Goalkeeper Scores In All-Star Game But Mls Star Surrenders 4 Goals As East Tops West

Here’s how to add excitement to an All-Star game: Put a goalkeeper in the field and have him score.

Major League Soccer came up with that intriguing twist Wednesday night as Mexican star Jorge Campos got the West’s second goal. Then Campos moved to his usual position and was beaten for four goals, including Brian McBride’s game-winner with 2 minutes left, as the East won 5-4 before a soggy crowd of 24,816 at Giants Stadium.

Campos, who frequently has joined attacks for the Los Angeles Galaxy - but less frequently for the Mexican national team - took a perfect pass from Preki on the right wing and fired a right-footed shot from 10 yards. The ball glanced off goalie Walter Zenga’s fingertips and under the crossbar in the 44th minute.

Campos celebrated with a head-first slide on the sidelines as several teammates congratulated him on his first MLS goal.

They wouldn’t congratulate him on many saves, because he couldn’t make them. Victimized by a sieve of a defense, Campos had little chance on all three goals he allowed in a 7-minute span.

Nor was he in position to stop McBride’s winner. Sent in by Giuseppe Galderisi, Columbus’ McBride put in a hard right-footed shot.

Oddly, Carlos Valderrama of Tampa Bay gave the East a 3-2 victory in last year’s game with a goal 2 minutes from the end. And Valderrama, the MVP in 1996, got that award again with a goal and two assists.

In the 58th minute, Campos took over for Mark Dodd of Dallas in the net. Campos robbed Valderrama in the 62nd minute, deflecting the ball wide after the Colombian star broke free inside the penalty area.

But Valderrama earlier had gotten the East’s first goal in the 50th minute. The West defense kept backing up as Valderrama led an attack. He shot from 16 yards after being unchallenged and found the right corner of the net against Dodd.

He also set up the tying goal in the 63rd minute, passing to Richie Williams of DC United. Williams hit Galderisi of Tampa Bay in stride and he easily beat Campos to make it 2-2.

The East went ahead on another clear break, this one by Robert Warzycha of Columbus, who snuck behind the sloppy West defense and put in a right-footed blast from 12 yards. They made it 4-2 as Valderrama got another assist with a superb pass to Williams, who put the ball between a sliding Campos’ legs in the 70th minute.

Campos made a hand save on Chiquinho Conde with 11 minutes remaining, and then passed upfield to start a surge capped by Digital Takawira’s header from close range, making it 4-3.

The West tied it when New York-New Jersey goalie Tony Meola could not control Mo Johnston’s shot with 4 minutes left. Cobi Jones of Los Angeles pounced on the rebound.

But again the West defense faltered as the rain returned and McBride got the winner.

The East outplayed the West all night. But the West’s counterattacks, led by midfielder Preki of the Kansas City Wizards, the MLS points leader, and forward Dante Washington of the Dallas Burn, were effective.

Washington got the other goal of the first half off Preki’s short pass in the box.

East 5, West 4

West 2 2 4

East 0 5 5

First half-1, West, Washington (Preki, Sonora), 11th minute. 2, West, Campos (Preki, Damian), 44th. Second half-3, East, Valderrama (Galderisi, Warzycha), 50th. 4, East, Galderisi (Valderrama, Williams), 63rd. 5, East, Warzycha (McBride, Ralston), 66th. 6, East, Williams (Valderrama), 70th. 7, West, Takawira (Cerritos, Cienfuegos), 80th. 8, West, Jones (Johnston), 86th. 9, East, McBride (Galderisi), 88th.

Goalies-West, Dodd, Campos; East, Zenga, Meola.

A-24,816 (30,554).