Toronto, ON (Sports Network) - The Major League Soccer All-Stars improved to 5-0 against foreign opponents with a 3-2 victory over English Premier League side West Ham United in the 2008 MLS All-Star Game at BMO Field on Thursday night.

West Ham joins Celtic, Chelsea, Fulham and CD Guadalajara as victims of the MLS star-studded lineups in recent years.

"MLS showed that they can compete," West Ham manager Alan Curbishley said. "It was a great game for MLS. It showed off their talents and when we go home it will be a big memory for [us]."

Christian Gomez, Cuauhtemoc Blanco and Dwayne De Rosario scored for the MLS All-Stars on Thursday night while Dean Ashton scored both goals for the Hammers. Toronto native De Rosario of the two-time defending MLS Cup champion Houston Dynamo scored the game-winner in the 69th minute on a penalty kick in front of his hometown fans, who were 20,844 strong.

The Chicago Fire's Blanco earned the all-star MVP award with a goal and an assist in 45 minutes of action. Blanco's camp is hoping his current form is good enough to be called to the Mexican national team for upcoming World Cup qualifiers.

"I always try to play well," Blanco said through a translator. "It is always a pleasure to be called up to the national team. It is important to play well with your teammates tonight and to get a win. It was an honor to play with this team and an honor to win the [MVP] award."

Carlton Cole caused the MLS some problems early on, dribbling through defenders and creating offense, but it was MLS and FC Dallas forward Kenny Cooper who had the first legit chance in the game. After taking a chip pass from the Colorado Rapids' Gomez in the box, Cooper turned to shoot, but was disrupted enough by defender Joe Widdowson to force his shot wide in the 19th minute.

Seven minutes later the Hammers scored the game's first goal when Ashton received a pass from Cole and fired to the far post.

Less than a minute later, however, the MLS All-Stars equalized when Gomez took a pass from Blanco, raced into the offensive third past the West Ham defense, and slotted a shot into the far-post side-netting. Blanco and Los Angeles Galaxy midfielder David Beckham got assists on the play.

Just before halftime Blanco put the MLS All-Stars up 2-1 when he took a pass in the box and curled a shot into the far post side netting, just over the fingertips of Hammers goalkeeper Robert Green.

"Everybody knows the quality of player he is," Beckham said of Blanco. "He is a great player, winning the [MVP] award shows that."

That was how the score stayed until Ashton scored his second goal of the game in the 67th minute to make it 2-2. The English international fired from long range, but it deflected off the head of Kansas City Wizards central defender Jimmy Conrad and in, giving New England Revolution goalkeeper Matt Reis no chance.

Less than two minutes later MLS answered right back again as De Rosario was taken down after being sprung in the box by a pass from New York Red Bulls forward Juan Pablo Angel. Referee Mauricio Navarro called the penalty kick on Lucas Neill and De Rosario buried it for the winner.

MLS will play its weekend schedule on Sunday and Monday this week because of the all-star game, with four games on Sunday - New York at San Jose, Los Angeles at Dallas, Chicago at Kansas City, and Columbus at Colorado - and one on Monday - Toronto at Real Salt Lake.

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