Giovinco, Keane highlight additions to MLS All-Star gameday roster
BALTIMORE --
MLS All-Star coach Pablo Mastroeni has included Toronto FC star Sebastian Giovinco and reigning MLS MVP Robbie Keane on his 22-player gameday roster to face Tottenham Hotspur later this month.
Mastroeni retained 10 of the 11 players chosen in the MLS Fan XI revealed earlier this week and supplemented those choices with several standouts from across the league ahead of the All-Star Game on July 29 (live, 9:00p.m. ET, FOX Sports 1, FOX Sports Go). MLS unveiled the roster during halftime of the CONCACAF Gold Cup quarterfinal between USA and Cuba on FOX.
Giovinco marked one of the most notable omissions from the Fan XI after his MVP-caliber production this season (12 goals, 9 assists), but he took his expected place alongside Keane and MLS top scorer Kei Kamara (13 goals) in the forward corps.
The strength of the initial choices in midfield -- including Kaká, Steven Gerrard, Frank Lampard and Michael Bradley -- left Mastroeni to make just one addition up front. He opted to include FC Dallas winger Fabian Castillo to supply additional width going forward.
Most of the reinforcements arrived in defense to join DaMarcus Beasley, Matt Besler and Omar Gonzalez. Laurent Ciman (Montréal Impact), Chad Marshall (Seattle Sounders) and Drew Moor (Colorado Rapids) create additional depth in central defense, while Tony Beltran (Real Salt Lake) and Chris Tierney (New England Revolution) supply options at fullback.
Seattle forward Obafemi Martins is the only player to drop out after featuring in the Fan XI. Martins has missed the past five league matches with a groin injury.
The gameday roster includes representatives from 14 of the league’s 20 teams, though Eastern Conference leaders D.C. United do not have a player in the squad. Sporting Kansas City and LA Galaxy led the way with three players selected, while New York City FC, Real Salt Lake and Toronto FC each placed two players on the team. All three Canadian teams contributed players to the gameday roster for the first time.
MLS is required to name 32 All-Stars under the terms of the Collective Bargaining Agreement. That number will increase to 34 this year, according to a MLS spokesperson. MLS will name the 11 inactive All-Stars -- selected by a vote of their peers -- at a later date.
MLS All-Star Gameday Roster
Goalkeeper: Nick Rimando (Real Salt Lake), David Ousted (Vancouver Whitecaps FC)
Defenders: Omar Gonzalez (LA Galaxy), Matt Besler (Sporting Kansas City), DaMarcus Beasley (Houston Dynamo), Chris Tierney (New England Revolution), Laurent Ciman (Montreal Impact), Chad Marshall (Seattle Sounders FC), Drew Moor (Colorado Rapids), Tony Beltran (Real Salt Lake)
Midfielders: Kaká (Orlando City SC), Michael Bradley (Toronto FC), Benny Feilhaber (Sporting Kansas City), Graham Zusi (Sporting Kansas City), Fabian Castillo (FC Dallas), Steven Gerrard (LA Galaxy), Frank Lampard (New York City FC)
Forwards: Clint Dempsey (Seattle Sounders FC), David Villa (New York City FC), Robbie Keane (LA Galaxy), Sebastian Giovinco (Toronto FC), Kei Kamara (Columbus Crew SC)
