Latest news with #MLSAllStar
CNA
6 hours ago
- Sport
- CNA
Reigning MVP Lionel Messi joined by four Whitecaps on MLS All-Star team
The Western Conference-leading Vancouver Whitecaps placed four players on the 26-man MLS All-Star team that was announced Wednesday by the league. Forward Brian White, midfielder Sebastian Berhalter, defender Tristan Blackmon and goalkeeper Yohei Takaoka will represent Vancouver in the MLS All-Star Game versus LIGA MX's best players on July 23 at Q2 Stadium in Austin, Texas. The expansion San Diego FC are the only other MLS club represented by more than two players as forwards Anders Dreyer and Chucky Lozano and midfielder Jeppe Tverskov claimed spots on the team. Inter Miami's Lionel Messi (the league's reigning MVP), Philadelphia's Tai Baribo (the league's leading goal-scorer with 13), Charlotte FC's Patrick Agyemang, LAFC's Denis Bouanga, Columbus' Diego Rossi and Austin FC's Brandon Vazquez round out the All-Star forwards. Berhalter and Tverskov are joined in the midfield by Portland's David Da Costa, FC Cincinnati's Evander, RSL's Diego Luna and Chicago's Philip Zinckernagel. Inter Miami's Jordi Alba, Columbus' Max Arfsten, Minnesota's Michael Boxall, Orlando City's Alex Freeman, Philadelphia's Jakob Glesnes, Nashville's Andy Najar and FC Cincinnati's Miles Robinson join Blackmon in the back end. Minnesota's Dayne St. Clair, who boasts a league-high-tying eight clean sheets, and Austin's Brad Stuver will share time in goal with Takaoka. MLS built its squad with 12 players voted in by the fans, 12 players selected by All-Star coach Nico Estevez of Austin FC and two players chosen by Commissioner Don Garber. Alba, Baribo, Berhalter, Blackmon, Bouanga, Boxall, Evander, Freeman, Luna, Messi, St. Clair and White were elected by the fans. Arfsten, Da Costa, Dreyer, Glesnes, Najar, Robinson, Rossi, Stuver, Takaoka, Tverskov, Vazquez and Zinckernagel got the nod from Estevez. Garber tabbed Agyemang and Lozano as his picks. The 24-year-old Agyemang makes his first All-Star appearance while Lozano, 29, has made a big impact as San Diego FC's first Designated Player.
Reuters
10 hours ago
- Sport
- Reuters
Reigning MVP Lionel Messi joined by four Whitecaps on MLS All-Star team
June 26 - The Western Conference-leading Vancouver Whitecaps placed four players on the 26-man MLS All-Star team that was announced Wednesday by the league. Forward Brian White, midfielder Sebastian Berhalter, defender Tristan Blackmon and goalkeeper Yohei Takaoka will represent Vancouver in the MLS All-Star Game versus LIGA MX's best players on July 23 at Q2 Stadium in Austin, Texas. The expansion San Diego FC are the only other MLS club represented by more than two players as forwards Anders Dreyer and Chucky Lozano and midfielder Jeppe Tverskov claimed spots on the team. Inter Miami's Lionel Messi (the league's reigning MVP), Philadelphia's Tai Baribo (the league's leading goal-scorer with 13), Charlotte FC's Patrick Agyemang, LAFC's Denis Bouanga, Columbus' Diego Rossi and Austin FC's Brandon Vazquez round out the All-Star forwards. Berhalter and Tverskov are joined in the midfield by Portland's David Da Costa, FC Cincinnati's Evander, RSL's Diego Luna and Chicago's Philip Zinckernagel. Inter Miami's Jordi Alba, Columbus' Max Arfsten, Minnesota's Michael Boxall, Orlando City's Alex Freeman, Philadelphia's Jakob Glesnes, Nashville's Andy Najar and FC Cincinnati's Miles Robinson join Blackmon in the back end. Minnesota's Dayne St. Clair, who boasts a league-high-tying eight clean sheets, and Austin's Brad Stuver will share time in goal with Takaoka. MLS built its squad with 12 players voted in by the fans, 12 players selected by All-Star coach Nico Estevez of Austin FC and two players chosen by Commissioner Don Garber. Alba, Baribo, Berhalter, Blackmon, Bouanga, Boxall, Evander, Freeman, Luna, Messi, St. Clair and White were elected by the fans. Arfsten, Da Costa, Dreyer, Glesnes, Najar, Robinson, Rossi, Stuver, Takaoka, Tverskov, Vazquez and Zinckernagel got the nod from Estevez. Garber tabbed Agyemang and Lozano as his picks. The 24-year-old Agyemang makes his first All-Star appearance while Lozano, 29, has made a big impact as San Diego FC's first Designated Player. --Field Level Media
Vancouver Sun
17-05-2025
- Sport
- Vancouver Sun
Which Vancouver Whitecap could return to Austin for the MLS All-Star Game?
Even in June 2018, when he was just 17, Alphonso Davies was already a star. He was being connected to teams like Liverpool, Manchester United, and Bayern Munich, an electric young talent whose speed and skills had the biggest clubs in the world taking notice. And two weeks before his ground-shaking transfer to Bayern, Phonzie got recognition of another kind — being named to Major League Soccer's all-star team. Players were chosen by fan vote and the all-star coach. But neither of them selected Davies, who has been arguably the biggest talent to come out of the North American league. He got in as the commissioner's pick, with Don Garber tabbing the teen and two-time MLS Golden Boot winner Bradley Wright-Phillips of the New York Red Bulls for the exhibition game against Italian icons Juventus. Can't wipe that smile! 😁 The moment @AlphonsoDavies found out he was a #MLSAllStar commissioner's pick. #VWFC Including Davies, only six Whitecaps have been selected to the showcase event since the team came into MLS in 2011: Jay DeMerit (2012) , Camilo (2013) , David Ousted (2015) , Kendall Waston (2016) , and Ryan Gauld (2024) . The only player ever selected by fans was DeMerit, who was recognizable to the domestic fan base as a U.S. international who started for the Americans at the 2010 World Cup, and whose inspirational story had begun to reach folklore levels thanks to an indie film . Start your day with a roundup of B.C.-focused news and opinion. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder. The next issue of Sunrise will soon be in your inbox. Please try again Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. And none of those Whitecaps teams that produced the all-stars had as much success as this current edition, which sits atop the MLS standings and is playing in the CONCACAF Champions Cup title game for the first time in team history. The team — finally — has the attention of the rest of MLS. As the club heads to Austin, site of the 2025 All-Star Game in July , for a Saturday night league fixture, the question becomes: Can this translate into all-star selections? 'We've got a lot of guys on this team that definitely deserve a shout,' said midfielder Ali Ahmed. 'Vancouver is not the most attractive market to watch; late games, people kind of forget about us. But I think we've made it hard this year not to put a name for the team. A lot of players have stepped up and shined, and definitely deserve to be there for sure.' One player tops the list of potential all-stars for 2025: Brian White. Austin will be game-planning to defend him Saturday, after he torched them for four goals — that's a 'haul,' in soccer lingo — in April. His eight goals is third-most in the league, only trailing Philadelphia's Tai Baribo (10) and San Jose's Cristian Arango (nine). But the U.S. international has only played nine league games compared with Baribo's 12 and Arango's 13, as White has been busy in the CCC tournament, where's he's banged in six goals, second only to Cruz Azul's Ángel Sepúlveda. White was asked Friday, as the team prepared to travel to Austin, if he would like to head back there for another game: the All-Star Game. In his usual infallibly humble manner, he replied: 'Recognition is always nice, but that's not really something I'm focused on. Honestly, I haven't really thought about it at all. There's a lot of games, lot of things coming up before then. So if it happens, it happens, and if it doesn't, I'll have a couple days off to chill.' The first rule of White, it seems, is to never talk up White. So it was put to him who else on his team should join him in Austin, and he proceeded to list every player on the roster, including rookies and NextPro call-ups. That exceedingly long list has been pared down to players who have a realistic shot of joining White in Austin, along with the White scouting report to help fans (or all-star coach Nico Estévez, who will see them Saturday) make their decisions. Whitecaps deserving all-star recognition Andrés Cubas, MF One of the best No. 6s in the league, he stifled and frustrated Lionel Messi and Inter Miami , but rarely gets much recognition for the defensive work he puts in. He's been a big part of the Caps' aggressive repressing and transition success this season. White: 'He's super-important for us as that little engine in the middle. Breaks plays up, starts the counters, a workhorse all around the field, and probably one of the most underrated players in the league.' Sebastian Berhalter, MF The box-to-box No. 8 has made 33 tackles, ninth most in the league, but the 23-year-old is younger than every player above him on the list, save NYC FC phenom Jonathan Shore (18). His 48 tackles/interceptions is fourth-most in the league, plus he's chipping in offensively — a goal and three assists in MLS, and three more goals in CCC play. White: 'Sebastian has been great. Similar to Cubas, he gets in the box as well. Can finish off plays. He finds that pass in the end, crosses the ball. He just does everything for us. He's another one of the engines in the team, and we wouldn't be as successful as we are without him.' Pedro Vite, MF The Ecuadorean midfielder has taken his game to another level this season, chipping in with three goals and four assists in just 773 MLS minutes. Vancouver is working hard to retain him, as his five-year contract expires this year, but Vite has been in the middle of several rumours linking him to a move to Europe at season's end. White: 'Pedro's been fantastic. He's getting on the ball. He's creating. He's dynamic when he gets it, he can find the parents, he can finish all plays. So he's another very good piece that we have this year, and he deserves all the attention that he's getting.' Tristan Blackmon (and Ranko Veselinovic), CB The centre-back pairing has been dynamic and defensive, as Vancouver has given up just 10 goals in league play — fewest in MLS. They only give up 8.8 shots against per game, and have an xG-against of 13.75, again the lowest in MLS. Veselinovic has been an exceptional passer from the back line, connecting on 431 of 434 medium distance passes and 180 of 190 of short passes; his 95.1 completion percentage is second in MLS only to Columbus Crew midfielder Darlington Nagbe. Blackmon isn't far behind in his passing and defensive statistics, but gets the nod because he's scored twice this year in league play — not to mention having one of the biggest goal's in the team's history against Pumas. He's made several end-to-end charges from the backline with the ball at his feet, showcasing his offensive ability as well. White: 'Week in, week out, you see how (Blackmon) is able to defend, and what he brings going forward. He does all the little things around the field and team, he's just been an engine for the team from the backline.' Yohei Takaoka, GK The team's 8-1-3 record is the best in MLS, and Takaoka has been a big part of that. His five shutouts rank second in the league, a number he had been tied with, except for an unlucky 97th-minute penalty kick given up to RSL. His goals against per 90 minutes (0.83) is also best in MLS. White: 'We have one of the best defences in the league, and that starts with him. That save he made at the end of the game against LAFC shows how good he is. On the ball, he can do it all as a goalie, especially in this modern era of goalkeepers. I think he's one of the best.' Postmedia News's alternate picks Ali Ahmed, F Ahmed has five assists in 573 minutes this season. Of the four players ahead of him with six assists, two have played twice his minutes, one is a US$2.2 million DP with Charlotte (Pep Biel) and the other is Luis Suarez. Not bad company to be in. Jayden Nelson, F Nelson's speed has been a game-changer for the Caps on the wing, especially in transition. His 1.17 g+a/90 is the highest in MLS. He has two goals and four assists in 466 MLS minutes, and has been hampered by injury. The caveat to his stats is that a goal and three assists came in his debut game.
Reuters
13-05-2025
- Sport
- Reuters
FC Cincinnati sign 40-year-old striker Kei Kamara
May 13 - FC Cincinnati have signed legendary striker Kei Kamara through 2025 with an option for 2026. The 40-year-old free agent will occupy a supplemental roster slot with his MLS-record 12th club. Kamara ranks No. 2 in MLS history with 147 regular-season goals and No. 4 with 445 appearances. "We're excited to add a player of Kei's quality, experience, and leadership to FC Cincinnati," general manager Chris Albright said in a news release Monday. "While he's clearly one of the most prolific goal scorers in league history, his skillset also adds a different dynamic to our attack. We'd like to welcome him and his family to Cincinnati." Kamara recorded eight goals and five assists in 40 matches across all competitions last season with Los Angeles FC, helping the club claim its first US Open Cup title. Kamara was an MLS All-Star in 2015 and 2023 and made the MLS Best XI in 2015. The Sierra Leone native entered the league in 2006 as a first-round pick by the Columbus Crew and has also played for the Chicago Fire, Colorado Rapids, Houston Dynamo, Minnesota United, CF Montreal, New England Revolution, San Jose Earthquakes, Sporting Kansas City and Vancouver Whitecaps. --Field Level Media
