SAN JOSE, Calif. -- Didier Drogba remembers the goal well.
The date was Oct. 25, 2003, and Drogba's Olympique de Marseille side was taking on Stade Rennes in France's Ligue 1. The man in goal for Rennes that day was one Petr Cech. As Drogba describes the goal, he twists his body and strikes an imaginary ball with his right foot. It was an insurance tally in what proved to be a 2-0 win for L'OM.
"It was a nice goal, actually," he said following a practice for Thursday's MLS All-Star Game (7:30 ET, ESPN). " Yeah, I remember it. I think I got a feed from Pascal Johansen, and then I took the ball one touch."
Months later, Cech was on his way to Chelsea. Drogba followed him soon thereafter, and they became part of the backbone of the Chelsea sides that won four Premier League titles, four FA Cups and, most notably, the 2012 UEFA Champions League.
On Thursday, the two longtime teammates will be adversaries of a sort when Cech's Arsenal takes on the MLS All-Stars containing Drogba and many other big names of world soccer, including Andrea Pirlo, David Villa and Kaka. Cech insists he's ready, at least for one of his opponents.
"Drogba already scored, so hopefully he will not do it again," he said with a smile in an exclusive interview with ESPN FC.
The two have squared off a pair of times since, when Chelsea faced a Drogba-led Galatasaray side in the 2013-14 UEFA Champions League round-of-16 matchup. Although Thursday's match is an exhibition, neither wants to be beaten by the other. The two are part of a group chat of former Chelsea players, and though Drogba insists the banter has toned down because Cech is in preseason, it figures to be ratcheted up after Thursday.
"It's going to be fun, but competition at the same time, like always," Drogba said. "We're two competitors playing against each other. We had a chat with the boys, so he knows he has to handle me."
When asked if he would text a picture of the goal should he score against Cech, Drogba said, "For a year! He knows that's for sure."
But for all the good-natured ribbing, it's clear there is immense respect between the two. That's what happens when two men share struggles as well as immense success. They no doubt pushed each other in training every day.
Cech recalled the feeling he had when Drogba first joined him at Chelsea.
"I knew how powerful and strong he is, how important he was for Marseille," Cech said of Drogba. "Obviously, they had one of the best seasons they had with him, when he scored more than 30 goals in a season and playing well in the European Cup as well. And then when he became my teammate at Chelsea, obviously, I was pleased because I knew how important he could be for my team.
"Not only by his size, obviously, and his quality as a player, but Didier is a warrior. He's a guy when you go to the game, you would like to have on your side because you know he will give absolutely everything for the cause of the team."
The feeling from Drogba is mutual.
"[Cech is] one of the best professional players, as a player, and also as a teammate," Drogba said. "Always trying to progress, and he's a leader, and you can see that when he came to Arsenal. The team conceded less goals. It's not only because of him but also because of his winning mentality, his attitude. I think if they lost the league last season, it's because of his injury. He's one of the best goalkeepers in the world. For me, he's the best. For others, he's one of the best."
The makeup of a team is ever-changing, of course. Players move in and out of each other's lives, but some relationships endure. In this case, not even the sight of Cech exchanging Chelsea blue for Arsenal red dulled their friendship, though Drogba admitted it was jarring at first.
"It is tough [seeing him in Arsenal colors], but he has to do what he has to do," Drogba said of his former teammate. "I think he's doing what's best for him and for his career. But people respect him at Chelsea a lot for everything he's done for the club and what he brings to the team. So no hard feelings."
Thursday's game will bring back some memories for both players, as they were both part of the 2006 Chelsea side that was beaten by the MLS All-Stars, thanks to a wonder strike from Dwayne De Rosario.
"The manager at the time [Jose Mourinho] was not happy with that result, but it was a process and one of the big games of our preseason," Drogba said. "It was a tough game, I remember."
For Cech, Thursday's match is another game on the road to the start of the season, albeit a useful one.
"It's great because you need to raise to the level and raise to the occasion, and you kind of forget your are in the middle of the preseason," he said. "It's great to have an opportunity to play games like this when you have a full stadium and an opportunity to play against good players."
And old friends too.