Arsenal dominates MLS in All-Stars Skills Challenge

If an All-Star Game wasn't a foreign enough concept for a European side, Arsenal participated in the MLS Skills Challenge Tuesday night - and the results were slightly surreal.

The Gunners called on 10 players for the wonky event - including new signings Kai Havertz and Jurrien Timber - and you wouldn't have known this squad was new to the spectacle.

Arsenal beat their hosts in four of five competitions, which featured numbered goal targets and massive circular targets akin to what you might see in the 'Skill Games' mode on FIFA 23.

The night began with 'Goalie Wars' between two MLS Next keepers - Ben Martino and Isaac Walker (the eventual winner) - as they tried to score on each other from roughly 20 yards apart.

They were not limited to using their feet and often tried to hurl the ball past each other.

From there, three representatives from each side competed in a shooting challenge with players earning points by hitting different targets in the net.

Other than during a couple strong rounds from Jakub Kiuwor and Denis Bouanga to close the competition, the crowd didn't get into that one much.

In fact, a quiet fell over Audi Field as hometown DC United striker Christian Benteke struggled and eventually blazed a shot over the bar.

Arsenal won that competition - and the next - where players had to field a pass on the volley, take a touch and aim at what can only be described as a massive skeeball machine.

Aaron Ramsdale was absent for the first hour of the night but finally got involved during the cross and volley event, which finally elicited a proper reception out of the crowd.

The DC fans reveled in Kai Havertz's plight - he failed to score a single point against former Borussia Dortmund man Roman Burki - and Bouanga's sharp