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Son Heung-min struck twice as the MLS All-Stars survived some unconvincing defending to beat the Liga MX All-Stars 4-3 in a wild, end-to-end contest. The LAFC forward was outstanding during his 35 minutes on the pitch, but Dean Smith's team found life difficult once changes were made and needed late defensive heroics to get past a Liga MX side that grew stronger as the match progressed.

Liga MX took charge early on and fully deserved the opening goal. It was a soft one to concede, though, as Tigres' Juan Brunetta delivered a free-kick that found Luis Gabriel Rey far too easily, and he headed beyond the helpless Matt Freese. MLS responded soon afterwards. Chicago's Philip Zinckernagel tested the goal repeatedly, while Carles Gil also produced a few lively moments.

Son dragged his team back into the game. He scored the equaliser after 20 minutes with a trademark move inside before finishing smartly. The LAFC star then struck again three minutes later, steering Gil's lofted cut-back into the bottom corner. Zinckernagel added the third just before half-time with a neat finish, and MLS really ought to have put the game beyond doubt from that point.

But it proved far from straightforward. The arrival of experienced striker Salomon Rondon gave Liga MX a clearer focal point in the second half, and they took control of the game. The Venezuelan pulled it back to 3-2 after 55 minutes, and Liga MX really should have scored more. After some worrying defensive lapses, MLS relied on brave late defending to stay ahead. Evander's crucial fourth on the hour mark provided the breathing space they needed. Jose Paradela's late third in second-half stoppage time ended up being no more than a consolation as the MLS All-Stars just about held on.

This match had a proper edge to it, plenty of goals, and enough star quality to underline why an All-Star Game still has a place in Major League Soccer. That is about the highest praise it can receive.

GOAL rates the MLS All-Stars from Bank of America Stadium...

Goalkeeper & Defence

Matt Freese (6/10):

Beaten much too easily for Liga MX's opening goal. He did not have a great deal else to handle apart from that.

Anthony Markanich (6/10):

Put in a decent shift. Also made a few useful runs forward.

Tim Ream (7/10):

Looked calm and assured at the back. Sprayed a few excellent passes as well. He cannot really be faulted for the goal.

Lucas Herrington (7/10):

Formed an appealing old-young partnership with Ream. Could have tracked his man better for Liga MX's opening goal.

Steven Moreira (6/10):

Neat and composed, and kept possession moving well.

Midfield

Yannick Bright (6/10):

Was given an almost impossible task, having to cover for a midfield set up heavily with attack in mind. Still managed a couple of tidy interventions.

Carles Gil (8/10):

A bright 30-minute display. Got a couple of efforts on target and created Son's second goal. Quality for the Revolution, and it was the same story here.

Hany Mukhtar (6/10):

Spent a little too much of his time dealing with necessary defensive duties, to be fair. Still had a few good moments going forward.

Attack

Son Heung-min (8/10):

Started a little loosely, but took both of his goals superbly well. A pity he was only on the pitch for 35 minutes.

Julian Hall (7/10):

Offered some useful link-up play and was unfortunate not to finish with either a goal or an assist.

Philip Zinckernagel (7/10):

Performed well despite being used in an unfamiliar position. Took his goal nicely.

Subs & Manager

Sam Surridge (7/10):

Worked tirelessly for around 40 minutes. Ran the channels and linked play well, even if not everything came off for him. Still picked up an assist.

Andy Najar (7/10):

Put in a diligent display at full-back. Covered huge ground throughout. MLS looked better with him in the team.

Guilherme (6/10):

Was a little loose in attack and chose the wrong option once or twice.

Ashley Westwood (7/10):

Neat in central areas and helped steady things when Liga MX began to pose more of an attacking threat.

Pep Biel (6/10):

A decent outing.

Brian Schwake (7/10):

Produced a couple of smart saves. Could do nothing about Rondon's goal.

Max Arfsten (7/10):

Looked slightly uncertain at times, but made a crucial clearance off the line to preserve the win.

Evander (8/10):

Did not see a huge amount of the ball, but scored an absolute beauty. Pure class.

Daniel Munie (6/10):

Delivered a strong performance after coming on at half-time.

Anders Dreyer (5/10):

Was not as clinical as MLS required.

Zavier Gozo (7/10):

Made several impressive forward runs.

Thomas Muller (5/10):

Not his most influential outing. Played 20 minutes and did not offer a great deal more.

Andres Cubas (5/10):

Defended far too deep and lost control of the space as MLS were forced to hang on late in the game.

Maxime Crepeau (8/10):

The late hero. Pulled off save after save to make sure of the victory.

Dean Smith (8/10):

What more is there to add? He gave everybody minutes, tried out some interesting combinations, and still came away with the win. Job done.