MLS Fan XI Revealed

The MLS has announced the eleven players chosen by fans in the online voting for their pick to face Arsenal in the All-Star Game at the end of the month. 10 of the 11 players were voted for online by fans at MLSsoccer.com, with the 11th earning his spot through the “More Than a Vote” Challenge. At7T worked with EA Sports as fans were asked to score as many goal on FIFA 16 with their favourite players. The man with the most goals scored was David Villa, with fans scoring more than 800,000 goals with the Spaniard on the game.

The 2016 MLS All-Star Fan XI is based on a 3-4-3 formation, with Philadelphia Union, Montreal Impact and New York City all have two players in the eleven chosen:

GK – Andre Blake (Union)

DEF – Matt Besler (SKC), Laurent Ciman (Impact), Keegan Rosenberry (Union)

MID – Kaka (Orlando), Darlington Nagbe (Timbers), Andrea Pirlo (NYC), Giovani dos Santos (Galaxy)

FWD – Didier Drogba (Impact), Sebastian Giovinco (Toronto), David Villa (NYC)

 

Here is why each player has been chosen for the Fan XI.

Andre Blake is the goalkeeper selected in the Fan XI, and was the No.1 pick in the 2014 MLS SuperDraft. The first goalkeeper to ever be taken as the first pick in the draft, the Union man has gone on to play for his national side, Jamaica, with whom he competed in the Copa America Centenario.

Matt Besler is another man that has just returned from the Centenario after a successful tournament with the USMNT. The Sporting KC man is one of the best defenders in the league, having been an MLS All-Star four times in his five seasons, and he missed just 50 minutes of the 2015 season, as SKC went on to lift the US Open Cup.

Last year’s MLS Defender of the Year, Laurent Ciman, made an instant Impact in Montreal after signing in January 2015. The Montreal defender is a Belgian international, and was part of the side who went to France for EURO2016, and he has played every minute of Montreal’s season in the games he has been available for.

Keegan Rosenberry is arguably the surprise name on the fan’s list, but the 3rd pick in the 2016 MLS SuperDraft has been an ever-present for the Union this season, playing every minute of their MLS campaign. The rookie is being touted as one for the future, who will have a long career in the game.

The first of the midfield four is Brazilian playmaker, Kaka. Since Orlando City SC came into the league as one of the two expansion sides in 2015, he has been their main man, and the fans favourite on the South East coast of the US.A recall to the national side came from his MLS form, which saw 9 goals in 28 games last season.

Darlington Nagbe was part of the Portland Timbers side that tasted glory in 2015, winning the MLS Cup. Born in Liberia, he moved to the US at the age of 11, and now has citizenship, allowing Jurgen Klinsmann to pick him for the Copa Centenario side this year. He has played over 30 times in the league in the last four seasons for Portland.

What needs to be said about Andrea Pirlo? A World Cup winner in 2006, and two Champions League medals (2003, 2007), and now one of NYC’s main trio. After winning five Serie A’s in a row from 2011-2015, Pirlo joined the Bronx side and already has 11 assists in just 30 MLS games. He is part of the NYC team that are top of the Eastern Conference.

Giovani dos Santos had a varied career in Europe before joining LA Galaxy, including spells at Barcelona, Tottenham Hotspur and Valencia. Since moving to the MLS, though, he has been one of the stars, with 10 goals and 10 assists in just 24 games. Three Gold Cup triumphs for Mexico in the last four tournaments (2009, 2011, 2015) are also on his resume.

Didier Drogba is one of the biggest names in the MLS, after a fantastic eight year spell at Chelsea, which saw him win the Premier League title four times (2005, 2006, 2010, 2015) and a Champions League trophy in 2012. After joining the Impact last season, he scored 11 goals in 11 games, showing his talent once again.

Last year’s MVP was Italian Sebastian Giovinco. He spearheaded Toronto’s push to reach the playoffs for the first time, along with the personal accomplishments of Golden Boot, Newcomer of the Year and the MVP award. Overall, he now has 30 goals and 23 assists in just 50 games since moving to the USA.

The man to receive the “More Than a Vote” place is David Villa. The Spaniard has 12 goals in the MLS in 2016, and he is the current top goalscorer in the league. He is a fans favourite in New York, having signed for NYC before they joined the league in 2015. Now captain, and with Lampard and Pirlo behind him, Villa is on for a record season in the US.