Brilliant game.
Kuol was great, some good football played, I don't care if it's a gimmick or barca were only going 50%, that a-league team had a couple of days together and turn that out. 

As someone said before,  if you could get the a-league all stars game to be played like that then make it an annual thing. Particularly with the young guys playing. 

Nice if Arnie could unite Socceroos to play like that ?
And Yorke Only had couple days, Wow !!

playing at only 75% speed, just an exhibition.

Very enjoyment night, great crowd too.

To be honest with all the doubts about whether it would undermine the a-league grand final well that wasn't the case at all, a great game with some good goals but some of the players also put on a show such as the Dembele, Gavi, Busquets for Barca but Garang Kuol for the all stars was outstanding the kid plays with no fear which was outstanding and very unlucky not to score at least once.

I also thought Caceres and Piscopo were great for the All Stars too.

Well done to APL for taking a gamble on this but it has payed off in some way! 

I reckon that this game played at the end of the season has a lot more going for it than the games coming up in mid July when we are totally out of season and the travelling teams are only just starting their pre season training. Also saying that as a Man United Fan.
Nicely timed between the semis and final of the A League. Great promotion within the show on the TV for the Final too.
What are other thoughts?

I was very into it. I think it shows football can be anything we don’t need to reinvent the wheel just give us the game and it’ll happen from there. Good ad for the league 

Piscapo was good in the second half but was very poor in the first half. Jay Oshae is so under rated in the league. he made the second goal starting with a back heel in his own box, then a great forward run to get the ball again and a pin point forward pass to put piscapo through. 

Not a bad showing by the "All Stars" Despite Barca treating it as a bit of a joke you could see they got stung a little by the goals they copped and pushed themselves out of first gear for a few moments.... First half was a bit of a snoozefest but the second one was quite entertaining....  Decent enough to pass 90 mins on the coach with.

I hate to say this because the kid has played, from what was said last night, less than 3 full games of senior football but Arnie MUST get Garam Kuol into Socceroos camp for the coming one possibly two coming qualifiers..... Give him 15 mins on th pitch at least.. Its not as if we are gonna qualify anyway but this kid is OUR FUTURE........ Technique is there just needs to tweak his positioning when receiving the ball and maybe a bit of peripheral awareness.... Get this kid 15kgs body mass and a couple of seasons in a decent Euro league and we have a very special player I think.

Well done to the Goulbourne Valley Suns FC and his father, not sure about his brothers yet but Garang plays with a "joy" that we have not seen in Australia.... maybe EVER......

Well said Mono. 100% agree

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-05-25/barcelona-beat-a-league-all-stars-in-sydney/101100368

hahahah I doidnt see the Xavi and Yorke comments before posting but great to know such great football minds agree with my opinion. :) hahahahahah

Seriously, I hope the kid doesnt get rushed into a "high profile" transfer somewhere to sit on the pine.. He needs minutes, minutes, minutes at a decent professional level NOW.....
Could be a really great player, was very impressed with him last night.

As a viewing specticle it was entertaining and Thankfully so I enjoyed it like all have quoted.....
BFC first time here sure showed all the eurosnob knockers how many supporters are out there as a reminder - 70k rippa attendance by the so called Sydney don't support compared to Melbon :) 
OK we know BFC weren't on the gas 110% but lovely to watch and so good for our own being up against them.
Where is that 1touch close football we saw last night in weekly AL games.
Some of it was impressive to watch.
Counters were great to see finished off.
Caceras has always been a stand out player, last night his skill was for all to see, WTF can't he ever get a Roo call up.
Oshea does he play that well every week.
Balin, observing bugga Cummings I'll eat my poop I'd risk playing Kuol from our other discussion, sure it maybe premature but his speed is a huge bonus and would certainly provide likely x factor.
Piscopo has always shown he's got the ability yet to finesse it but another good Roo option.
How is the mammoth beast Adama Traore - his speed is massive and skill and what a boot, had hoped LFC bought him but can't win them all.
Hoots 2 A Traore's playing.

Wonder what scouts were watching.

What a great game of football. It was worth being there. As it usually happens when a big club from o/s comes to Australia, 80% of the crowd supports them ( I personally hate that). Most predicted 4-0, 5-1, 6-0 in favour of the “ not so much visiting” team but it didn’t and never looked as if those scores were to become real. Well done All Stars!! We’ll done to the A-League !! Well done Aussie football. I went there to enjoy the tiki-taka of the catalans but ended enjoying our very own A-League tiki-taka. Imo, everyone delivered with some really shining and showing everyone that they’re as good and belong at the highest level. Cáceres ( even if he’s a smurf) was the classiest player of not just All Stars but of the 22 players. He was magical. Piscopo was also great and O’Shea was fabulous. Enjoyed the youth, energy and talent of Kuol. I wonder if most of this players, aren’t the ones that should be playing v Emirates in the playoffs. Once again, congratulations to our A-League and it’s players. 

https://www.smh.com.au/sport/soccer/the-teenage-socceroos-hopeful-in-hot-demand-after-barcelona-blitz-20220526-p5aoo5.html

Great article.

His brother. 'you've signed the wrong Kuol'.

Hahaha

Great piece from Rugari, credit where credit is due... Would be delighted if Garang got a transfer at such a young age to any Dutch or German club outside the top 2-3. Even better somewhere like France or Italy where he can sharpen up technically and learn to outfox competent. tough defences.... Certainly a player to watch.... 
I know Im gushing over an un-seasoned player, which I usually hate others doing, but kid looks the goods.... Give him 45 mins against Jordan next week Arnie, what have you got to lose?

Rumoured to have re-signed with the Mariners. TBH I would also be delighted for him if he went OS, but maybe he should have a Musti-like deal where he is transfered and loan back to the Mariners for 6-12 months to ensure he is getting game time. The Academy kids often sit in the row in front of me and he was there just a couple of months ago on crutches after a knee operation.  He is a special talent - but the good thing is his family will guide him in his decisions

Glad that Jay O'Shea got to show his true capabilities. Its a pity that they have been wasted on an underperforming front line for Brisbane the last couple of years. That he has had the second most assists this year notwithstanding the errant nature of our forwards shows his ability to create chances. Would dearly love to keep him at Brisbane, but not holding much hope.

It wasn't all the best players in the league by a long way - but they performed really well. Wouldn't Jamie Young have loved the chance to keep a clean sheet last night just for example.

O'Shea always plays like that, and sometimes better, when he is allowed to play in an attacking role and has had enough recovery time from the previous game. Funny that some cannot see it just because he is wearing an aleague shirt for a lowly placed team. Can't see the football for the shirts.

Really enjoyable game  First half was Barcelona with one foot off the pedal making an exhibition of it but finding that first gear was not quite enough to close out the game. Really amazing one touch football where the ball went in any direction direct to another player. Allstars played to win and did enough to make it a proper game.
Second half and Barcelona did get stung and put their foot down to make sure they did not go away embarrassed - but Allstars still kept them honest for the duration.

One thing that showed up to me - the defenders for Barcelona committed their bodies to ball and player tackles when someone was running at them with skill. We don't see may defenders going to ground the stifle the attack (successfully) in a front on tackle but it is something I have always wondered at - why do our defenders stay on their feet at a distance and give the good ball players a chance to fake, swerve and dribble and run past? If you get right into them and block ball and player they don't get the chance to utilise their skill. Look at the flipside when Barcelona were carving us up to score as individuals and our defenders get wrong footed and found themselves marking nothing one after another.

A credit to the league and real entertainment both on TV and at the game for the 70k. Supporters of both teams walked away from that game feeling good.

Cool. So 80k Barcelona fans got to see their team play and the TV ratings were so low (possibly lower than the attendance) that everybody has made a pact not to talk about them

Usually all stars games discussions are balanced but the one sidedness of this thread tells me you guys could literally say anything and nobody could dispute it

What do you think we are missing?

No idea. I turned my back on the game after it became obvious it would be nothing but a closed off salary capped shop with teams taking it in turns winning titles, concessions, rigged draws, and gimmicks such as this. My point became tired and irrelevant a long time ago that for the most I spare this forum from having to read it

I'm genuinely surprised that even the hardened fans have now turned their back on the game. I'd like to hear what they have to say about it.

So you have nothing to add. Then why bother commenting. 

I did have something to add. The ratings figure was so low it can't be found, and the lack of a balanced discussion tells me only the hardened of people actually watched the game (outside of Barcelona fans)

Thats my contribution. Relevant, and on topic. The all stars game is a cash cow / gimmick aimed at driving interest. It failed

The game is one step away from an exhibition game

Yep.

Did u actually watch the game??

But - 

I turned my back on the game after it became obvious it would be nothing but a closed off salary capped shop with teams taking it in turns winning titles, concessions, rigged draws, and gimmicks such as this. My point became tired and irrelevant a long time ago that for the most I spare this forum from having to read it.

If you truly have turned your back on the game then you may as well not comment and go and pursue your new interests. If you sill connect with football but not with the ALM then that is another thing altogether.

I meant 'what do you think is missing in this thread' when you say that it is one-sided.

Is it not reasonable and possible that everyone who watched and posts on this forum actually found it an entertaining game showing real quality?

Your post suggests that what you see as missing is the antagonistic and contrary viewpoints that we used to see on here with countless tiered responses bludgeoning their opponents with a combination of wit, experience, intelligence, repetition, and childhood 'you are' quality repartee.

The hardened fans do not post here in the numbers they used to - as has been questioned and commented on in many threads including the 'is this forum dead' one most recently. There are still a lot of readers who view the forum but do not log in or comment and many of them are probably hardened fans. I would suggest that most of the posters on here are well and truly hardened fans, and it is really very refreshing to see so many positive and interested comments about this one game.

You must pop in here at least from time to time and you cannot tell me that you have not seen plenty of examples of opposing commentary on almost every topic.

Maybe recognise it as a significant event when so many are heard in common praise rather than discrediting the amazing thing that agreement is when we see it.

Cacerus and Piscopo were really good. Looked very tidy on the ball

Great game, many Barca fans positive about the A-League players - may have some new fans…

Doesn't turn 18 til September so won't be going anywhere until at least January, and I think a mid season move would be a bad idea. If he plays well during a full season with CCM, he'll have a lot more options open to him and he can choose wisely.