Sounders FC players enjoying the All-Star experience

SANDY, Utah — Soccer veterans and world travelers that they are, Kasey Keller and Freddie Ljungberg are experiencing something totally new to their standout careers this week — being All-Stars.

Such collections of talent brought together to play a competitive match don't occur in Europe, where Keller, Sounders FC goalkeeper, and Ljungberg, a midfielder, played the game for most of their careers.

"You have all-star celebrity games that you would have for charity and that nature, but then the other team would be the same, not necessarily having Everton on their preseason," Keller said following Major League Soccer All-Star practice at Rio Tinto Stadium, where the MLS stars face Everton of England Wednesday night in the league All-Star Game.

"It's kind of a cool way to get some guys together," Keller said. "It's just cool to be here."

Ljungberg found it a bit strange to play alongside his MLS opponents in practice, but finds the experience relaxing, enjoys the mountainous scenery of Utah and thinks Rio Tinto is the best stadium in the league that he's seen outside of Qwest Field. Asked if the MLS All-Star Game is a case of MLS doing it right while the rest of the world doesn't, Ljungberg said it's all about scheduling.

"Here they have the time to do this," he said. "In Europe we play Saturday, Wednesday, Saturday, Wednesday. There's no time for it. Sometimes [European teams] struggle, if you go far into Cups [tournaments], they struggle getting all their games in before the end of the season so here, it seems like we have the time."

Keller goes airborne

Keller was 24 hours removed from a thrill ride in the air in a Blue Angels jet, which he took Monday before boarding a plane chartered by Sounders FC minority owner/general manager Adrian Hanauer that took them to Utah.

"Just a ton of fun. Obviously it's a once-in-a-lifetime experience to be able to fly with the Blue Angels. It was a fun day of flying, that's for sure," Keller said.

Even after Tuesday's practice, Keller admitted he still felt "a little green." The first half hour, he said, he was having fun, and then he blacked out a bit when the jet hit heavier G-forces. From that point Keller felt sick the rest of the flight.

"That is a serious workout. I have a tremendous amount of respect for those guys [Navy pilots] and what they do," Keller said.

Notes

• Ljungberg beat Keller for a goal on a shot from the right side that went far post beyond Keller's reach during a scrimmage in practice. "He deserved that," Ljungberg joked.

• Ljungberg was asked if defeating Everton, a team he knows well from his Arsenal days, is meaningful even in an All-Star Game setting. "I know the Everton players quite well, so ... I said to them 'How hard are you guys going to play, because I need to know if I need to kick you or not,'" Ljungberg kidded. He did add, with a serious tone, that the All-Stars are out to win.

José Miguel Romero: 206-464-2409 or jromero@seattletimes.com