MLS puts on a nice show -- thanks to Manchester United

The MLS All-Star Game came to Houston on Wednesday night, and it was welcomed by one of the largest crowds to ever witness an All-Star Game. 

An announced crowd of 70,728 -- the fourth largest to watch an All-Star event in the U.S. and the largest for an MLS All-Star game -- got a chance to see some fan favorites put on a show in Man U.'s easy 5-2 win.

For a casual fan, it was enjoyable soccer. It wasn't very physical, and the players were more committed to being entertaining than playing serious soccer. Isn't that what you want in an exhibition?

The only goals for the MLS came from Dynamo star and fan favorite Brian Ching, and ex-Dynamo star Dwayne DeRosario, now with Toronto FC,

It took all of 24 seconds for Man U. to take the lead on a defensive miscue that led to an easy goal for Federico Machida.

The Red Devils concluded the scoring with a goal from young Mexican superstar Javier Hernandez.

The unfortunate part of the game was a token appearance from the biggest star in the U.S. -- and MLS -- Landon Donovan. He might be headed to Europe, so short of national team appearances, we might not see him in MLS again for a while. Donovan had played the night before  -- unfortunate scheduling for such a showcase event.

The impact of MLS soccer in the U.S. is still up for debate. The Dynamo have been a successful, fun franchise, great in the community and loaded with quality individuals. It was awesome to see Ching -- who should have been on the World Cup team -- score a goal.

But the stars of the show were Manchester United, the biggest brand in worldwide sports. It's impossible to judge, but the majority of the crowd was there to see the Red Devils, even without superstar Wayne Rooney. 

Houston always draws well for soccer's big events at Reliant. Team USA and Mexico have huge followings, and Barcelona, Everton and other powerhouses have come through and played.

On this night, however, fans were there to see a Man U. team that is famous throughout the world. Houston -- primarily because of the energy industry -- is a diverse, international city. As such, there are fans of soccer all over, and a large contingent of Man U. fans.

We met several people at our pre-game tailgate party for ESPN 97.5 and Freebirds burritos who had come from all over the region just to see Man U. They brought massive attention to the game and filled Reliant Stadium with a buzz that a standard MLS All-Star game would never have matched.

While this is always going to be football country, soccer has its place, too. And for one night, with Man U. in town, soccer wasn't soccer. It was football.

Thanks to the Red Devils.