So much for the MLS all-stars needing Lionel Messi. 

Though the world’s biggest soccer star was a no-show at Q2 Stadium on Wednesday, the MLS all-stars took care of business against the Liga MX all-stars with a 3-1 win that couldn’t have gone much better for the Austin contingent. 

Austin FC goalie Brad Stuver started the match — and received the biggest cheer of the night during pregame introductions — and posted a shutout with an impressive diving save during his 34 minutes on the field, while Verde & Black coach Nico Estévez will forever have an all-star game victory on his coaching resume. 

And even though Austin FC defender Guilherme Biro — who was a last-minute addition to the roster roughly 10 hours before kickoff — was the game’s final sub, just stepping on the field and playing for 12 minutes was an accomplishment for a player who started the day planning to only view the game as a spectator. 

For Stuver, who has been at Austin FC since its inception in 2021 and has become a fan favorite, the experience was a surreal one. 

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“I think it’ll eventually hit me that I played in an all-star game,” said Stuver, who is tied for third in the MLS with eight shutouts. “I think I’m going to go back to the hotel, grab my stuff and go home tonight. Once I get home and just kind of sit with everything that went on, it might hit me then.” 

Leading a group of all-stars isn’t a typical coaching job, but more of a balancing act of playing time, egos and expectations of other coaches. (Stuver even noted that Estévez was dealing with calls this week from coaches around MLS telling him not to play their guys more than a certain amount of minutes.) And though the talent level Estévez dealt with is something he won’t experience again unless he coaches in a top seven league in Europe, there’s still some instruction he had to give, and he seemed to push all the right buttons in dealing with a roster of 29.

“This is really about the players and how good they are,” Estévez said. “I told them that we have quality when we have the ball, and if we can do combinations and good interactions, that will help us break down the opponent.” 

Though Nashville’s Sam Surridge, Philadelphia’s Tai Baribo and Vancouver’s Brian White scored the goals for MLS, it was actually the buildup and the assists that were more impressive. 

LAFC forward Denis Bouanga’s pinpoint cross led to Surridge’s header that opened the scoring, while Columbus forward Diego Rossi pushed the ball up the field before giving a perfect pass through two defenders that Baribo easily finished. 

“I saw space and tried to put some speed on the play, and then I saw it was open behind the defense and tried to make the pass,” Rossi said. “I feel really good about that. … In these games, you just need to enjoy your time on the field.” 

White’s score was more the product of New England midfielder Carles Gil beating two defenders near the halfway line, then sending a pass that eventually set up White chipping in an easy pass from Chicago Fire midfielder Philip Zinckernagel. 

“The players showed their mentality and personality, and that resulted in a win,” Estévez said.

Biro joins at last moment

Biro’s addition to the team literally happened Wednesday morning following Austin FC’s training session. 

Estévez received a call from the league that Inter Miami defender Jordi Alba would not be playing, so more depth was needed on the backline. 

“There are (MLS) games Friday, and we had to limit the time of players, so we brought Biro in,” Estévez said. “I think he was happy and surprised.” 

Estévez appreciates experience

Though it wasn’t a typical coaching experience, Estévez noted he’ll still take some things from the week. 

“It’s different, because the context is more to enjoy the night and enjoy the time here,” he said. “But you still learn some things. You saw the mentality and professionalism of everyone that came here. And I think that’s a good learning experience for everyone.” 

Spanish ties

Though Gil was stellar on the field, the highlight for him during the week were conversations with Estévez. 

“We’re from the same city (Valencia, Spain), and we spoke a lot about this the last few days,” Gil said. “We weren’t at the (Valencia CF) academy at the same time, but he knows some of the people my brother played with.”

Mora on the rise 

Mexican teenage sensation Gilberto Mora lived up to the hype. 

Just 16 years old, he played with the skill and poise of someone a decade older and provided Liga MX’s goal on a clinical shot midway through the second half. 

“He’s one of the most talented players in Mexico right now, and even though he’s young, he makes everything look very easy,” Estévez said. “And those players are the ones that are different.”