KYLE BECKERMAN & JAMISON OLAVE
NAMED TO 2011 AT&T MLS ALL-STAR GAMEDAY ROSTER
New York &
All-Star Head Coach Hans Backe Gives RSL Captain Beckerman his Fifth
Consecutive All-Star Nod;
Olave Looking to
Make Second Straight All-Star Start in Rematch with Manchester United
SANDY, Utah / NEW YORK CITY (Monday, July 18, 2011)–Major League Soccer today announced that Real Salt Lake standouts MF Kyle Beckerman and DF Jamison Olave will be a part of the 22-man gameday roster for the 2011 AT&T MLS All-Star Game next Wednesday, July 27 at Red Bull Arena (6:30 p.m. MT on ESPN2, Galavision, and TSN). The RSL duo will join the league’s biggest names – including Thierry Henry, David Beckham and Landon Donovan – for Major League Soccer’s All-Star Game rematch against reigning English Premier League champion Manchester United.
All-Star Head Coach Hans Backe of the New York Red Bulls selected the roster. Because of the competitive format -- MLS vs. the World -- of the All-Star Game, MLS asked Backe to select from among all available players, and he constructed a dynamic, balanced roster loaded with the League’s top talent. Backe also has seen success against Manchester United, including two wins during the 2007-08 English Premier League season when he was assistant coach at Manchester City under then Head Coach Sven-Göran Eriksson.
Backe selected all eight of the original fan-voted All-Stars -- including AT&T Text voting winner Matt Besler of Sporting Kansas City -- who are available to play on July 27. Kasey Keller (Seattle Sounders FC) and Brek Shea (FC Dallas) are unavailable due to CONCACAF Champions League matches during the week of the All-Star Game. Omar Gonzalez (LA Galaxy) and Rafa Marquez (New York Red Bulls) are unavailable due to injuries.
NOTE: Backe will discuss his selections at approximately 4:00 p.m. MT today on MLSsoccer.com’s ExtraTime Radio podcast (also available on iTunes).
In addition to 11-time All-Star Donovan, ex-Manchester United midfielder Beckham and World Cup Champion Henry, the roster also features prominent All-Star veterans such as Shalrie Joseph (New England Revolution), Brad Davis (Houston Dynamo), and Beckerman.
Other selections have loads of international experience but are MLS All-Stars for the first time: Mexican icon Omar Bravo (Sporting Kansas City), Colombian national team veteran Faryd Mondragón (Philadelphia Union), U.S. national team left back Heath Pearce (Chivas USA), and speedy Jamaican striker Omar Cummings (Colorado Rapids). Olave will be facing Manchester United for a second straight year, this after the reigning MLS Defender of the Year started and played 45 minutes in last year’s 5-2 defeat to the EPL giants at Reliant Stadium in Houston.
Players are listed on the roster below by the position they are most likely to play in the All-Star Game, which is not necessarily the position they play for their respective clubs.
2011 MLS
All-Star Gameday Roster
Goalkeeper:Tally Hall (Houston Dynamo), Faryd Mondragón (Philadelphia Union)
Defenders:Corey Ashe (Houston Dynamo), Matt Besler (Sporting Kansas City), Geoff Cameron (Houston Dynamo), Bobby Convey (San Jose Earthquakes), Sean Franklin (LA Galaxy), Jamison Olave (Real Salt Lake), Heath Pearce (Chivas USA), Tim Ream (New York Red Bulls).
Midfielders:Kyle Beckerman (Real Salt Lake), David Beckham (LA Galaxy), Brad Davis (Houston Dynamo), Jack Jewsbury (Portland Timbers), Shalrie Joseph (New England Revolution), Nick LaBrocca (Chivas USA)
Forwards:Juan Agudelo (New York Red Bulls), Omar Bravo (Sporting Kansas City), Omar Cummings (Colorado Rapids), Landon Donovan (LA Galaxy), Thierry Henry (New York Red Bulls), Chris Wondolowski (San Jose Earthquakes)
Inactive All-Stars (Note that another six inactive All-Stars will be chosen via player voting):
Kasey Keller (Seattle Sounders FC), Omar Gonzalez (LA Galaxy), Rafa Marquez (New York Red Bulls), Brek Shea (FC Dallas)
MLS All-Star
Selections by Team:
4 – Houston Dynamo (Ashe, Cameron, Davis, Hall), Los Angeles Galaxy (Beckham, Donovan, Franklin, Gonzalez), New York Red Bulls (Agudelo, Henry, Marquez, Ream)
2 – Chivas USA (LaBrocca, Pearce), Real Salt Lake (Beckerman, Olave), Sporting Kansas City (Besler, Bravo), San Jose Earthquakes (Convey, Wondolowski)
1 – Colorado Rapids (Cummings), FC Dallas (Shea), New England Revolution (Joseph), Philadelphia Union (Mondragón), Portland Timbers (Jewsbury), Seattle Sounders FC (Keller)
Kyle
Beckerman
Midfielder Real Salt
Lake
Nationality: USA
Born: April 23, 1982
The heart of Real Salt Lake’s midfield, Beckerman is regarded as the engine behind one of the league’s top teams. In 17 appearances this season, he has scored one goal and added a team-high four assists, though his leadership as captain of RSL may be his most significant contribution. Beckerman, 29, joined the league in 2000, and has played for three teams during his 12-year MLS career, becoming the youngest player to play in 200 regular season matches in 2009. This is the fifth consecutive season he has received All-Star recognition; however, Beckerman sat out of last year’s All-Star Game in Houston to assist in his return from a foot injury. The Crofton, Maryland, native was named to the inactive All-Star lists in 2007, 2008 & 2010, and made his on-field All-Star debut on July 29, 2009, at his home field of Rio Tinto Stadium, becoming the first RSL player to start an All-Star Game with his 45-minute stint against Everton FC in a 1-1 draw in Sandy (3-4 MLS loss in PKs).
Jamison
Olave
Defender Real Salt
Lake
Nationality: Colombia Born: April 21,
1981
The 2010 MLS Defender of the Year, Olave has been an anchor for a Real Salt Lake defense that has only allowed 12 goals in 17 games, ranking first in MLS. Olave was also a key reason the 2010 Real Salt Lake squad set the MLS record for fewest goals allowed in a season, allowing just 20 goals in its 30 contests. In 2008, Olave joined Real Salt Lake after playing in Colombia’s first and second divisions. This is Olave’s second consecutive MLS All-Star selection, coming on the heels of his start in last year’s contest against Manchester United (45 minutes).
www.RealSaltLake.com / www.RioTintoStadium.com / www.ESPN700Sports.com
