2015 MLS All-Star Game


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The 2015 Major League Soccer All-Star Game, the 20th annual Major League Soccer All-Star Game, took place on July 29, 2015 (9 p.m. EDT, 7 p.m. local time) at Dick's Sporting Goods Park in the Denver suburb of Commerce City, Colorado, the home of the Colorado Rapids. The game was televised live on Fox Sports 1 and UniMás in the United States, and TSN and RDS in Canada.[1]

2015 AT&T MLS All-Star Game
AT&T All-Star Colorado '15
Event2015 Major League Soccer season
MLS All-Stars Tottenham Hotspur
United States Canada England
2 1
DateJuly 29, 2015
VenueDick's Sporting Goods Park, Commerce City, Colorado
Most Valuable PlayerKaká (MLS All-Stars)
RefereeIsmail Elfath (United States)
Attendance18,671

2014

2016

Kaká was named MVP.[2] Also, 2015 MLS Homegrown Game was played one day before this event.

As of July 29, 2015 Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

Notes:

a 2015 MLS All-Star Fan XI.[3]
b Selected by All-Star coach Pablo Mastroeni of the Colorado Rapids.[4]
c Selected by MLS Commissioner Don Garber[5]
d Injured or otherwise unable to play.
e Replacement for player who is injured or otherwise unable to play.[6][7][8]

Selection controversy

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The league commissioner Don Garber used his two picks to select two players who had never played a single minute in MLS at the time of selection in the two former England internationals Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard who had only officially joined the league on July 8. This provoked outrage from fans, the media and other players, the league eventually agreed to select two extra players to be given all-star bonuses.[9][10][11][12]

The league's top scorer, Kei Kamara, was omitted from the Fan XI and responded by saying "It's simple as it goes: you're either a U.S. national team player or you're a DP to be on there. I'm neither one of those. If I get called up, I'll be lucky." The top 10 in the fan vote included 8 players who have represented the US national team alongside Kaká and David Villa with Nigerian international Obafemi Martins also being selected via virtual performances in FIFA 15.[13][14]

On July 27 Tottenham Hotspur announced a 25-man traveling squad for the MLS All-Star game:[15]

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

Notes:

a Injured or unable to play.
b Development Squad
c Second Year Academy
GK 18   Nick Rimando   45'
DF 12   Tony Beltran   45'
DF 4   Omar Gonzalez   45'
DF 5   Matt Besler   45'
DF 16   DaMarcus Beasley   45'
MF 13   Dax McCarty   45'
MF 19   Graham Zusi   45'
MF 22   Kaká (c)   45'
MF 30   Gyasi Zardes   45'
FW 7   David Villa   45'
FW 2   Clint Dempsey   45'
Substitutes:
GK 1   David Ousted   45'
GK 31   Clint Irwin
DF 14   Chad Marshall   45'
DF 3   Drew Moor   45'
DF 6   Laurent Ciman   45'
DF 20   Waylon Francis   45'
MF 17   Benny Feilhaber   45'
MF 10   Jozy Altidore   77'
MF 9   Juninho   45'
MF 11   Fabian Castillo   45'
MF 8   Ethan Finlay   45'
FW 23   Kei Kamara   45'
FW 21   Sebastian Giovinco   45'   77'
Manager:
  Pablo Mastroeni
GK 13   Michel Vorm   64'
DF 33   Ben Davies   63'
DF 5   Jan Vertonghen (c)   45'
DF 4   Toby Alderweireld   64'
DF 2   Kyle Walker   45'
MF 42   Nabil Bentaleb   45'
MF 15   Eric Dier   64'
MF 22   Nacer Chadli   64'
MF 23   Christian Eriksen   45'
MF 19   Mousa Dembélé   64'
FW 18   Harry Kane   77'
Substitutes:
GK 48   Luke McGee   64'
GK 50   Tom Glover
DF 3   Danny Rose   63'
DF 28   Tom Carroll   45'
DF 27   Kevin Wimmer   45'
DF 47   Josh Onomah   64'
MF 21   Federico Fazio   64'
MF 16   Kieran Trippier   45'
MF 20   Dele Alli   45'
MF 12   DeAndre Yedlin   64'
MF 44   Harry Winks   64'
FW 46   Shaq Coulthirst   64'
Manager:
  Mauricio Pochettino
  1. ^ "EPL club Tottenham Hotspur announced as opponents for 2015 AT&T MLS All-Star Game" (Press release). Major League Soccer. April 15, 2015. Retrieved April 15, 2015.
  2. ^ "All-Star: The post-game celebration turned into a love fest for 2015 MVP Kaká". MLSsoccer.com.[permanent dead link]
  3. ^ "Newcomers David Villa, Kaka join US national team veterans on 2015 AT&T MLS All-Star Game Fan XI". July 13, 2015.
  4. ^ "Sebastian Giovinco, Kei Kamara among 22 players named to 2015 AT&T MLS All-Star Game roster". July 18, 2015. Archived from the original on September 21, 2015. Retrieved July 19, 2015.
  5. ^ "Steven Gerrard, Frank Lampard selected as Commissioner's picks for AT&T MLS All-Star Game". July 13, 2015.
  6. ^ "Dax McCarty replaces injured Frank Lampard as Commissioner's Pick for AT&T MLS All-Star Game". July 25, 2015.
  7. ^ "All-Star: Pablo Mastroeni makes five additions to roster as Keane, Gerrard, Bradley, Tierney withdraw". July 28, 2015.
  8. ^ "Toronto FC's Sebastian Giovinco ruled out of All-Star Game by injury, replaced by teammate Jozy Altidore". July 29, 2015.
  9. ^ "Frank Lampard and Steven Gerrard selections for MLS All-Star Game 2015 make perfect sense". Telegraph.co.uk. July 14, 2015. Archived from the original on July 18, 2015.
  10. ^ "MLS players snipe at Gerrard, Lampard all-star picks - Sport". Jamaica Observer.
  11. ^ "The curious case of Gerrard, Lampard and the MLS All-Star Game". Back Page Football. July 15, 2015.
  12. ^ Mike DeCourcy. "Commissioner makes joke of MLS All-Star Game by choosing Gerrard, Lampard". Sporting News.
  13. ^ "Lampard and Gerrard among MLS All-Star selections - ESPN FC". ESPNFC.com.
  14. ^ "MLS leading scorer Kei Kamara comments on Fan XI snub: "You're either a US player or a DP to be on there"". MLSsoccer.com.
  15. ^ "MLS ALL-STARS MATCH SQUAD". tottenhamhotspur.com. July 27, 2015.
  16. ^ All-Star: Kaká wins AT&T MLS All-Star Game MVP after notching goal, assist in 2-1 win vs. Tottenham, MLSsoccer.com, July 29, 2015
  17. ^ "All-Star: PRO assigns Ismail Elfath to referee Wednesday's AT&T MLS All-Star Game in Colorado". MLSsoccer.com. July 27, 2015.