There has been plenty of discussion about the players who were chosen to the 2011 MLS All-Star Team.
Some of Hans Backe's selections were met with skepticism, and much like some of the picks made by fans on the MLS First XI, some of the picks were considered outright wrong.
Would the players have done a better job of picking a Best XI for the current MLS season? You can judge for yourself by checking out my Fox Soccer MLS Players Choice Best XI. Voted on by more than 30 starting players from more than a dozen different teams, including seven members of the MLS All-Star Team, the Players Choice Best XI is a good measure of who the league's players think have been the most impressive players in the league this year.
Give the team a look and let us know what you think? Who were you surprised to see make the team? Who were you disappointed to see not make the squad?
Share your thoughts below.
+1 Isaac. Dunny has been superb this season. He takes so much pressure off by his calm possession and intelligent distribution. He’s my MVP for the Galaxy to date.
Still the lowest GA average, .67 for RSL vs LA at .73 and Philly at .84
agree players made better choices for the most part
agree
Man I can’t wait to watch Man U shred MLS collection of washed up Euros and no-name Latinos….
+1, thanks Ives
I see the NY-LA bias continues. It’s clear the players are in on Garber’s and ESPN’s agenda!
they also have the least games played….
If I remember, Sounders got 10 claims on USL players. Alonso being one of them. There were a couple others we could have grabbed. I think Scott Pagulta was available.
Ives, great idea to have Players Choice. What a great, insightful read. Thanks.
Interesting that the team with the fewest goals against, RSL, is fairly under represented in the various votings.
PLAYERS GOT IT PERFECTLY RIGHT! PERIOD
I actually completely disagree. He’s great at getting up and down the line all day, and seems to be good in terms of delivering a steady stream of crosses, as well as fairly intelligent passes.
+1
Clearly, each member of this squad should find a spot among the starting 11 in the All-Star game.
Probably would go with Solli, in terms of sheer skill matching on-the field play.
Note: Vancouver fields a few of the best players in the league.
People who continue to say that omar is not good enough to be in the first 11 are totally clueless. He has been great for the galaxy this year. I think he needs to see more time with the US team.
The comments on the FoxSports article reveal a similar lack of reading comprehension.
Good defender but not enough in attack
uh..the players voted…
Yeah Geoff Cameron is one of the best players on Houston. He is most definetly an allstar.
Good list, But sorry Ives don’t like seeing Omar in there. Would rather see John George or Ihemelu. Just saying, seems like you have a Gal crush, granted they are number 1 in MLS
“Would the players have done a better job of picking a Best XI for the current MLS season?”
They did, according to your survey. I don’t agree on Wondo and Franklin.
I don’t know the exact details of Alonso’s acquisition or how the league did discovery signings then, but this past off-season Portland and Vancouver had priority in scooping up a certain number of USL players before MLS teams.
Is the All-star game a good payday for MLS or is it a good payday for the foreign opponent? I’m just not down with it, in general.
I watch the Houston Dynamo every week and know that Corey Ashe and Geoff Cameron are NOT all-stars.
Something I’ve always wondered about: Seeing Osvaldo Alonso on this list brings it up for again. Lots of DC United fans watched the USOC final a few years back against the Charleston Battery @RFK, and large percentage thought Alonzo was the best player on the pitch. I blogged that DCU should go after him, and I wasn’t the only one to express that view.
I’ve wondered whether DCU blew it somehow in not going after him. Were the Sounders first in line to make a discovery claim, were the Sounders just offering more money than other teams, or was the player just more interested in joining an expansion team? Anybody know for sure?
As much as I’d like to complain about LA/NY being over-represented, this is a damn fine team. The players got it right, even with the honorable mentions. Maybe I’d take out Sean Franklin, but that’s quibbling.
I guess it’s not surprising that a group of 30 MLS starters know the league better than both fans and Hans Backe.
Re-read the article. He got votes, just not enough to win a Best XI spot.
Marco Pappa is not on at all? A real shame!
I thought it was strange that Dunivant wasn’t even an official option on the fan ballot. Apparently the players agreed.