We are one step closer to know which players will represent the MLS in the league’s All-Star Game this year. The MLS All-Stars will take on Arsenal, and we can expect some of the best players in the United States to feature in what has become a yearly event for the last years.
This year, soccer fans had the chance to select which players will take part in the event. The voting was open until the last week, and 11 MLS stars were included in the pool of eligible players as a result. The Fan XI goes as follows:
Goalkeeper: Andre Blake (Philadelphia Union)
Defenders: Laurent Ciman (Montreal Impact), Matt Besler (Sporting Kansas City), Keegan Rosenberry (Philadelphia Union)
Midfielders: Darlington Nagbe (Portland Timbers), Andrea Pirlo (New York City FC), Giovani dos Santos (Los Angeles Galaxy), Kaká (Orlando City SC)
Forwards: Sebastian Giovinco (Toronto FC), Didier Drogba (Montreal Impact), David Villa (New York City FC)
There aren’t many surprises in this list. Blake has been one of the best goalkeepers in the last two years. Players such as Nagbe and Besler were likely to be chosen since they are USMNT members. Kaka, Pirlo, Giovinco and Drogba are some of the biggest names in the league. David Villa’s case was pretty special since he got in with a special vote. That voting was conducted by EA Sports and MLS.
Perhaps one of the biggest absences in this list is Clint Dempsey. The Seattle Sounders star, however, should make the team either as a commissioner pick, or as part of the manager’s choices. The man in charge, must be noted, will be San Jose Earthquakes’ manager Dominic Kinnear.
The game between the MLS All-Stars and Arsenal will be played on July 28 at Avaya Stadium, home of the Earthquakes. Last year, the American side topped Tottenham Hotspur 2-1 with goals from Kaka and David Villa.
Will we see another win for the MLS All-Stars this time? They certainly have a talented squad, and it seems they compete with any team in the world just fine.