Matt Besler, Aurelien Collin and Graham Zusi were named to the 2014 MLS All-Star gameday roster on Saturday and will represent Sporting KC when the MLS All-Stars take on Bayern Munich on Aug. 6.
CLUB HISTORY: All-Time All-Stars
An Overland Park native, Besler became the first player from the state of Kansas to play in a FIFA World Cup when he started all four matches for the United States in Brazil this summer. The 27-year-old centerback debuted for the U.S. in January 2013 and has 21 career international appearances, including all three knockout round games en route to the 2013 CONCACAF Gold Cup title.
Besler has twice collected MLS Best XI (2012, 2013) honors and is a three-time MLS All-Star (2011, 2013, 2014). He was awarded MLS Defender of the Year in 2012 before being named a finalist again in 2013 and collected Sporting Kansas City's Defensive Player of the Year each of the past three seasons. In April, Besler was recognized as the Kansas City Sports Commission Sportsman of the Year in April.
He was named captain of the reigning MLS Cup champions prior to the 2014 season and signed a Designated Player contract on Saturday. Besler has made 147 MLS appearances (including postseason) with two goals and seven assists since being drafted by Kansas City in the first round of the 2009 MLS SuperDraft out of Notre Dame.
"As always, I'm looking forward to representing my Sporting Kansas City teammates and showcasing MLS," Besler said. "I'm excited to travel to Portland and play against Bayern Munich."
Collin earns MLS All-Star honors for a third consecutive season after signing with Sporting KC in April 2011. The 28-year-old centerback was a member of the MLS Best XI each of the last two seasons and was a Defender of the Year finalist in 2012.
Since the start of the 2011 season, Collin ranks in the top five amongst MLS players for clearances (829, No. 3), headed clearances (579, No. 2), interceptions (350, No. 1), duels won (737, No. 3), aerials (566, No. 1) and aerials won (379, No. 1). His 15 goals are also most among defenders in MLS competition since 2011.
Collin was named the Most Valuable Player of MLS Cup 2013 in Sporting Kansas City's triumph over Real Salt Lake. He scored the game-tying goal in regulation and converted the decisive attempt in the penalty kick shootout.
"It's a great honor having the opportunity to play in the MLS All-Star Game for the third year in a row," Collin said. "It is a reflection of all the work that Sporting Kansas City has put into reaching our goals. I'm very happy and I look forward to showing the world that MLS continues to grow and that we can play against one of the best teams in the world."
Zusi is an MLS All-Star for a third straight year on the heels of a strong performance at the 2014 FIFA World Cup. He appeared in all four games for head coach Jurgen Klinsmann and contributed assists in back-to-back group stage games against Ghana and Portugal. The 27-year-old has earned 27 career international appearances with three goals and six assists in a U.S. Men's National Team jersey.
Taken in the second round of the 2009 MLS SuperDraft as a two-time national champion at the University of Maryland, Zusi has recorded 18 goals and 40 assists in 144 MLS matches (including postseason) over six professional seasons with Sporting KC. He was named to the MLS Best XI each of the last two years and was an MLS MVP finalist in 2012 after leading the League with a career-high 15 assists in the regular season (third most in a single-season in club history).
Zusi, who also signed a Designated Player contract on Saturday, has been voted Sporting Kansas City's Most Valuable Player each of the last two years. In 2013, he was named the team's Offensive Player of the Year, was nominated for Best MLS Player at the ESPYS and was the top rated midfielder in the MLS Castrol Index.
"With the tremendous support we get in Kansas City, the great crowds we see on the road in MLS and the number of Americans who cheered from home or travelled to Brazil for the World Cup, this is truly a great time for soccer in this country," Zusi said. "We look forward to playing in the All-Star Game and I am honored to be included with the players who were selected."
The 2014 MLS All-Star Game will be held at 8:30 p.m. CT on Aug. 6 at Providence Park in Portland, Oregon. The All-Stars, led by Timbers head coach Caleb Porter, will take on 23-time German Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich in a nationally televised match live on ESPN2 and UniMas in the U.S.
Additional MLS All-Stars, as determined by player voting, will be announced on Aug. 6 in addition to the 23-player gameday roster revealed on Saturday. A total of 32 All-Stars (four goalkeepers, eight defenders, 13 midfielders and seven forwards) will be named per the collective bargaining agreement.
As part of the 2014 MLS All-Star festivities, the Chipotle MLS Homegrown Game will debut on Aug. 4. Sporting KC goalkeeper Jon Kempin and defender Erik Palmer-Brown were chosen to the 20-player roster to join the League's top Homegrown players in a showcase against the Portland Timbers U-23s.
2014 MLS All-Star Roster
Goalkeepers: Bill Hamid (D.C. United), Nick Rimando (Real Salt Lake)
Defenders: Matt Besler (Sporting Kansas City), Aurélien Collin (Sporting Kansas City), Omar Gonzalez (LA Galaxy), Chad Marshall (Seattle Sounders FC), Michael Parkhurst (Columbus Crew), DeAndre Yedlin (Seattle Sounders FC)
Midfielders: Osvaldo Alonso (Seattle Sounders FC), Kyle Beckerman (Real Salt Lake), Michael Bradley (Toronto FC), Tim Cahill (New York Red Bulls), Clint Dempsey (Seattle Sounders FC), Will Johnson (Portland Timbers), Diego Valeri (Portland Timbers), Graham Zusi (Sporting Kansas City)
Forwards: Jermain Defoe (Toronto FC), Landon Donovan (LA Galaxy), Thierry Henry (New York Red Bulls), Robbie Keane (LA Galaxy), Obafemi Martins (Seattle Sounders FC), Erick Torres (Chivas USA), Bradley Wright-Phillips (New York Red Bulls)
