MLS All-Star Game 2011: Revolution, Timbers, Union All Have One Rep
Brek Shea is Dallas' lone All-Star representative as FCD will be traveling to El Salvador on Tuesday to face off against Alianza in their first leg CONCACAF Champions League qualifier. Shea has been a revelation for Dallas this season with nine goals in 21 games, all the more impressive considering he spent the first four games of the season at central defense. The Texas native has an MLS-leading 5 game winning goals and has been carrying the FCD offense without David Ferreira.
Shalrie Joseph will be the lone representative from the New England Revolution in this exhibition, without much surprise, and will bring along with him not only many years of experience in MLS, but also 3 years of experience in the MLS All-Star game itself as well as playing experience against Manchester United from the very beginning of their 2011 US summer tour. Careful play construction and smart choices will be his strengths in this match and hopefully the Rev skipper will get his hands in some action in the attacking third, too.
Jewsbury is a great midfielder. He’s solid, he’s been consistent, and he’s a great set piece/corner kick taker. I haven’t seen every team play this year, but I’d be surprised if he wasn’t in the top 5 for set piece distribution accuracy. He hasn’t been perfect for the Timbers, but I’d say were the team to not have him in the squad right now the season would have gone far worse. For this reason, his inclusion into the All Star squad is no surprise and I applaud him for that. But, despite all this, we can’t expect him to perform in the same way as he does with the Timbers, it’s not going to happen.
Philadelphia Union
Faryd Mondragon made the 2011 MLS All Star team not because of spectacular saves or being the league's best goalkeeper. Rather it is the former Colombian international's ability to organize the defenders in front of him that has placed him among the top MLS goalkeepers. The Philadelphia Union have conceded only 16 goals this year, a drastic change from last season's porous defense and Mondragon, along with his compatriot Carlos Valdes, has been the root of that facelift. At 40-years-old, Mondragon isn't the most nimble of players, but a goalkeeper with his positioning and organizational skills doesn't need to be.
