All-Star fever has hit Kansas City.
With seven Kansas City Royals currently in line to start the MLB All-Star Game, sports fans in this town are determined to get their players recognized for their on-field achievements. And the story is the same in Major League Soccer as the League headquarters revealed the updated results of MLS All-Star voting.
A few Sporting KC candidates are climbing the ranks of their respective positions with captain Matt Besler taking the No. 1 spot among defenders with 6.28% of the votes. Besler has started 13 games for Sporting KC in 2015 and has solidified a defense that has started eight different players along the backline this year. Jalil Anibaba, who has contributed one goal and four assists in 12 games from his right back position, is currently seventh among all defenders.
Tim Melia has a firm grip on Sporting KC's No. 1 goalkeeping position and has impressed with a 4-0-2 record and four shutouts. The 29-year-old goalkeeper is currently fifth among goalkeepers with 6.14% of the votes.
In the midfield position, the top four vote-getters earn a spot on the Fan XI. Sporting KC players currently occupy the third and four positions with Graham Zusi and Benny Feilhaber in those spots, respectively. The two Sporting KC World Cup veterans are only behind former World Player of the Year Kaka and U.S. MNT star Michael Bradley.
Sporting KC's multi-talented striker tandem of Krisztian Nemeth and Dom Dwyer have also climbed the ranks of All-Star votes as both are now among the top eight vote-getters at the forward position. U.S. MNT captain Clint Dempsey and red-hot Toronto striker Sebastian Giovinco currently hold the top two starting positions followed by Seattle Sounders FC striker Obafemi Martins, former Sporting KC winger Kei Kamara and World Cup champion David Villa. Forwards can also receive votes through goals scored in EA SPORTS FIFA 15 so all fans are encouraged to score goals with Nemeth and Dwyer!
The online ballot and social media voting is active until July 3rd at 2 p.m. CT. An eligible vote via Twitter, Facebook or Instagram consists of the player's full name or social media handle as well as the hashtag #MLSAllStar.
