Seven Reserves Added to MLS Team For the 2005 Sierra Mist MLS-Star Game
July 14, 2005 - Major League Soccer (MLS) News Release
NEW YORK (Thursday, July 14, 2005) - FC Dallas head coach Colin Clarke today announced five players as reserves for the MLS All-Star team that will face English Premier League club Fulham FC in the 2005 Sierra Mist MLS All-Star Game on July 30 in Crew Stadium (3:30 ET live on ABC Sports). Major League Soccer Commissioner Don Garber today also announced his two Commissioner's picks to complete the 18-man roster.
2005 MLS All-Star Reserves:
Goalkeeper Scott Garlick (FC Dallas)
Defender Frankie Hejduk (Columbus Crew)
Defender Chris Albright (Los Angeles Galaxy)
Midfielder Simo Valakari (FC Dallas)
Forward Pat Noonan (New England Revolution)
Commissioner's Picks:
Midfielder Christian Gomez (D.C. United)
Forward Taylor Twellman (New England Revolution)
The following are select highlights of the All-Star Reserves:
* GOALS AND MORE GOALS: The starting forward duo of teammate Eddie Johnson and Carlos Ruiz appears to be as strong as it can get, the two having scored 12 goals in 20 games. However, the reserve tandem of teammates Tayor Twellman and Pat Noonan has a slight edge on the year, combining to score 14 goals in 25 games so far in 2005.
* ALL-STAR DEBUTANTS: Simo Valakari and Christian Gomez join Johnson and Matt Reis for their first All-Star game.
* FILLING THE ROSTER: The six FC Dallas players tie their team record, having also sent six players in the 1997 All-Star game. The Revs set a team record with five players selected, this after placing at least four players in each of the previous three All-Star games.
* GARLICK IN COLUMBUS: Goalkeeper Scott Garlick was selected to his second MLS All-Star game, which also took place at Columbus Crew Stadium (2000 - Tampa Bay Mutiny).
* COACHING DECISION: Clarke earned the honor of coaching the MLS side by virtue of leading his team to the highest point total in the League through Week 14.
* COMMISSIONER'S PICKS: After the reserves were selected, Commissioner Garber chose the next two highest voted players: Twellman and Gomez. Gomez was edged out of a starting spot by Shalrie Joseph by .09 points in the weighted voting totals, and Twellman followed Noonan among the forwards with 22.61 points.
The 2005 Sierra Mist MLS All-Star Game offers four levels of ticket pricing,
ranging from $25 to $45 for individuals. Tickets can be acquired at the Crew
Stadium Box Office, at any area Ticketmaster outlet, via phone at
614-431-3600 or online at www.MLSnet.com
Complete MLS All-Star Roster:
GOALKEEPER (2): Matt Reis (New England Revolution), Scott Garlick (FC Dallas)
DEFENDERS (5): Eddie Pope (Real Salt Lake), Greg Vanney (FC Dallas), Jimmy Conrad (Kansas City Wizards), Frankie Hejduk (Columbus Crew), Chris Albright (Los Angeles Galaxy)
MIDFIELDERS (7): Landon Donovan (Los Angeles Galaxy), Clint Dempsey (New England Revolution), Ronnie O'Brien (FC Dallas), Amado Guevara (MetroStars), Shalrie Joseph (New England Revolution), Christian Gomez (D.C. United), Simo Valakari (FC Dallas)
FORWARDS (4): Carlos Ruiz (FC Dallas), Eddie Johnson (FC Dallas), Taylor Twellman (New England Revolution), Pat Noonan (New England Revolution)
2005 ALL-STAR STARTERS:
Player Pos. Ht. Wt. Birthdate Hometown MLS Club A.S. Games
Jimmy Conrad D 6-2 185 02/12/1977 Temple City, CA Kansas City 04,05
Clint Dempsey M 6-1 170 03/09/1983 Nacogdoches, TX New England 04,05
Landon Donovan M 5-8 158 03/04/1982 Redlands, CA Los Angeles 01,02,03,04,05
Amado Guevara M 5-11 165 05/02/1976 Tegucigalpa, Hon MetroStars 03,04,05
Eddie Johnson F 6-0 180 03/31/1984 Palm Coast, FL FC Dallas 05
Shalrie Joseph M 6-3 180 05/24/1978 Brooklyn, NY New England 04,05
Ronnie O'Brien M 5-10 155 01/05/1979 Bray, Ireland FC Dallas 04,05
Eddie Pope D 6-0 175 12/24/1973 High Point, NC Real Salt Lake 1997-2005
Matt Reis GK 6-1 196 03/28/1975 Mission Viejo, CA New England 05
Carlos Ruiz F 5-9 170 09/15/1979 Guatemala City, Gua FC Dallas 02,03,04,05
Greg Vanney D 5-11 169 06/11/1974 Tempe, AZ FC Dallas 00,05
2005 ALL-STAR RESERVES:
Player Pos. Ht. Wt. Birthdate Hometown MLS Club A.S. Games
Chris Albright D 6-1 185 01/14/1979 Philadelphia, PA Los Angeles 04,05
Scott Garlick GK 6-2 195 05/29/1972 Phoenix, AZ FC Dallas 00, 05
*Christian Gomez M 5-8 157 11/07/1974 Ramos Mejia, Arg. D.C. United 05
Frankie Hejduk D 5-8 155 08/05/1974 Cardiff, CA Columbus 98,03,04,05
Pat Noonan F 6-0 170 08/02/1980 Ballwin, MO New England 04,05
*Taylor Twellman F 5-11 179 02/29/1980 St. Louis, MO New England 02,03,05
Simo Valakari M 5-10 160 04/28/1973 Helsinki, Finland FC Dallas 05
Additional notes on the 18-player MLS All-Star roster:
* U.S. NATIONAL TEAM PRESENCE: The MLS All-Stars will feature many U.S. national team players. In fact, eight MLS All-Stars (Conrad, Dempsey, Donovan, Pope, Reis, Vanney, Hejduk and Noonan) are currently with Bruce Arena's squad at the CONCACAF Gold Cup. Three others (Johnson, Albright and Twellman) are regular members of the U.S. national team mix. Goalkeeper Garlick is the only American who has not been a member of the U.S. team in 2005.
* INTERNATIONAL MIX: In addition to the Americans on the MLS All-Stars roster, international stars hailing from six countries - Honduras, Grenada, Ireland, Guatemala, Argentina and Finland - complete the 18-player MLS All-Star squad.
* WHO'S MISSING?: Teams not represented on the 18-player MLS All-Star roster include Chicago, San Jose, Colorado and Chivas USA. Should any member of the 18-player roster not be able to play due to injury, Clarke will have plenty of options to select from, including a Fire roster that has generated an MLS-high 35 points thus far while leading the Western Conference.
2005 ALL-STAR RESERVES:
Chris Albright (Defender - Los Angeles Galaxy)
Having switched from forward to fullback at the beginning of the 2004 season, Albright has continued to impress at his new position, making his second consecutive All-Star game appearance as a defender. Albright brings a different element to defending, keeping opposing teams at bay with his forward attacks and dangerous crosses from the flank.
Scott Garlick (Goalkeeper - FC Dallas)
After some tight competition in the Dallas nets during the preseason, Garlick won out the starting job and has made head coach Colin Clarke's decision look great with the numbers he's posted: Tied for the League lead with 10 wins, a 1.0 goals against average (2nd), and six shutouts (2nd).
Christian Gomez (Midfielder - D.C. United)
The Argentine midfielder helped solidify the United offense in 2004, and was instrumental in D.C.'s MLS Cup run. In 2005, Gomez is tied for third in the League with six goals and has added two assists. Though impressive, his numbers don't tell the entire truth of his contributions on the field, as opposing teams have to carefully watch him at all times as his vision has led to many United goals. This is Gomez's first All-Star appearance.
Frankie Hejduk (Defender - Columbus Crew)
Hejduk makes his third consecutive All-Star game (4th overall) as a defender since returning to MLS after a stint in Europe. Known as a player who appears to never tire, Hejduk has already scored twice this season, only one off his career high (1998). A regular on the U.S. National Team and two-time World Cup veteran, Hejduk is currently with the U.S. team participating in the CONCACAF Gold Cup.
Pat Noonan (Forward - New England Revolution)
Noonan returns for his second consecutive All-Star game, leading the League with eight goals scored in only 13 games played. Having scored in double digits in each of his first two seasons, the third-year player has been a consistent call-up for the U.S. national team and is currently on the CONCACAF Gold Cup roster.
Taylor Twellman (Forward - New England Revolution)
After scoring 23 and 15 goals in each of his first two seasons in MLS, Twellman was injured for a good part of 2004 but still managed to scored nine goals. His scoring touch has not left him as he's scored six times in 12 games so far this season, combining with teammates Clint Dempsey and Pat Noonan to form one of the most potent attacks in the League. This is Twellman's third selection to the All-Star team.
Simo Valakari (Midfielder -FC Dallas)
On a team filled with offense, it would be easy to overlook his defensive midfielder role. His teammates however, realize his value as they seem to always have the ball, mainly due to his recovery skills. The Finn does all the dirty work, winning balls in midfield and distributing timely passes to keep the Dallas attack always in motion. This is Valakari's first All-Star appearance.
Major League Soccer Stories from July 14, 2005
- Galaxy to host Chivas USA in U.S. Open Cup match - LA Galaxy
- Large Crowd Expected as Saturday's "Break the Record Night" Nears - Sporting Kansas City
- ZNS 1280 AM The Zone to cover Real Madrid-Los Angeles Galaxy friendly - Real Salt Lake
- Crew's Frankie Hejduk Named Sierra Mist MLS All-Star Game Reserve - Columbus Crew SC
- Wizards Begin Defense of U.S. Open Cup Title August 3rd Against Des Moines Menace - Sporting Kansas City
- Christian Gomez named to MLS All-Star Team roster - D.C. United
- Seven Reserves Added to MLS Team For the 2005 Sierra Mist MLS-Star Game - MLS
- Five Revolution Players Named to MLS All-Star Team - New England Revolution
- Galaxy vs. Real Madrid match a sell out - LA Galaxy
- Two FC Dallas Players Added to All-Star Game Roster - FC Dallas
- WSYX (ABC-6) To Host Live Sierra Mist MLS All-Star Pre-Game Show On Saturday, July 30 - Columbus Crew SC
- Rapids to Kick Off 2005 U.S. Open Cup Action Against Minnesota Thunder - Colorado Rapids
- Chivas USA advances with late goal - Club Deportivo Chivas USA
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