Kyle Beckerman is probably glad he decided to skip the MLS All-Star Game to rest up his foot. Nobody wants to be on the losing end of a 5-2 score.

Watching his Real Salt Lake teammates be part of the embarrassment at the hands of Manchester United on Wednesday night was probably tough enough.

By most accounts though, Javier Morales, Jamison Olave and Nick Rimando all did well in their time on the field against the English Premier League runner-ups in Houston despite the loss. Morales and Olave got starting nods, while Rimando entered the game at halftime.

Morales was definitely the brightest of the three, looking comfortable on the ball just like he always does. The RSL midfielder played 63 minutes and was active the entire match, particularly in the second half as he sent numerous dangerous free kicks and corner kicks in the box.

Unfortunately for him, none of his teammates could latch onto those balls, and he left the game with Manchester United up 2-0.

Immediately after Morales was replaced, the MLS All-Stars scored on, ironically enough, a free kick to cut the deficit to 2-1.

The hopes of a comeback were short-lived, though, as Manchester United scored three times in the final 20 minutes to pull away for the lopsided victory.

Rimando, who was making his first All-Star Game appearance since 2001, was virtually helpless on all three goals.

After replacing MLS starting keeper Donovan Ricketts at halftime, Rimando did well for himself early in the second half by making several quality saves — including a left-footed save against Manchester United newcomer Javier Hernandez in the 67th minute.

Three minutes later, though, the EPL onslaught was on as Darron Gibson scored on a wonderful curling free kick. Tom Cleverley and Hernandez each slipped one past Rimando as well over the next 14 minutes.

As for Olave, when he looks back on Wednesday's experience against Manchester United, he'll probably always remember being hung out to dry by Kevin Alston. Alston's back pass to Olave just 22 seconds into the match wasn't hit with nearly enough power, and Federico Macheda easily slipped in front of a sliding Olave to intercept the ball and bury the one-on-one opportunity against Ricketts.

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It was a stunning start and set the tone for the match, and Olave was unfortunately right in the thick of it.

The trio of Real Salt Lake All-Stars will arrive back in Utah today and presumably all be fit and ready to play against visiting D.C. United this Saturday.

If nothing else, the experience of dealing with a Wednesday game followed by traveling and then another game on the weekend will prepare Morales, Olave and Rimando for the upcoming rigors of the CONCACAF Champions League.

e-mail: jedward@desnews.com

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