REAL SALT LAKE CAPTAIN KYLE BECKERMAN NAMED TO 4th-STRAIGHT MLS ALL-STAR GAMEDAY ROSTER
RSL Leader in Assists, Starts Earns 6th-Consecutive All-Star Recognition; Will Be a Part of 18-Man Roster That Will Face UEFA Champions League Winners Chelsea FC on July 25
SANDY, Utah/NEW YORK (Sunday, July 15, 2012) – Real Salt Lake captain Kyle Beckerman was named Sunday as one of 18 MLS All-Stars that will face UEFA Champions League winners Chelsea FC in the 2012 AT&T MLS All-Star Game on July 25 at PPL Park in Chester, Pa. (live on ESPN2 and TeleFutura starting at 6:30 p.m. MT).
Beckerman was selected to the team by D.C. United and MLS All-Star head coach Ben Olsen, having missed out last Sunday on being named to the All-Star First XI voted on by fans. The 30-year-old defensive midfielder has now received All-Star recognition in six straight seasons, being named to the All-Star inactive list in 2007 and 2008 before earning a spot on the gameday roster in 2009, 2010 and 2011. Beckerman did not participate in the 2010 game because of injury.
The Crofton, Md. native is in the top-three on RSL in most major statistical categories this year, tying for the team lead in both assists (4) and starts (19) and standing in third in goals (4).
The All-Star Game will be the next match Beckerman is eligible to play in, as the U.S. international will miss RSL’s July 21 game against Colorado at Rio Tinto Stadium due to a red card suspension picked up in the second half of Real’s 5-0 loss at San Jose on July 14. The next MLS game Beckerman can feature in won’t come until July 27, when RSL will play host to the Vancouver Whitecaps at Rio Tinto Stadium.
Beckerman will lead RSL into the CONCACAF Champions League just four days after the Claret-and-Cobalt play the Whitecaps, with the Utah side traveling to Costa Rica to take on C.S. Herediano in the Group 2 opener on July 31.
The entire 18-man 2012 MLS All-Star gameday roster is listed below:
2012 MLS All-Star Gameday Roster
Goalkeeper: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)
