Photo by Tony Quinn/ISIphotos.com
We will find out at 1pm today who the MLS All-Star Team reserve and commissioner's pick selections are and while he's just 17 and on the worst team in MLS, Andy Najar should be one of those selections.
The Honduran native and D.C. United Academy Product has been one of, if not the most impressive youngster in MLS this season and his fan-pleasing skills and fearlessness deserve to be displayed on the same stage as Manchester United next week.
Will he be chosen? If he is, it is likely up to Don Garber to make it happen. Having D.C. United teenage sensations play in the All-Star Game is nothing new, with Freddy Adu, Santino Quaranta and Bobby Convey all having played in past MLS All-Star Games. No, Najar has not earned an All-Star nod based on total performances, but there's no rule written that says every single all-star team slot must be given based on overall performance.
Should Najar be placed on the MLS All-Star Team? Cast your vote here:
What do you think? Did you vote for him to be on, or do you think it's not quite his time yet?
Share your thoughts below.
Najar lived a great majority of his life, but all his recent development was in the US, and for a few years at DC United’s Academy
oh snap! someone just got told!
Where he get his last name from. Najar is a very popular Arabic last name
Najar a technical player on a par with Moreno, what are you smoking??????
You are kidding right.
I’m a United season ticket holder – yes its been very painfull this year – and while I would say that Najar has had some good games he is well short of being an All Star.
He is very inconsistent even in the short time he has been playing which is about 2-3 months.
The whole Freddie Adu thing was mostly hype. Freddie had talent but it did not translate into effective play for the team. Najar is a better player and has more of an impact with the game, but let’s keep things in perspective.
It may be good copy SBI and it may be a great story, but an All Star – No Way….
That was what I was thinking. Who wants to be in that sinking boat. wait a couple ofyears and get compared to succesful players who have gone to Europe and acccomplished something.
The kid has talent but I would hate for him to get overhyped and fail.
Well the poor kid has to play on DC, how is he really suppose to shine. If he was on LA, RSL or Columbus he’d be the next big thing.
I definitely see what you mean Ives by how showcasing a young talent can only improve our image as a growing league. Is Najar one of the 23 best players in the league? No … Is he one of the 23 brightest stars?Debatable (I say yes) … What I would like to see is a Youth All-Star game that puts together the most talented player, say 22 and under and play a smaller European team or south american club … MLS could deploy a rather impressive and entertaining team (najar, mwanga, ream, opara, etc)
Najar is the best young player in the league. Most young players in the MLS lack technical ability, skill and understanding. They are athletic and show promise, but need years of grooming to be ready for higher levels of play. Not Najar. He is on par or better than the best technical players on DC United (Quaranta, Hernendez, and Moreno. He is fast and can run all day. Also, for his age, he is light years ahead of any young players in the league when it comes to tactical understanding, when to run at the opponent or when to pass, and two way wing play. He makes Robbie Rogers (a promising young player in the MLS) who plays on the wing look like a complete amateur, and Rogers has been in the league and previously in Holland for the past 5 years. Even an clueless soccer fan can watch a DC united game for 20 minutes and easily pick Najar out as the danger man. Najar should be in the allstar game. I bet if you polled all the managers in the league and asked them which player under 23 they would most want, Najar would appear on every list. My only wish is that he pulls a Rossi on his home country and chooses to play for us.
I think any pro all-star team should be comprised of the following:
One or two aging stars that the league is sending off into the sunset
One big name youngster that everyone is talking about (hint hint)
A good mix of talent that makes up the rest of the roster–this means players who are playing the best this far in the season…not just the household names.
It’s really just to reward their services and get them in the spotlight on the global level competing against a huge foreign club, usually.
I think it’s better to let him stay in Germany, and get reintegrated /reestablished with Schalke. Call him in for the 2011 Gold Cup.
Najar will be gone in under 3 years. As nice as it would be to keep him, if a European club calls with a fat paycheck, we will sell. Don’t forget, we lose money every time we play in RFK. The team is in tough financial times. I’m proud that he has come from our academy, along with Hamid. They are both fantastic players with a very bright future.
Ives, I don’t agree with everything you say, bu I’m as passionate about this kid as you are. He’s creative, quick, tough, and only 17. To think this kid could be playing in high school makes me sick to my stomach. How many other high schoolers are out there that have his skills? He has been DC United’s best player by a mile. Every time we get the ball, we loft it over the backline so Najar can run onto it. Hardly effective, but it’s obvious the offense runs through him. Pontius hasn’t had a good season so far.
Bottom line, Najar is the best young player and should get on the all star team.
Najar’s been pretty unambiguous about his desire to represent Honduras. I suppose he could have a change of heart, but I wouldn’t get my hopes up. He doesn’t even have citizenship at this point, and he may be in Europe in a year or two.
While I get the point the post, I don’t think he should be named to the team unless he’s earned it. There are more worthy candidates who deserve to be rewarded for their play this season. It’d be a shame if a guy didn’t make the team just so we can see Najar try to beat Fabio on the dribble.
He’s certainly an exciting young talent, and he should have a long career in MLS and beyond, but for me, the selections should be based on merit.
It seems likely that he will suit up for Honduras, and no one can blame him for doing that, but we really should make the pitch to him. Maybe the promise of a steady diet of World Cups will persuade him.
Would you really be surprised if Henry were one of the commissioner’s picks?
The All-Star game is a showcase for the league, and Andy Najar is an exciting young player. As Ives says, it makes sense to use a spot to give him wider exposure.
There’s plenty of precedent for this.
I believe Don Garber has only TWO (2) picks, the first 11 are selected by the fans and the next 10 are selected ny the coach of the All-Star team. In this case the coach is Bruce Arena and he can pretty much pick anyone he wants.
Given the fact that DC lost to Bruce Arena’a Galaxy last night, 2-1 and Andy Najar SCORED the goal for DC, I think it’s pretty fair that the one who is selecting, has had a pretty good look-see of Najar in that game.
If I were coach, I would be selecting any player, who is available and eligible. That include Thiery Henry.
The coaches selections are the designed to make the team competitive. The fans vote for their favorite players who may be slightly injured, or off-form, but deserved recognition for their accomplishments so far for the season. The coach picks his best players who will fit his offensive/defensive design and can do the job he intends for them.
At the same time the All-Star game IS a showcase for MLS talent and so Najar, should be included on those grounds.
Did Stephen Strasburg make the All-Star team?
(SBI-Are you really comparing the MLS All-Star Game to the MLB All-Star Game? Not at all the same kind of game. Are the MLB players playing a team from another country? Is MLB playing their all-star game the same day or day before they have teams in real competitions? Does the commissioner of MLB have roster selections? NOPE.)
If it’s not based on league acomplishment and only on “entertainment value”, Garber should name Henry…..
I think he is worthy of a spot, but as a DC United fan I am more concerned with ownerships ability to sign Najar to a long term deal. They need to keep him and the young keeper (Hamid) in D.C. Bring in a top level coach that can make an impact and a splash. May I suggest Bob Bradley? Build around these young players and bring in one more DP preferably a Top-Level name/talent.
Yes, sign him for the USMNT too. His goal last night was sick.
Sad. Please get over Rossi (and Subotic for that matter). Guiseppe Rossi never stated a desire to do anything but play for the Italian National Team. Get over it. We didn’t fail recruiting him. This isn’t college basketball here. It’s a question of where does your national allegiance lie, and for Rossi, this was Italy.
tbh, i’m more bothered about trying to get Najar in the USMNT.
Adu, Quaranta, Convey… not sure Najar wants to be next in that list of almost-were’s
Najar is not an all star yet and still needs to pay his dues. But I watch every DC game and he has become the only player on the team I would pay to see. Every game he does something that is spectacular or borderline spectacular. Tougher and more athletic than he looks, fearless and quite skilled. Just needs time to hone his decision making and refine his game.
He came to the US at 13, so he spent most of his life in Honduras. No one should begrudge him for choosing his native country, though the USMNT should give him the full-court press.
I was going to start by comparing him to Jozy, who was better when he was 16 than Najar is at 17.
But that’s not even necessary. It’s very simple. Are there 22 better players than Najar in MLS? The answer is yes, and there are probably 30 or more better players. That’s the end of it right there. He is not good enough to warrant a spot on the all star team, no matter where you look you can find a full roster of more deserving players.
Add to that the simple fact that despite playing well he’s doing nothing to help his team stop sucking, and there is the nail in the coffin. If Garber picks him it will simply be another stupid decision by a man known almost exclusively for his stupid decisions (remember 14-year old bench warmer Freddy Adu playing in the all star game? Remember L.A. being granted anything they want while he held up his middle finger to the rest of the league? Yeah I thought so.).
(SBI-Kev, WHERE is it written that the All-Star game has to be made up of the best 23 players? It’s an exhibition game being played a day or two before and after real games. It’s a glorified friendly, so why not select a player or two based on entertainment value and why not select a player who is a shining example of the league’s budding development program? Not sure how that’s a bad thing.)
I agree.
Greatness comes from years of consistency. Why we crown someone with greatness after only 2 months of playing professionally?
Too soon.
3 goals may make him a DCU All Star but not an MLS All Star.
Exciting young star, yes. One of the best 23 players in MLS, no.
(SBI-Where is it written that the MLS All-Star Team has to be the best 23 players in the league at the time?)
Different subject: Since Jermaine Jones is playing now, will he get a call up against Brazil?
I’d rather we start throwing buckets of money at the youth setup so we can develop our own versions without relying on another country…
1. I think the argument that Ream, etc. have played better is mis-placed: you’re talking about Najar as an outside mid/forward/A-mid, not as a central defender.
2. He’s been “okay” only a couple of games–for the rest he’s been much better than that. For most of his young career, you can count at least 2 plays he’s made each game where you just went “Wow!”. For instance, against Seattle he beat Keller to a lose ball outside the area, slid to take it out of Keller’s reach (in which Keller hurt his ankle), got to the ball and played it back to Quaranta who had a look at goal with no GK in the net (the defender headed the lofted ball off the line for a corner). That kind of play is athletic, highly skilled but mostly just real smart–Najar got that Quaranta had a better angle on goal and played it back to him.
3. I can accept an argument that Najar isn’t an all-star b/c there might be other outside mids who deserve it more. But if so, make that argument–name those outside mids who’ve had more impact this season.
Definably feels like the Strasburg situation v.2, I say let the kid play.
The Kid is Good but not allstar yet.
His play by far has been better than Pontius inconsistent performances, not only that he is much better on the ball than Pontius as well, as a 17 yr old he has instilled fear in Kasey Keller and Landon Donovan alike, he will run at anyone…the kid is a fearless warrior.
I think he is to this point in the season the best offensive weapon DCU has.
Steve Strasburg will be an all-star next year.
agreed…he has been great for his age and a good player for DC, but he isnt among the best in the league yet and hasnt even performed that incredibly well this season. I wouldnt say hes been the best on DC, thats Pontius
there have definately been better youngsters in the league like Stephens, Braun, and Ream
I agree, he has gone from ok, to solid, to impressive in that order meanning he gets stronger with each game he plays. He seems to have a lot of upside and I don’t want any foreign teams like Man U. getting a glimpse of him anytime soon so I say no to the Allstar nod.
Yes. He played really well last night once again. Despite being on a terrible team.
Amazing how deficient the U.S. has been in “recruiting” — recently, I mean — given how prevalent it is elsewhere and how desirable it is to live here.
We got outrecruited on two players who grew up here, for goodness sakes. I’d have no problem with U.S. taking a shot at Najar.
what as najar done
Najar is fun to watch but man I’d care so much more if he would be suiting up for the national team.
Who? Mwanga or Najar? Mwanga already said he wants to play for the US pretty much, but Najar looks set for Honduras
I feel there are more deserving candidates this year, (although the same could have been said when Adu was selected as a teenager as well). Let’s wait to annoint him as the cream of the MLS crop just yet…
Any way we can make the MLS All-Star game count as a full international match and cap tie him to the US? I’d be all for that.
I have seen most of DC’s games. Najar has ranged from ok, to solid, to impressive. Let’s not over do it, he has not played on an all star level yet.
(SBI-You’re really missing the point. Based on what MLS All-Star games of the past have been like, players who have been chosen, and what the game is, Najar is hardly a bad pick. And it’s not about him having “played on an all-star level”, but about him being an entertaining and promising talent who is a great example of how the league is improving in player development. Having one spot go to someone like him is hardly a bad thing.)
Najar es la verdad. It would be nice to see what he can do with some quality teammates.
No.
Next year… if he’s still in the MLS.
Can the USSF just start throwing buckets of money at him to switch his allegiance to the USMNT?
Yes. so should Mwanga.