2023 MLS ALL-STAR GAME: MLS ALL-STARS VS ARSENAL

July 19, 2023

Christian Benteke

MLS All-Stars

Audi Field

Press Conference

Arsenal 5, MLS 0

Q. This seems like a team that's hungry and well along in their preseason prep. How different was this from the last two years?

CHRISTIAN BENTEKE: For me, it's more about the preparation. If we have a full week where we can train and get to know a little bit more, it would have been better. But now, we basically just turn up, a couple of days, not even having training, tactical training. You could see that we were doing well when we had the ball. When we don't have the ball, we don't know what to do.

Q. What do you take away from this?

CHRISTIAN BENTEKE: It was a great show. It's a great experience, and obviously I wanted to win this game, and I'm not going to be sad because we lost. Obviously we know the competition, but yeah, it was a few days with the best players in the League, so I'm happy to share the dressing room.

Q. Rewinding back to two days ago, you had a moment, of all of the players, you had the longest conversation with Joe Biden. Can you elaborate on what that conversation was like?

CHRISTIAN BENTEKE: I just feel grateful for this moment. I'm from Belgium, a small country in the world. For me, watching the White House, the President just on TV and movies, and to be actually inside the White House and shaking hands with the President, it's just an honor, and I don't think there's much more to be said.

Q. How did it feel to have members of D.C. United to share this experience with you?

CHRISTIAN BENTEKE: It was cool myself that we could represent D.C. It's just a blessing to be able to share this moment.