Seattle Sounders FC forward Clint Dempsey has been named to the 2016 AT&T MLS All-Star gameday roster, as announced by MLS today. Today’s announcement marks the third consecutive mid-season honor for Dempsey and his sixth overall MLS All-Star selection, with the U.S. Men’s National Team veteran earning MLS All-Star honors from 2004-2006 while with the New England Revolution to accompany his three selections with Sounders FC. This year’s summer showcase features a collection of world-renowned talent, domestic stars and young up-and-comers against English Premier League side Arsenal on Thursday, July 28 at Avaya Stadium in San Jose, California (4:30 p.m. PT / ESPN, UniMás, UDN, TSN and RDS).
The 33-year-old Designated Player has four goals on the season across all competitions for the Rave Green, ncluding a converted penalty-kick in Seattle’s 5-0 win over conference-leading FC Dallas on July 13 at CenturyLink Field. The only player in MLS to record at least 10 goals and 10 assists in each of the past two seasons, Dempsey has scored 25 goals and added 21 assists in 68 league matches since joining Sounders FC in 2013. In June’s Copa America Centenario, Dempsey became the second American to score 50 career goals for the U.S. Men’s National Team. The Texas native led the Stars and Stripes with three goals as the host country finished in fourth place in the tournament.
The final 26-man MLS All-Star roster is comprised of 24 players chosen by All-Star coach Dominic Kinnear, taking into consideration the All-Star Fan XI and player voting, and the two Commissioner’s Picks. The Gameday Roster includes representation from 19 MLS clubs and is a mix of 16 All-Star newcomers and 10 All-Star veterans.
2016 MLS All-Star Game Roster by Position
Goalkeepers: David Bingham (San Jose Earthquakes), Andre Blake (Philadelphia Union)
Defenders: Matt Besler (Sporting Kansas City), Steve Birnbaum (D.C. United), Laurent Ciman (Montreal Impact), Andrew Farrell (New England Revolution), Liam Ridgewell (Portland Timbers), Keegan Rosenberry (Philadelphia Union), Brandon Vincent (Chicago Fire), Kendall Waston (Vancouver Whitecaps FC)
Midfielders: Kyle Beckerman (Real Salt Lake), Mauro Diaz (FC Dallas), Giovani dos Santos (LA Galaxy), Jermaine Jones (Colorado Rapids), Kaká (Orlando City SC), Sacha Kljestan (New York Red Bulls), Darlington Nagbe (Portland Timbers), Andrea Pirlo (New York City FC), Wil Trapp (Columbus Crew SC)
Forwards:Clint Dempsey (Seattle Sounders FC), Didier Drogba (Montreal Impact), Sebastian Giovinco (Toronto FC), Cyle Larin (Orlando City SC), Ignacio Piatti (Montreal Impact), David Villa (New York City FC), Chris Wondolowski (San Jose Earthquakes)
