Guevara dazzling in all-star game

WASHINGTON — Freddy Adu didn’t have a problem sitting on the sideline during the first half of the MLS All-Star game.

That’s because the 15-year-old rookie sensation had an ideal vantage point to watch Armado Guevara verify his stature as the league’s leading scorer.

Guevara scored twice in a 2-minute span of the first half Saturday to carry the Eastern Conference past the West 3-2.

Adu, who plays for hometown D.C. United, entered at the beginning of the second half and thrilled the announced crowd of 21,378 with some sharp moves with the ball. But none of his shots came close to getting past goaltender Kevin Hartman.

That did nothing to deter the excitement that Adu derived from watching Guevara, a standout with the MetroStars who was voted MVP of the game.

“If he’s not the best, he’s one of the best,” Adu said. “I haven’t seen a lot of his games, but what he showed me out there, oh my goodness, this guy is good. His worst game would be a good game.”

Adu, who has two goals in seven games since joining the league in April, was a special pick by commissioner Don Garber.

The West closed to 2-1 in the 43rd minute, when former Gonzaga University player Brian Ching put in a header off a fine crossing pass by Richard Mulrooney.