The
2015 MLS All-Star Game this Wednesday features a clash against Premier League
side Tottenham Hotspur. The match kicks off at 9 p.m.
Eastern Standard Time at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park in Commerce City, Colorado.
Headlining
the MLS All-Star lineup is one of the most talented groups of forwards the
league has ever seen. Among them is league scoring leader Kei
Kamara. Joining him will be the reigning
2014 MLS MVP Robbie Keane and one of this year’s front-runners Sebastian
Giovinco. Rounding out the scoring
threats is New York City FC leading scorer David Villa, who has scored 6 goals
it’s the last 3 matches, and United States hero Clint Dempsey. Dempsey returns to MLS play after a 2015
CONCACAF Gold Cup that saw him be awarded the Golden Boot honors.
Tottenham’s
frontline is no strangers to providing goals aplenty as well. Leading the charge will be the England’s
Young Player of the Year Harry Kane.
Kane finished 2014-15 with 21 goals in 34 appearances, which paved the
way for his first English international call-up. Scoring 80 seconds into his debut, the MLS
defense will have a tough task keeping him off the score sheet.
The
MLS midfield contains two US Gold Cup members, current captain Michael Bradley
and Graham Zusi of Sporting Kansas City.
Zusi’s teammate, Benny Felihaber joins him in his first All-Star Game
appearance in the midst of another stellar season. Debutants Liverpool legend Steven Gerrard and
Brazilian icon Kaká have featured in World Cup’s and UEFA Champions League matches. Kaká currently ranks 4th in the MLS
with 9 goals so in his first season for Orlando City SC.
Spurs
midfield is home to two rising EPL talents.
Christian Eriksen was valued as the 29th-mostvalue player in
world football by a January 2015 study by the CIES Football Observatory, a
research group part of the International Centre for Sports Studies who
publishes annual player and club reports on the finest European talents. Alongside him will be Belgium standout Mousa
Dembele who featured for his nation in the 2014 World Cup.
Defense is
often overlooked in All-Star events.
However, Tottenham is home to one the United States top talents. Since he burst onto the international stage
in the 2014 World Cup, American DeAndre Yedlin seems to have found a new home
in London. Not only fans but also boss
Mauricio Pochettino has tipped him for success moving forward. Alongside him are Dutch international’s Toby
Alderweireld and Jan Vertonghen, surrounded by Yedlin’s competition for an EPL
starting role of Kyle Walker, Kieran Trippier and Danny Rose.
The MLS
defense Fan XI picks featured veterans of the United States national team: DaMarcus
Beasley, Matt Besler and Omar Gonzalez. Gonzalez
has emerged as one of the leagues best defenders having been named to three MLS
Best XI’s. Besler was named 2012 MLS
Defenders of the Year with this being is 4th MLS All-Star
selection.
Goalkeepers
for the MLS Nick Rimando and David Ousted will most likely split time. Rimando in his 16th MLS season
makes his fifth All-Star appearances in a season that has him tied for 3rd
in the league with 6 shutouts. Ousted
can also be found at the top of the goalkeeper statistics with a league leading
11 wins and the 2nd most shutouts with a total of 7.
Play
between the pipes has been one of the strengths for Spurs as their roster has
two goalies that have proven they can put together world-class performances on
any given pitch. Hugo Lloris, recently
handed the captains armband, posted 107 saves during 2014-15 while also
handling the starting role for France during the 2014 World Cup. Michel Vorm who moved to Spurs in 2014 is one
of the most capable back-ups in the EPL, having been a part of the Netherland’s
World Cup roster.
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