Major League Soccer unveiled its 2010 All-Star First XI yesterday, after a combined vote among fans, players, coaches and GMs, and media members.
Here’s what the roster looks like:
GK: Donovan Ricketts (Jamaica), LA Galaxy
Defenders: Omar Gonzalez (U.S.), LA Galaxy; Chad Marshall (U.S.), Columbus Crew; Jamison Olave (Colombia), Real Salt Lake
Midfielders: Guillermo Barros Schelotto (Argentina), Columbus Crew; Kyle Beckerman (U.S.), Real Salt Lake; Dwayne DeRosario (Canada), Toronto FC; Javier Morales (Argentina), Real Salt Lake, Marco Pappa (Guatemala), Chicago Fire
Forwards: Edson Buddle (U.S.), LA Galaxy; Landon Donovan (U.S.), LA Galaxy
Let’s break it down a bit:
• Last year’s MLS Cup finalists, Real Salt Lake and the Galaxy, lead the way, with three and four All-Stars, respectively
• Five of the First XI are Americans
• No player from the New York Red Bulls, who are in second place in the East, made the squad.
• Six nations are represented
• Four players on the roster are first-time All-Stars—Chicago’s speedy winger Marco Pappa, bruising RSL defender Jamison Olave, veteran Galaxy keeper Donovan Ricketts, and LA’s 2009 Rookie of the Year Omar Gonzalez.
• Nine of the 11 have played for their country’s senior national team.
While this is an All-Star honor for the players, the group is not necessarily the starting XI that will take the field against Manchester United on July 28 in the 15th annual MLS All-Star Game at Houston’s Reliant Stadium.
Manchester United has confirmed that Ryan Giggs, Paul Scholes, Darren Fletcher, Gary Neville, Dimitar Berbatov, and Edwin Van der Sar will all be available for the game.
More than 45,000 tickets have already been sold.
MLS will bring a 23-man roster to Houston, and the remainder of the team—10 coaches’ selections and two Commissioner’s Picks—will be announced on July 19.
Will Thierry Henry—who was announced as a Red Bull signing today, and will be officially introduced to the media tomorrow—be one of the Commissioner’s Picks?
