Fredy Montero and Jhon Kennedy Hurtado have been added to the MLS All-Star roster.
NEW YORK (Monday, July 20, 2009) – MLS All-Star Team and Houston Dynamo head coach Dominic Kinnear selected six players to round out the 2009 MLS All-Star Team roster as the final 18-player roster is now set for the clash with Everton FC on Wednesday, July 29 at Rio Tinto Stadium in Sandy, Utah. Kinnear’s selections include three members of the Houston Dynamo, two Seattle Sounders FC players and one Kansas City Wizards player, giving Houston five players on the 18-man roster. Seattle Sounders FC will have four representatives on the All-Star Team roster.Â
Kinnear and his staff will lead the MLS All-Star Team in the 14th annual MLS midsummer showcase versus FA Cup Finalists Everton FC, whose roster boasts international stars Tim Cahill, Louis Saha, Marouane Fellaini, Steven Pienaar, Tim Howard and more. The game will be televised live on ESPN2 and Galavision at 9:30 p.m. ET.
Kinnear named his club’s veteran stalwart Pat Onstad as the squad’s second goalkeeper. Onstad ranks first in the League in goals against average (0.72), first in shutouts (8) and first in wins (9). This marks Onstad’s third selection to the MLS All-Star team. He was selected as a starter in 2004 and was a Coach’s Selection in 2008. Dynamo midfielder Brad Davis, who is tied for first in the League with seven assists, and who has also added three goals, was named to his second MLS All-Star Team; he appeared in the 2005 MLS All-Star Game. Brian Ching received his fifth MLS All-Star Team selection. He appeared in the 2004, 2006 and 2007 MLS All-Star Games and was named to the inactive roster in 2008. Ching leads the Dynamo with five goals on the season, despite only playing in 10 games.
Seattle Sounders FC defender Jhon Kennedy Hurtado was selected to reinforce the defensive unit. The Colombian-born defender has helped lead Seattle to an incredible start in their inaugural season and will undoubtedly be considered, with several of his Sounders FC teammates, for MLS Newcomer of the Year honors.
Kinnear added two of the League’s most exciting attackers in Kansas City Wizards midfielder Davy Arnaud and Sounders FC Forward Fredy Montero. Arnaud, an eight-year MLS veteran, from Nederland, Texas, is having a tremendous season for the Wizards, which led to his first MLS All-Star Team selection. He ranks second on the team with five goals, including some stunning strikes. Montero, will replace Crew attacker Guillermo Barros Schelotto on the squad, as Schelotto has been ruled out due to an injury. Montero ranks second to Schelotto in the League’s Budweiser Golden Boot race with nine goals scored. He also has provided six assists this season.
The Final 18-player MLS roster includes five members of the Houston Dynamo, four from Seattle Sounders FC, two from the Chicago Fire and Real Salt Lake and one player from the Colorado Rapids, Columbus Crew, Kansas City Wizards, Los Angeles Galaxy and New England Revolution.
Kinnear and his staff will select the starters based on player availability and tactical considerations. The inactive, or alternate All-Star roster, will be announced at a later date.
Tickets to the 2009 MLS All-Star Game remain on sale, with prices starting at $35 (North Goal, South Goal and Upper Deck), and continuing at $45 (Corner Flag), $60 (Lower Sidelines), $105 (Front Row and Midfield) and $200 (Club Seats). To purchase tickets for the MLS All-Star Game’s first visit to Utah, please visit www.RioTintoStadium.com, call 1-800-838-3380, or visit the Rio Tinto Stadium Box Office, open Monday-Friday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. local time.
The All-Star First XI selections are below:
2009 MLS All-Star Team
Goalkeeper:Kasey Keller (Seattle Sounders FC), Pat Onstad (Houston Dynamo)&
Defenders:Geoff Cameron (Houston Dynamo), Wilman Conde (Chicago Fire), Jhon Kennedy Hurtado (Seattle Sounders FC)&, Chad Marshall (Columbus Crew)
Midfielders:Davy Arnaud (Kansas City Wizards)&, Kyle Beckerman (Real Salt Lake)+, Cuauhtémoc Blanco (Chicago Fire), Brad Davis (Houston Dynamo)&, Stuart Holden (Houston Dynamo), Shalrie Joseph (New England Revolution), Freddie Ljungberg (Seattle Sounders FC), Javier Morales (Real Salt Lake)+
Forwards: Conor Casey (Colorado Rapids), Brian Ching (Houston Dynamo)&, Landon Donovan (Los Angeles Galaxy), Fredy Montero (Seattle Sounders FC)&
Denotes selection to First XI Team (Blanco replaced Dwayne De Rosario due to Toronto FC’s CONCACAF Champions League match)
+ Denotes a Commissioner’s Selection
& Denotes Coach’s Selection
Online fan balloting comprising 25 percent of the combined First XI vote, with MLS coaches and GMs (25 percent), media (25 percent), and players (25 percent) accounting for the remainder. Players and coaches/general managers could not register votes for players on their own teams.
