DES MOINES, Iowa — The Des Moines Menace has assembled an all-star team of sorts to compete in the U.S. Open Cup tonight in Kansas City.

Former professional soccer players Benny Feilhaber, Sacha Kljestan, and Dax McCarty — each with experience on the Olympic and U.S. National teams — are coming out of their soccer “retirement” to suit up for the Menace. Joining them are MLS Golden Boot winner Bradley Wright-Phillips, four-time U.S. Open Cup Champion Ozzie Alonso, and a cast of other MLS stars. Their first match is against Sporting KC II, a young developmental squad affiliated with MLS club Sporting KC.

Former Sporting KC II coach Benny Feilhaber commented on the challenge of facing younger opponents. “What’s going to take hold of this game? Is it the quality, and hopefully the IQ level, of the older guys, or the fitness and youth of the young guys? It should be an interesting game.”

Sacha Kljestan, who also played for the Menace in last year’s U.S. Open Cup, is taking a brief break from his duties as an MLS analyst for Apple TV. He remarked, “We’ve got quite the squad. If you look at the accolades all these players have earned — MLS Cups, Supporters’ Shields, U.S. Open Cup trophies, MLS All-Star selections, MLS Best XI honors, and MLS MVP finalists — it’s clear we’ve got a pretty good group. Like Benny said, is our IQ and soccer smarts going to pull us through? I think yes, because as we all know, youth is wasted on the young, and we’re going to figure this thing out.”

Their former teammate, Dax McCarty, is humorously concerned about his fitness level. He joked that his wife made him do an Orangetheory fitness class after he had already completed some sprints yesterday. The former U.S. Men’s National Team midfielder added, “I’m in game mode, man. I’m excited.”

The Des Moines Menace take on Sporting KC II Wednesday night at 6:30 at Swope Soccer Village in Kansas City. Fans in Des Moines can attend a watch party at Big Grove Brewery downtown.