Before welcoming his great friend Olivier Giroud, who left AC Milan, the French national team and European football at the age of 37, Hugo Lloris (who is the same age) will play in the MLS All-Star Game. A gala match is scheduled for Wednesday evening in Columbus (Ohio), between a selection of the best players from the United States and Canadian championships against the All-Stars of the Mexican Liga, with the eternal André-Pierre Gignac in the group.
Lloris joined Los Angeles FC last December and made his debut in the new league in February, making a string of saves and bringing his vast experience to the table. His club is second in the Western Conference at the halfway point (behind the other club from the “City of Angels”, the Galaxy). It was Maarten Paes, Dutch goalkeeper for FC Dallas, who was the GK the most popular with fans and should therefore start. Swiss goalkeeper Roman Bürki is the third goalkeeper on the list (he made his debut last year in a 5-0 defeat to Arsenal).
Hugo Lloris with a French coach
Inter Miami superstars Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez, Jordi Alba and Sergio Busquets also finished in the top 12 of the public vote, but “La Pulga” and the Uruguayan “Pistolero” will miss the match through injury. Also in the starting line-up are Barça-trained midfielder Riqui Puig (Los Angeles Galaxy) and Belgian striker Christian Benteke (DC United).
In addition to Lloris and Gignac, there are other French players at this MLS All-Star Game. Wilfried Nancy, Thierry Henry’s former assistant in Montreal and MLS champion at the helm of the Columbus Crew last year, was appointed coach of the American-Canadian team and thus selected four compatriots: Lloris, his Columbus defenders Rudy Camacho (trained in Nancy) and Steven Moreira (trained at Stade Rennais, Cape Verdean international) and Gabonese international Denis Bouanga, one of the best MLS players for two years (with LAFC).
