The 2015 All-Star roster has shaken up quite a bit before the game on Wednesday night as four players withdrew from the game due to various ailments. Those players included LA Galaxy players Steven Gerrard and Robbie Keane, Toronto FC Michael Bradley, and New England Revolution defender Chris Tierney, who all withdrew from the match Tuesday afternoon.
All Star Head Coach Pablo Mastroeni named five players to replace the stars. Columbus Crew SC teammates Ethan Finlay and Waylon Francis, LA Galaxy duo Juninho and Gyasi Zardes, and Colorado Rapids midfielder Sam Cronin are the new selections.
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Finlay leads the league this year in assists with 12. Last season, he shared the Columbus Crew’s Budweiser Golden Boot after tying for the team lead in goals with 11 and in assists with 7.
Francis signed with Columbus before the 2014 season and has been their starting left back all season. He currently plays on the Costa Rican National Team.
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Juninho currently only has 4 goals for Galaxy in 23 games this season. He adds his long-range shots and precise passes to the squad.
With the recent additions the updated roster is as follows:
Goal Keepers: David Ousted (Vancouver Whitecaps) and Nick Rimando (Real Salt Lake)
Defenders: DaMarcus Beasley (Houston Dynamo), Tony Beltran (Real Salt Lake), Matt Besler (Sporting Kansas City), Laurent Ciman (Montreal Impact), Omar Gonzalez (LA Galaxy), Chad Marshall (Seattle Sounders), Drew Moor (Colorado Rapids), and Waylon Francis (Columbus Crew SC)
Midfielders: Fabian Castillo (FC Dallas), Benny Feilhaber (Sporting Kansas City), Kaká (Orlando City SC), Dax McCarty (New York Red Bulls), Graham Zusi (Sporting Kansas City), Sam Cronin (Colorado Rapids), Ethan Finlay (Columbus Crew SC), and Juninho (LA Galaxy)
Forwards: Clint Dempsey (Seattle Sounders), Sebastian Giovinco (Toronto FC), Kei Kamara (Columbus Crew SC), David Villa (New York City FC), and Gyasi Zardes (LA Galaxy)
The lone commissioner’s pick still in the game is McCarty after Gerrard and Lampard withdrew from the game.
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Kamara leads the league right now in goals with 15. He was called the “no-brainer” add by head coach Mastroneni, and with the recent addition of Finlay to the team, the dynamic duo will be unstoppable on the front lines.
With speculation running around the rumor mills about the competitive edge of the All-Star game, Tottenham’s head coach Mauricio Pochettino said his players are prepared for a serious test in this year’s edition of the summer showcase.
But something Tottenham will not be used to is playing at the high altitude in Colorado, which will be one of their biggest difficulties. They are also only two weeks out from their season opener while the rest of the MLS has played half their season.
The star-studded team will definitely put on a show and not let Tottenham down easy. This team will not let the fans down for excitement with Dempsey and Kamara playing up top.
Any of the eight defenders chosen should take some of the pressure off the starting keeper. They all bring something special to the game with obvious recognition to Gonzalez and Beasley.
The game will be kicked off at 9pm ET tonight.
Photo caption — MLS Commissioner Don Garber in January, announcing the 2015 game will be played in Denver, Colorado. taken by Getty Images, Brent Lewis