going to play, you have to give everything you have."
Where does Collin's zeal to perform in friendlies come from? It's not just professional pride. He believes it's important for Major League Soccer's image across the globe.
"I think a lot of people like in Europe and France, people who don’t know, still have the same picture of MLS like 15 years ago 10 years ago," he said. "That’s the problem. "If you do these games and you don't really care about the results and they see 7-0 or 7-1, after they say there’s no progress. A lot of people will use these kind of things to say the league is not good.
"We’re talking a lot about soccer in the United States with the World Cup," Collin said. "And if we get a good result against Bayern, it’s going to be good for the league."
