Arsenal Will Be the 2016 MLS All-Star Game Opponents

You have probably heard of Arsenal, right? English team? Won a lot of stuff? Have some of the best players in the world? The Invincibles? Those guys?

Well, they'll be swinging through North America this Summer and one of their stops will be in sunny California to play the Major League Soccer All-Stars in the annual All-Star Game. Neat.

Now, as Timbers fans let's not get ahead of ourselves; the Portland Timbers won the MLS Cup last year without putting a single player in the All-Star Game. Two of the Timbers' five years in MLS have seen the team miss out on any All-Star selections.

And that is without even getting into the debate as to whether fans really want the players on their team in the ASG -- although don't forget that missing the ASG this year means a suspension.

But then again, the Timbers are coming off a year when they won the MLS Cup. Diego Valeri spent the preseason fit and healthy. Darlington Nagbe is regularly getting caps for the United States Men's National Team. Fanendo Adi proved himself to be an unstoppable force late last season. Lucas Melano is fast as heck and looking sharp. There are plenty of places an All-Star selection could come from in the Timbers lineup this season.

It would be pretty neat to see Adi body up Per "BFG" Mertesacker, right?