ORLANDO, Fla. – Brad Guzan didn’t have to wait until after Wednesday’s 2019 MLS All-Star Game presented by Target to do a post-game interview.
He did them, instead, during the match against Atletico Madrid.
“I done it last year, so it wasn’t my first experience with it,” said Guzan, talking about the experience of being mic'd up alongside some teammates during the game. “I think it gives a different perspective to the fans to see what players are possibly seeing. Tonight, was a little bit lighthearted and laughing joke with Stu [Holden] and John [Strong on the FS1 broadcast]… it was great.”
The Atlanta United goalkeeper was able, throughout his 30 minutes of action, to chat with the broadcast commentators and at one point All-Star teammate Walker Zimmerman, saying that juggling playing and commentating duties wasn’t that hard to do.
“Yeah, you have an idea,” said Guzan. “The producer is able to let you know, give you a heads-up that they’re coming to you. So being able to juggle that with having to see what’s happening on the field can get tricky but ultimately it was OK, it was good.”
For San Jose Earthquakes forward Chris Wondolowski who at one point added to the lighthearted banter while sitting on the sideline, he enjoyed being mic’d up and wouldn’t mind doing it again, but hopes for a lighter mic pack.
“I really have to watch what I’m saying,” Wondolowski said with a laugh. “It’s pretty cool at these events. I was hoping to try to wear it out there but the pack was pretty heavy, especially with it being wet … [but] I was actually able to wear it on the field and get some stuff out there, being about to talk to Stu, but still a lot of fun.”
Real Salt Lake goalkeeper Nick Rimando, who’s playing in his final MLS season, enjoyed the added element on a fun night, where Atletico came away 3-0 winners.
“It’s an interview, that’s what these games are,” said Rimando. “Have fun with it, enjoy it. Get to have some good banter with some of the guys. Do things you probably don’t do during a normal MLS game, so it makes it fun for us and also for the fans.”
Was the experiment so successful that it should be introduced to league matches? Don't get carried away, said Rimando.
“No,” he said. “This is an All-Star game; you don’t want to take away from the game and have players doing interviews during a meaningful game. This is a fun game that nobody is going to a playoff over.”
