A meaningless friendly cluttering the middle of a competitive league season when four top clubs also face Mexican opposition in Superliga – that is the view of many towards this year’s All-Star Game between the MLS XI and West Ham United. Select teams throw up another problem: too often they become a popularity contest instead of a merit-based system recognising the best performers in any given campaign, as is the original intention.
In any popularity contest, it helps to have the support of Simon Fuller. The British pop svengali catapulted the Spice Girls to global fame in the mid-1990’s despite their obvious shortcomings as performers. With Mr Posh also under his wing, it is unsurprising to see David Beckham selected with the highest number of votes for a midfielder.
Beckham’s performances this season can be described as average at best. Viewers have been hard-pressed to notice his contributions in recent televised games at San Jose and D.C. United, but still the favourable media bombardment continues. I would challenge anyone to provide a sound argument, commercial reasons aside, for picking Beckham on the right side of midfield ahead of New England’s Steve Ralston for one. Steve Nicol, Ralston’s head coach at Revolution and the man who will assume coaching duties for the All-Star team, may still select his player as one of five additional roster choices.
Another right-sided midfielder who has eclipsed Beckham is Sacha Kljestan of Chivas. As if to prove that point, Kljestan produced an excellent performance last night in the second Superclasico of the season as the Los Angeles rivals drew 1-1 at Home Depot Center. He will be in Toronto having been picked fourth in midfield.
The five-man midfield is rounded off by Chicago’s Mexican superstar Cuauhtemoc Blanco, Columbus’ impressive youngster Robbie Rogers, and the seemingly ever-present Shalrie Joseph. The New England player makes his fifth consecutive appearance in this fixture.
Overall, the top-voted player was not Beckham but Landon Donovan, his L.A. Galaxy team-mate. Donovan received 68% of votes cast for forwards after an explosive start to the season which sees him share the leadership in the scoring charts with 11 goals in 13 games. Joint top scorer and a notable omission from the voting is his Galaxy strike partner Edson Buddle.
Buddle’s clinical finish in Thursday’s Superclasico saw him tie Donovan with 11 in 13 games, but the second automatic striking berth has been handed to Kenny Cooper of Dallas. Although Buddle may feel aggrieved, Cooper also deserves his place. The former Manchester United trainee stands 6ft 3in, possesses great strength and aerial ability but also pace and quick feet. He has found the net eight times for Dallas this season.
At first glance, the inclusion of defender Jimmy Conrad looks surprising. His Kansas City side sit bottom of the Eastern Conference and have been suffering a terrible run of form. Such are the anomalies of MLS though that despite this lowly position only Chicago Fire has a better defensive record. Kansas leads the league in shut-outs as Conrad has successfully marshalled the young squad around him. New England’s Michael Parkhurst and Columbus’ Frankie Hejduk complete a three-man defense which appears light in stature. No doubt coach Nicol will have plans to provide some physical bolstering of the backline.
Matt Reis, the third player from league-leading New England, gets the nod in goals ahead of Chicago’s Jon Busch. Goalkeeping is the one position where the US has excelled in producing top quality players like Tim Howard, Brad Friedel and Kasey Keller. Brad Guzan, last season’s Goalkeeper of the Year, is another surprising omission as the Chivas player has been in sensational form in the last couple of months.
Guzan probably will not mind the omission if the approaching transfer window results in him finally securing a move to Europe. Visa problems prevented a previous transfer to Aston Villa and talks suggest that this will be resurrected after the July 15th opening. His recent performances for the national team, including the second half of the USA’s 2-0 defeat at Wembley Stadium, put him in a stronger position this time around.
In any popularity contest, it helps to have the support of Simon Fuller. The British pop svengali catapulted the Spice Girls to global fame in the mid-1990’s despite their obvious shortcomings as performers. With Mr Posh also under his wing, it is unsurprising to see David Beckham selected with the highest number of votes for a midfielder.
Beckham’s performances this season can be described as average at best. Viewers have been hard-pressed to notice his contributions in recent televised games at San Jose and D.C. United, but still the favourable media bombardment continues. I would challenge anyone to provide a sound argument, commercial reasons aside, for picking Beckham on the right side of midfield ahead of New England’s Steve Ralston for one. Steve Nicol, Ralston’s head coach at Revolution and the man who will assume coaching duties for the All-Star team, may still select his player as one of five additional roster choices.
Another right-sided midfielder who has eclipsed Beckham is Sacha Kljestan of Chivas. As if to prove that point, Kljestan produced an excellent performance last night in the second Superclasico of the season as the Los Angeles rivals drew 1-1 at Home Depot Center. He will be in Toronto having been picked fourth in midfield.
The five-man midfield is rounded off by Chicago’s Mexican superstar Cuauhtemoc Blanco, Columbus’ impressive youngster Robbie Rogers, and the seemingly ever-present Shalrie Joseph. The New England player makes his fifth consecutive appearance in this fixture.
Overall, the top-voted player was not Beckham but Landon Donovan, his L.A. Galaxy team-mate. Donovan received 68% of votes cast for forwards after an explosive start to the season which sees him share the leadership in the scoring charts with 11 goals in 13 games. Joint top scorer and a notable omission from the voting is his Galaxy strike partner Edson Buddle.
Buddle’s clinical finish in Thursday’s Superclasico saw him tie Donovan with 11 in 13 games, but the second automatic striking berth has been handed to Kenny Cooper of Dallas. Although Buddle may feel aggrieved, Cooper also deserves his place. The former Manchester United trainee stands 6ft 3in, possesses great strength and aerial ability but also pace and quick feet. He has found the net eight times for Dallas this season.
At first glance, the inclusion of defender Jimmy Conrad looks surprising. His Kansas City side sit bottom of the Eastern Conference and have been suffering a terrible run of form. Such are the anomalies of MLS though that despite this lowly position only Chicago Fire has a better defensive record. Kansas leads the league in shut-outs as Conrad has successfully marshalled the young squad around him. New England’s Michael Parkhurst and Columbus’ Frankie Hejduk complete a three-man defense which appears light in stature. No doubt coach Nicol will have plans to provide some physical bolstering of the backline.
Matt Reis, the third player from league-leading New England, gets the nod in goals ahead of Chicago’s Jon Busch. Goalkeeping is the one position where the US has excelled in producing top quality players like Tim Howard, Brad Friedel and Kasey Keller. Brad Guzan, last season’s Goalkeeper of the Year, is another surprising omission as the Chivas player has been in sensational form in the last couple of months.
Guzan probably will not mind the omission if the approaching transfer window results in him finally securing a move to Europe. Visa problems prevented a previous transfer to Aston Villa and talks suggest that this will be resurrected after the July 15th opening. His recent performances for the national team, including the second half of the USA’s 2-0 defeat at Wembley Stadium, put him in a stronger position this time around.
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