Major League Soccer finalized its All-Star roster Sunday, adding seven names to the fans’ choices.
D. C. United manager Ben Olsen, in charge of the All-Stars for the July 25 match against Chelsea, added five names: Goalkeeper Dan Kennedy, midfielders Osvaldo Alonso and Kyle Beckerman and forwards Eddie Johnson and Chris Pontius.
Then commissioner Don Garber added two more Commissioner’s picks, both defenders: Philadelphia’s Carlos Valdes and San Jose’s Ramiro Corrales.
Valdes was added because he plays for the host club, Philadelphia, which didn’t have a player otherwise. (Well, also because Valdes is a quality center back; but having a Union player involved was the tipping point, of course.) And Corrales is the last remaining “96er,” the final man still playing from Major League Soccer’s debut year. There are better left-sided players, but it’s hard to argue the pick.
So the MLS roster looks like this:
Goalkeepers: Dan Kennedy (Chivas USA), Jimmy Nielsen (Sporting Kansas City)
Defenders: Steven Beitashour (San Jose Earthquakes), Aurélien Collin (Sporting Kansas City), Ramiro Corrales (San Jose Earthquakes), Jay DeMerit (Vancouver Whitecaps FC), Heath Pearce (New York Red Bulls), Carlos Valdes (Philadelphia Union)
Midfielders: Osvaldo Alonso (Seattle Sounders FC), David Beckham (LA Galaxy), Kyle Beckerman (Real Salt Lake), Dwayne De Rosario (D.C. United), Landon Donovan (LA Galaxy), Graham Zusi (Sporting Kansas City)
Forwards: Thierry Henry (New York Red Bulls), Eddie Johnson (Seattle Sounders FC), Chris Pontius (D.C. United), Chris Wondolowski (San Jose Earthquakes)
Now for the “snubs.” A trio I would like to have seen at PPL Park next week:
New York’s Dax McCarty
The Red Bulls sit third in the East, and no one has done more than the team’s ridiculously busy holding midfielder to get the injury-battered club there. Thierry Henry certainly has contributed mightily, but the DP striker just hasn’t been around as much. McCarty has played all but six minutes this year, and his work rate and steady distribution is the very engine of this team. Henry has missed 8 of 19 starts so far, and McCarty was more responsible than anyone else as Hans Backe’s team has kept right on grinding, scooping up just enough points without their top man.
Columbus’ Andy Gruenebaum
What a story this guy has been. The longtime backup to William Hesmer has demonstrated everything you’d want in a starting goalkeeper, doing all the little things to communicate with his defenders and handling all the routine plays. Meanwhile, he’s been a shot-stopping beast, keeping Columbus in games repeatedly with the big save. The Crew has just 17 goals in 17 games, 18th of 19 teams in MLS. But thanks to Gruenebaum’s heroic stuff between the pipes, Robert Warzycha’s team remains within the playoff contention zone.
San Jose’s Marvin Chavez
As it is, San Jose has three of 18 All-Star roster spots, so I get it. Four is just too many. Still, Chavez’s work deserves recognition (even if it’s just in places like this blog). The speedy two-way midfielder has been the “final piece” in a lot of ways at Buck Shaw, an effective wing presence whose speed can stretch defenses vertically and across the field. Wondolowski can clearly score goals, but he’s more effective with steady service and when defenders have to come out of the middle, reducing the crowd and cluster effect closer to goal. Chavez, easily one of the top off-season pickups, coming over in a lopsided trade from Dallas, is just the man to do that – and San Jose has the league’s best record as a result of it all.
