In a way, Utah hosting the 2009 Major League Soccer All-Star Game is kind of like the 2002 Winter Olympics all over again: People from around the world come to Utah to play sports that are a big deal elsewhere but only receive intermittent American attention.

The MLS Commissioner had the good sense to appoint Real Salt Lake players Kyle Beckerman and Javier Morales to the All-Star squad after the Byzantine four-part voting system failed to place a home-towner on the team. If only Bud Selig had such wisdom.

Although futbol is still a long way from “Major League” in this country, it’s still a good time to get jingoistic about American soccer. After all, last month, the boys in red-white-and-blue beat top-ranked Spain, then gave traditional power Brazil all it could handle. Hey, we’re the USA, and we’ll pay attention to your little game when we feel like it. July 29 at Rio Tinto is one of those times.

MLS All-Stars vs. Everton FC @ Rio Tinto Stadium, 9256 S. State, Sandy 800-838- 3380, Wednesday, July 29, 7:30 p.m., RioTintoStadium.com