MLS vs. MLSAces: A Look At The All-Star Selections for the 2021 MLS All-Star Game
On August 4th, Major League Soccer announced the roster for the 2021 MLS All Star Game, a squad of 28 players selected by MLS players, fans and media (13 players via voting), MLS All-Star Team Head Coach Bob Bradley (13 players) and MLS Commissioner Don Garber (2 players). This year’s all-star game, is a special one: the game will be played in Los Angeles against Liga MX’s own all-stars, which were selected based on the Balón de Oro Awards. This historic game between North America’s best soccer leagues will be played on August 25th at 9PM EST – below is the MLS roster:
FORWARDS
Gustavo Bou - New England Revolution (Bob Bradley’s Pick)
Tajon Buchanan - New England Revolution (Don Garber’s Pick)
Cade Cowell - San Jose Earthquakes (Don Garber’s Pick)
Chicharito - Los Angeles Galaxy
Nani - Orlando City SC
Ricardo Pepi - FC Dallas (Bob Bradley’s Pick)
Diego Rossi - Los Angeles FC (Bob Bradley’s Pick)
Raul Ruidiaz - Seattle Sounders
Daniel Salloi - Sporting Kansas City (Bob Bradley’s Pick)
Carlos Vela - Los Angeles FC
MIDFIELDERS
Eduard Atuesta - Los Angeles FC (Bob Bradley’s Pick)
Carles Gil - New England Revolution
Damir Kreilach - Real Salt Lake (Bob Bradley’s Pick)
Joao Paulo - Seattle Sounders
Emmanuel Reynoso - Minnesota United (Bob Bradley’s Pick)
Cristian Roldan - Seattle Sounders
Lucas Zelarayan - Columbus Crew SC
DEFENSE
Julian Araujo - Los Angeles Galaxy (Bob Bradley’s Pick)
Jesus Murillo - Los Angeles FC (Bob Bradley’s Pick)
Nouhou Tolo - Seattle Sounders
Miles Robinson - Atlanta United (Bob Bradley’s Pick)
Alex Roldan - Seattle Sounders
James Sands - New York City FC (Bob Bradley’s Pick)
Kei Wagner - Philadelphia Union (Bob Bradley’s Pick)
Yeimar Gomez Andrade - Seattle Sounders
Walker Zimmerman - Nashville SC
GOALKEEPERS
Pedro Gallese - Orlando City SC
Matt Turner - New England Revolution (Bob Bradley’s Pick)
I could go through this list and explain why each player was selected as an all-star, why some weren’t selected or who got snubbed, especially since there is likely a lot of internal politics that go into who makes this final roster. However, I decided to do something different. A few weeks ago, I polled MLSAces community on who their MLS All Stars were for the 2021 season. There were 11 total voters and I took the liberty of deciding on any split decisions - call it me using my commission powers. Below is the 21 person roster, according to MLSAces:
STARTING XI
GK: Matt Turner - New England Revolution
LB: Ryan Hollingshead - FC Dallas
CB: Yeimar Gomez Andrade - Seattle Sounders
CB: Jonathan Mensah - Columbus Crew SC
RB: Alex Roldan - Seattle Sounders
DM: Darlington Nagbe - Columbus Crew SC
CM: Carles Gil - New England Revolution
CM: Caden Clark - New York Red Bulls
WNG: Nani - Orlando City SC
ST: Chicharito - LA Galaxy
WNG: Tajon Buchanan - New England Revolution
BENCH
GK: Brad Stuver - Austin FC
LB: Brad Smith - Seattle Sounders
CB: Jack Elliott - Philadelphia Union
CB: Jesus Murrillo - LAFC
RB: Kyle Duncan - New York Red Bulls
DM: Gianluca Busio - Sporting Kansas City
CM: Eryk Williamson - Portland Timbers
CM: Damir Kreilach - Real Salt Lake
WNG: Daniel Salloi - Sporting Kansas City
ST: Raul Ruidiaz - Seattle Sounders
WNG: Carlos Vela - LAFC
Obviously, I am not going to sit here and say that we at MLSAces got it right, but our selections were pretty damn close to the league’s. When it comes to forwards, I think any MLS fan would be able to predict who would make the All-Star roster: Raul Ruidiaz, Chicharito, Gustavo Bou, and Daniel Salloi have all been atop the goal scoring charts this year and all four players made our team and the MLS team. Ruidiaz, Chicarito, Bou and Salloi have scored a combined 40 goals at ther All-Star break but, since MLS and MLSAces selections were the same, I don’t want harp on this point too much.
When it comes to midfielders, there were quite a few differences between MLS and MLSAces. I love that Damir Kreilach made the MLS All Star team because his contributions to RSL cannot be overlooked this season. Of course, the same can be said, and some, for Revs star Carles Gil. Gil currently has 15 assists currently and is on track to become the 4th MLS player with 20+ assists in a single season. However, there are two players who I feel were overlooked on the MLS roster despite an appearance on ours: Eryk Williamson and Gianluca Busio. There is a reason why these two played major minutes for the USMNT - they were balling out for their clubs. Williamson’s contributions for Portland may not always show up on the stat line, but he showed how much of an impact he can have when he filled in for Diego Chara at the 6, played as an 8, or even when he played as a 10, when needed. The same can also be said for Busio, who has settled in as a 6 for SKC, but has also played pretty well as a winger when asked. I also think the additions of Darlington Nagbe and Caden Clark on the MLSAces roster was appropriate, as both have been standout midfielders of this season. With that said, I think MLS ultimately got it right by selecting Cristian Roldan and Joao Paulo over Clark and Nagbe.
“Williamson’s contributions for Portland may not always show up on the stat line, but he showed how much of an impact he can have when he filled in for Diego Chara at the 6, played as an 8, or even when he played as a 10, when needed.”
Selecting defenders is always tough. Do you look at defensive performances as a team and factor in who’s played the most minutes? Do a defender’s offensive contributions carry more weight? There is a lot to consider, as there isn’t usually a definitive defender statistic, such as goals and assists, to look at. There were only three players between the MLSAces roster and the MLS roster that were the same - Alex Roldan, Yeimar Gomez Adrade, and Jesus Murillo. I personally think the MLSAces selections were truer to their performances on the year than the MLS group - you can’t overlook how much of an impact guys like Jack Elliott and Jonathan Mensah have had for their teams, especially since they are league-leading defenses. You also can’t forget about guys like Ryan Hollingshead and Kyle Duncan, who may be playing on a poor backline, but have shined individually through it.
Lastly, there’s the goalkeepers. Matt Turner has been the standout keeper this season and made it to both the MLSACES and MLS All-Start selections. But, Pedro Gallese? Really? Gallese is clearly one of the most talented keepers in MLS, but did he prove it this year to earn the 2nd keeper spot for the MLS All-Stars? I truly don’t think so – I think MLSAces got this one right with the selection of Brad Stuver. Stuver leads the league in saves, has a 1.07 goals allowed per game, and 4 clean sheets in 1,350 minutes for Austin FC. To me, he was the only other keeper who deserved it, but what do I know?
“I think MLSAces got this one right with the selection of Brad Stuver. Stuver leads the league in saves, has a 1.07 goals allowed per game, and 4 clean sheets in 1,350 minutes for Austin FC.”
A Note from RBNY Blogger Matt Cia: Why A Red Bull-less All-Star Roster Is A Good Thing
I know what you’re thinking: is this guy really a fan? Trust me when I say I would not be writing this if I wasn’t. Yes, it’s true - I really believe that not having an RBNY player in the mLS All-Star game is a good thing, and here’s a few reasons why.
The Entire Roster Will Get Some Much Needed Rest. With so many players out on injury and many who are just starting to come back, the All-Star break will give the team and staff a chance to rest, recover, and grow together. Hopefully, this will lead to a big second half run on the quest towards the playoffs. Speaking of injuries…
Players Returning From Injury Will Get A Chance To Get Fit. There are some standout RBNY players who are on the verge of returning from injury and may have made the All-Star roster. Since none were ultimately selected, the All-Star break will also give starter-caliber players the ability to slowly regain their fitness, which will hopefully prevent them from getting burnt out while trying to recover too quickly for a glorified friendly.
Staff will have time to work will the entire roster. The hope is that the All-Star break will also give Red Bull staff some much-needed time to work with the whole roster, returning stars included, in order to address gameday issues at the club.
I believe it is the Red Bulls’ best interests to keep all their players at home for the All-Star break. I know many Red Bull fans would all love to see our players shine amongst the best in MLS and Ligue MX. However, in the big picture, I believe this worked out fantastically for this New York side.
What did your vote for the MLS All Star Game look like? Who is in your starting XI? Let us know in the comments below!
