MLS All-Star Game: 5 things to watch

The 2016 MLS All-Star team takes on Arsenal at Avaya Stadium on Thursday night, with San Jose Earthquakes head coach Dominic Kinnear guiding a team chalk-full of star names like Sebastian Giovinco, David Villa, Andrea Pirlo, Didier Drogba, and captain Kaka.

The Gunners are in the middle of preseason training, so this exhibition match is by no means a make-or-break fixture, but manager Arsene Wenger will certainly look to try out a few new things and work toward a win.

With the spectacle in full swing, here are five things to watch for in the 2016 MLS All-Star Game:

How Kinnear lines 'em up

Kinnear has lots of options to pick from in multiple positions, and thus has a number of considerations to make when assembling a starting XI out of this rag-tag group of stars. Does he go for a big-name team that utilizes as much European talent as possible? Or does he strive to find balance in his lineup?

There will likely be, as always, two rather distinct lineups - one for the first half and another in the second, with a mass substitution taking place around the hour mark. So, as it stands, here's who we'll likely see start:

And this is how the team could look through the second half:

The Orlando-NYCFC Connection

Last season, the MLS All-Stars dispatched Tottenham 2-1, and much of that was due to the combination play of Kaka and Villa. These two stars combine once more in 2016 against north London opposition, and Kinnear will hope for a similar result.

Villa currently leads the Golden Boot race with 13 goals in 22 games, and Kaka has returned to fitness after a short injury layoff. Both players will be raring to go, and with Drogba up front and Pirlo behind them, they will likely be the mobile point of attack up top.

The Italian free-kick lesson

Speaking of Pirlo, he and fellow Italian Giovinco could provide a goal or two themselves without having to break much of a sweat. While Giovinco can - and does - score from just about anywhere, he and Pirlo are equally adept at executing free-kick routines.

Giovinco scored twice from the dead ball against D.C. United last weekend, and with no Per Mertesacker or Laurent Koscielny in defense, Arsenal lacks a bit of height in its wall.

Those absences could prove the perfect recipe for Giovinco to show off his free-kick acumen, though he'll need to fight Pirlo off to take them. Pirlo scored his first MLS goal this season from a free-kick, after all.

How Xhaka looks in Arsenal midfield

While it is just a preseason fixture, this is the first match that newcomer Granit Xhaka will play against truly motivated competition, and as such, the All-Star Game serves as the first good look many Gunners supporters will have of their new Swiss midfielder.

He'll be the focal point in a midfield that lacks Mesut Ozil and Alexis Sanchez and will look to combine with Santi Cazorla in Arsenal's core.

After competing in Euro 2016, Xhaka will use this match as preparation for the 2016-17 Premier League season, and while he'll likely take it a bit easier as a result, the 23-year-old will also have his hands full with so many attacking players to mark.

Belgium's big, bald bruisers

Former Standard Liege teammates Laurent Ciman and Jelle Van Damme, now with the Montreal Impact and the LA Galaxy respectively, have been reunited in San Jose, and these two eggheads will need to be in top form against Arsenal.

With Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Theo Walcott, and Joel Campbell forming Arsenal's attacking threat, speed is the order of the day. And while these two defenders are sound in their positioning, they're not exactly speedsters themselves.

This duo will be integral to keeping Arsenal at bay for however long they play - hopefully side-by-side -once again.