We are at the exact midway point of the season and balloting for the MLS All-Star game is set to close tomorrow. With that in mind, I’m curious to hear what players people believe deserve to be on the MLS All-Star Team.
We already know about the ballot-stuffing going on in Toronto, but I want to hear from the SBI Mafia. Give me your starting XI, including goalkeeper, three defenders, five midfielders and two forwards (and I’m talking who deserves to go, none of this ‘I won’t vote for my guy because I don’t want him to play in the game and get hurt’ business either). Give your list, then feel free to share your thoughts on the team, as well as your selections, in the comments section below.
I wrote a piece on who I think the Best XI should be for ESPN.com last week. I haven’t changed my mind on the selections although Luciano Emilio makes a strong case (though I stick to the belief that he AND Edson Buddle had great months but had little impact the first two months of the season so they miss out). I also picked the lineup based on specific positions, which I think you should considering this team will play in an actual game.
Now it’s your turn, submit your ballot and I will look to put together a reader’s-choice MLS All-Star XI.
Fire away.
Nick Rimando deserves a spot on the all-star squad. He’s only allowed 3 goals in the last 7 games and is having his best year ever.
Umm, Justin, what have you been smoking?
TFC is 4th in the league, not great, but awful? Really? And I will agree with you that Wynne belongs there, but Edu? Playing exceptionally? Have you even watched any TFC games? He has been one of our worst MF players in our starting 11. I don’t know how anyone can argue for him to be included in the AST.
I’ll give a shot. I guess everyone is going 3-5-2. I’ll give a 3-5-2 and 4-4-2 Lineup.
And I’ll try to make it one that makes logical sense.
3-5-2.
———Busch———
Hejduk–Marshall–Segares
—-Joseph–Beckerman—
Beckham—Ralston—Rogers
—–Donovan—Emilio—–
4-4-2. Drop Beckerman and put in Parkhurst.
Just missing out:
GK: Reis
D: Conrad
M: Edu, Blanco, Schelotto, Kljestan, Morales, DeRo, Marsch.
F: Buddle, Cooper, Moreno’s (both), Ching.
———–Reis (NE)————-
-Conrad (KC)–Parkhurst(NE)–Martinez(DC)
———-Joseph (NE)————–
Klejstan(CUSA)—–Edu(TOR)—–Beckham(LA)
————-Donovan (LA)———–
——-Emilio(DC)—Cooper(DAL)—–
You didn’t ask but subs (one each position)
Jon Busch (CHI)
Marvelle Wynn (TOR)
Robbie Rogers (COL)
Edson Buddle (LA)
I think Busch takes the nod over Reis…Sure Reis has made fancier saves, but Busch has the stats to back up the starting position. I think Reis should be the backup for certain, as they are really the only two impressive GK’s this year.
You know, that’s going to be some weird stuff, seeing Landon Donovan taking passes from Cuatehmoc Blanco.
GK: Reis
DF: Conrad, Velez, Parkhurst, Borchers
MF: Beckham, Blanco, Ralston, de Rosario
FW: Donovan, Emilio
SB: Busch, Guzan, Harrington, Wynne, Kljestan, Schelotto, Buddle, Cooper
—————-Busch—————–
——-Soumare-Parkhurst-Segares——-
Beckham-Klejstan-Blanco-Ralston-Rogers
————Cooper—-Donovan———-
Last year’s MVP is going for the scoring title again! Emilio and Donovan up top. And just to throw it out there, Jaime Moreno has been playing very well this year. Let the people of Toronto see the league’s all time leading goal scorer. Jaime is MLS’s living legend!
________________Reis________________
_Hejduk_______Parkhurst_______Wynne__
__Beckham_____Beckerman______Rodgers_
_______________Morales_______________
______Donovan___________Cooper_______
That would be my top XI, with Wynne edging Segares, Beckerman edging Kljestan, Cooper edging Buddle, and Parkhurst edging Olave.
Jerry – who would they replace???
wow Its amazing no one has even mentioned Amado Guevara or Ivan Guerrero
———Reis————-
Hejduk—Conrad—Soumare—Segares
————-Joseph—————
Beckham——C Gomez——–Kljestan
———Luciano—–Donovan——
Bench: Busch, DeRosario, Blanco, Van Den Bergh, Gallardo
Justin- id say Justin’s 1st team actually has players from every position…. and to be honest, not a bad selection at all
pat noonan’s mom- ok, then he has 1 RM, 3 attacking mids, and a def. mid?? doesnt help the situation he has no left footed wingers
I think you got it spot on Ives except for one omission: Steve Ralston. Out side of Blanco he is the most creative player in the league from central midfield area and he is scoring goals to boot. I think at his age and with the year he is having he deserves to start.
GK: Reis
D: Wynne, Parkhurst, Segares
M: Bekcham, Rogers, Kljestan, Scholetto, Edu
F: Emilio, Donovan
Second team:
GL: Busch
D : Segares, Conrad, Soumare
M : Joseph, Blanco, Beckerman, Ralston
F : Cooper, Buddle, Ching
Note: It isn’t Edu or Wynne’s fault that their team is awful, the two have played exceptionally.
brett-
fyi, Nicol has been using Ralston in the middle.
Castro—Ralston—Nyassi
–Joseph—Larentowicz–
all-goal-scorers XI
F: Emilio(10), Buddle(10), Cooper(8)
M: Donovan(11), Ralston(6), Klejstan(5), Rogers(5)
D: Vandenberg(4) – Conrad(3) – Thorrington(3)
GK: Hartman (6 shut-outs)
bwidell- you went with 2 right mids, 2 attacking mids, and a defensive mid as your start??
Like most DC United fans I have sent in multiple submissions of players who are not United players.
I have sent in 104 submissions of Toronto FC players.
AND HOW COULD EDSON BUDDLE NOT BE ON THE ALL-STAR BALLOT?!
That’s f**king stupid!
——-Emilio—Donovan——
—–Blanco–Baros Schelotto-
Kljestan————–Beckham
————Simms————
—Segares–Conrad–Hejduk—
————Reis————-
Ives — I’d rather have players who have been coming on strong lately and are likely to continue their strong performances over the second half of the season, instead of players that started off fast but have since cooled off.
Which is why I would rather see Emilio or Buddle get the starting nod instead of Cooper, who has been quiet lately.
I would put Claudio Reyna on mine.
If healthy he does all of those “little things” the majority of NYRB fans seem to limited to comprehend according to media and his teammates.
Right Ives? (Wink)
Don’t seee how he doesn’t get a spot on anyone’s list with that sort of criteria.
At least, as a RB fan, that’s what I’m told the real criteria for quality is.
Starting XI
FW
Donovan
Cooper
MF
Blanco
Ralston
Beckham
Joseph
Klejstan
DF
Segares
Conrad
Hejduk
GK
Reis
SUBS: Emilio, Buddle, Ching, Parkhurst, Soumare, Wynne, Busch, Rogers, Pause, Schelotto
arena – I like your optimism thinking that Magee might develop but the dude has been in the MLS for like 6 years.
GK: Reis
Defenders: Take your pick from any of the Galaxy’s back line. I really want Abel to captian the squad!! Sean Franklin, Hedjuk, Sumare, Segares
Midfield: Kljestan, Beckham, Gomez, Blanco
Fowards: Donovan and Emilo
Buddle should also get a go for his ability to create a goal as recent games have shown.
_________BUSCH_________________
HEJDUK PARKHURST CONRAD SEGARES
BECKHAM JOSEPH VAN DEN BERGH
________BLANCO________________
____DONOVAN EMILIO____________
For my money, this would be the most balanced, mature team MLS could put on a field right now.
@NYFC-
Xavier??? for reals? for _playing socer_, not for goofy hair? Yikes. Conde, with only 3 starts, gets an allstar nod??
–Donovan–Cooper—
Blanco
Rogers Beckham
Joseph Klejstan
Segares Soumare Wynne
Reis
Subs Emilio, Buddle, Parkhurst Schelotto, Conrad, Hesmer, Hejduk, Conrad, Ralston
Note: The subs could be exchanged with other players worthy of a cap.
GK – Busch Backup – Reis
Defenders – Conde, Hejduk, Conrad, Van den Bergh
*bench Xavier, Parkhurst
Midfield – Blanco, Beckham, Kljestan, Schelotto, Gallardo
*bench C. Gomez, Toja, Joseph
Forwards – Donovan, Emilio
*bench Cooper, Buddle, Angel
bwidell-
How could you leave off Warren, Knighton, Heaps, Hilgenbrinck, Igwe, Valentino, Flood, Albright, Nyassi, Castro, Smith, Cristman, Dube, Mansally, Twellman, Thompson??? Don’t be a Revs hater.
GK: Matt Reis (NE)
DF: Gonzalo Segares (CHI)
DF: Chad Marshall (CLB)
DF: Michael Parkhust (NE)
MD: Steve Ralston (NE)
MD: David Beckham (LA)
MD: Cuauhtemoc Blanco (CHI)
MD: Guillermo Barros Schelotto (CLB)
MD: Shalrie Joeseph (NE)
FW: Landon Donovan (LA)
FW: Luciano Emilio (DC)
you read somewhere that they looked good in a youth game / college game / MLS pre-season, but they have yet to set foot on the pitch in an MLS match this season… yes, the all-zero-appearances XI:
F: Sesay, Manzonelli
M: Roth, Marmol, Nimo, Ibrahim
D: Ward, Valentino, Gilkerson, Brill
GK: Seitz
honorable mention: Colaluca, Josten, Kpene, Kraus, Lambo, Mayen
Reis
Wynne
Marshall
Segares
Beckham
Joseph
Edu
Morales
Rogers
LD
Cooper
the all-development-roster-XI:
F: Dube, Braun
M: Flores, LaBrocca, Moffatt, Magee
D: Igwe, Ianni, Soumare, Beltran
GK: Seitz
honorable mention: Borman, Burling, DiRaimondo, Ebert, Espinoza, Kamara, Kimura, King, Myers, Shea, Wagner, Wallace
I forgot LD and Emilio at the forward positions.
BTW, is their going to be a secondary all-star team for extra wages like last year. I still can’t believe Reyna made that list.
————–Reis—————
——————————–
Wynne——Soumare—–Segares—
—–Joseph——–Moralles——–
Beckham—-Blanco—– C. Lopez—-
—–Landon——-Emilio———
Subs: Busch, Parhurst, Conrad, Beckerman, C. Gomez, Cooper, Rogers
Reis
Parkhurst Borchers Segares
Joseph Pause
Beckham Morales Schelotto
Ives,
You mention “impact the first two months of the season.” How about DC’s last 6 games? Do they not count since the first 9 were awful? DC has been so dominant in their last few that only mistakes by Zach Wells have kept the other side in the game. I’ll take Emilio over Cooper any day.
—–Reis—–
—Parkhurst–Segaris–Wynne
Rogers–Joseph–Beckham–Klejsten–Ralston
——Donovan–Cooper—
—-Gordon—-Kamara—–
–Gaven—Toja—Ballouchy-
—-Besagno—-Vagenas—-
—Beltran–Garcia–Xavier
———-Caig————
————-Reis————
Segares—-Soumare—-Franklin
————Joseph————
Beckham—–Blanco—-Schelotto
Landon——Emilio—–Cooper
Bench: Fred, Hejduk, Rogers, Klejstan, Buddle, Busch, Beckerman
GK: Reis
D: Parkhurst, Segares, Conrad
M: Joseph, Blanco, Beckham, Rogers, Morales
F: Donovan and Cooper
While this is a very good topic, it’s a bit moot since the voting only counts for 25% of the final decision. All the ballot stuffing in Toronto won’t get guys like Dichio on the team. The guys that will be on the team include: Beckham (he sells tickets and give the game soem cred), Donovan (MLS poster boy), Blanco (Latin love), DeRosario (Best overall player in MLS the last 4-5 years), and then as many USMNT members as they can find. That’s the way it will fall regardless of the vote.
The best 11 talk is interesting, but the voting is rather pointless.
——-REIS————–
Hejduk–Soumare–Segares–
—-Joseph–Beckerman—–
Becks–Blanco—-Rogers—
—Donvan—–Cooper—–
:D, as long as no fire players go im happy, but since you’ve specifically stated otherwise….
—–Landycakes—Emilio—-
–Rogers-Blanco-Beckham—
——–Joseph–Pause—–
Segares–Parkhurst- Hejduk
———-Reis———
Marvell Wynne is still rubbish.