Jesús Ferreira, Walker Zimmerman, Valentín “Taty” Castellanos, and Carles Gil among the 26 players selected for the 2022 MLS All-Star Game Presented by Target
Commissioner Don Garber's selections include NYCFC's Sean Johnson & CF Montréal’s Kamal Miller
NEW YORK (Tuesday, July 12, 2022) – Anticipated standouts at the 2022 FIFA World Cup Jesús Ferreira (FC Dallas), Walker Zimmerman (Nashville SC), and Kamal Miller (CF Montréal), reigning MLS award winners Valentín “Taty” Castellanos (NYCFC) and Carles Gil (New England Revolution), and first-time All-Star honorees Hany Mukhtar (Nashville SC), Sean Johnson (NYCFC), and Sebastián Driussi (Austin FC) were among the 26 players honored today as Major League Soccer unveiled the complete roster for the 2022 MLS All-Star Game presented by Target.
For the second consecutive season, the MLS All-Stars will take on the best of LIGA MX on August 10 at 8:30 p.m. ET at Allianz Filed in Minnesota and will be broadcast live on ESPN and Univision in the U.S., TSN and TVA Sports in Canada, on ESPN throughout Mexico and Latin America, and in more than 190 countries around the world. Tickets are available at MLSsoccer.com/All-Star or by clicking here.
The reigning MLS Cup champion NYCFC and current Supporters’ Shield leader LAFC each have a league-best three players on the 2022 All-Star roster. For NYCFC, Johnson, who was selected to the roster by Commissioner Don Garber, and Castellanos are joined by first-time All-Star Alexander Callens, while LAFC’s trio of honorees includes perennial All-Star Carlos Vela, six-year MLS veteran Ilie Sánchez, and 22-year-old Ecuadorian international Diego Palacios.
The roster was selected through a combination of fan, player, and media voting (12 players), designations by All-Star head coach Adrian Heath of host club Minnesota United FC (12 players), and a pair of selections by MLS Commissioner Don Garber.
The Commissioner’s Picks for the 2022 MLS All-Star Game presented by Target are New York City FC goalkeeper Sean Johnson and CF Montréal standout defender Kamal Miller – both of whom are expected to help lead their respective nations of the United States and Canada at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar. The 2021 MLS Cup MVP, Johnson is currently tied for the Major League Soccer lead with eight clean sheets, including six consecutive shutouts from May 1 through May 28. Miller, a first-time All-Star selection, has played a leading role in CF Montréal’s success this season, starting 15 games and playing over 1,300 minutes on the club’s defensive line.
Sixteen clubs are represented on this year’s All-Star Game roster: Austin FC, FC Cincinnati, Columbus Crew, D.C. United, FC Dallas, Inter Miami CF, LA Galaxy, LAFC, Minnesota United FC, CF Montréal, Nashville SC, New England Revolution, New York Red Bulls, NYCFC, Philadelphia Union, and Seattle Sounders FC. The players have ties to 10 different countries: Argentina (four players), Canada (two), Ecuador (one), Germany (two), Greece (one), Jamaica (one), Mexico (three), Peru (two), Spain (two), and the United States (eight). Additionally, 13 of the 26 players will be making their MLS All-Star Game presented by Target debut.
Last Name |
First Name |
Club |
Position |
---|---|---|---|
Acosta |
Luciano |
FC Cincinnati |
AM |
Araujo |
Julián |
LA Galaxy |
RB |
Arriola |
Paul |
FC Dallas |
FW |
Blake |
Andre |
Philadelphia Union |
GK |
Callens |
Alexander |
New York City FC |
CB |
Castellanos |
Valentín |
New York City FC |
FW |
Driussi |
Sebastián |
Austin FC |
AM |
Ferreira |
Jesús |
FC Dallas |
FW |
Fountas |
Taxiarchis |
D.C. United |
FW |
Gil |
Carles |
New England Revolution |
AM |
Hernández |
Javier |
LA Galaxy |
FW |
Johnson |
Sean |
New York City FC |
GK |
Long |
Aaron |
New York Red Bulls |
CB |
Miller |
Kamal |
CF Montréal |
DEF |
Morris |
Jordan |
Seattle Sounders FC |
FW |
Mukhtar |
Hany |
Nashville SC |
AM |
Nagbe |
Darlington |
Columbus Crew |
DM |
Palacios |
Diego |
LAFC |
LB |
Reynoso |
Emanuel |
Minnesota United FC |
AM |
Ruidíaz |
Raúl |
Seattle Sounders FC |
FW |
Sánchez |
Ilie |
LAFC |
DM |
St. Clair |
Dayne |
Minnesota United FC |
GK |
Vela |
Carlos |
LAFC |
FW |
Wagner |
Kai |
Philadelphia Union |
LB |
Yedlin |
DeAndre |
Inter Miami CF |
RB |
Zimmerman |
Walker |
Nashville SC |
CB |
Get to Know the 2022 MLS All-Star Team
Goalkeepers (3)
Andre Blake | Goalkeeper | Philadelphia Union | Nationality: Jamaica | Born: November 21, 1990 | 4th Selection | Voted In
A two-time MLS Goalkeeper of the Year (2016 and 2020), Andre Blake has been selected to his fourth MLS All-Star game (2016, 2019 and 2021). The Jamaican international leads MLS with a 0.68 goals against average and has only allowed 13 goals in 19 games this season. A former No. 1 overall MLS SuperDraft selection in 2014, Blake is one of five goalkeepers in league history to win multiple Goalkeeper of the Year awards. He previously started in net during the 2016 MLS All-Star Game against Arsenal FC.
Sean Johnson | Goalkeeper | New York City FC | Nationality: United States | Born: May 31, 1989 | 1st Selection | Commissioner Garber Selection
One of two Commissioner’s selections, the reigning MLS Cup MVP has earned the first MLS All-Star selection of his 13-year MLS career this season. Johnson is currently tied with Andre Blake in clean sheets with eight and was a crucial part of New York City FC’s six-game run without conceding a goal through the month of May. Johnson also recently put in an outstanding individual performance for the U.S. Men’s National Team against Uruguay, helping preserve a clean sheet for his country as he continues to cement his place in their roster for this year’s World Cup in November.
Dayne St. Clair | Goalkeeper | Minnesota United FC | Nationality: Canada | Born: May 9, 1997 | 1st Selection | Adrian Heath Selection
A first-time All-Star selection, Dayne St. Clair was thrust into starting duty for Minnesota United FC in Week 3 and made eight saves, including one on a penalty kick, while keeping a clean sheet en route to MLS Player of the Week presented by Continental Tire honors for his play. From there, he has not looked back, starting 17 games and allowing just 22 goals this season. St. Clair (63 saves) is one of only five goalkeepers in MLS with at least 60 saves this season. As he continues to cement his position with the Loons, he is also looking to play his way into a prime position on the Canada Men’s National Team roster for the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.
Defenders (8)
Julián Araujo | Right Back | LA Galaxy | Nationality: Mexico | Born: August 13, 2001 | 2nd Selection | Voted In
Araujo has been selected to consecutive All-Star games after being named a coach’s selection in 2021. The 21-year-old right back has started 16 games for the LA Galaxy this season and is second on the team in both key passes (21) and interceptions (27). His 21 key passes are the sixth-most by a defender in MLS this season. Since signing from the club’s academy in 2019, Araujo has played in 84 games with 75 starts. After switching nationalities to Mexico in 2021, Araujo has appeared three times for his country, most recently during a 3-0 Concacaf Nations League win over Suriname in June 2022.
Alexander Callens | Center Back | New York City FC | Nationality: Peru | Born: May 4, 1992 | 1st Selection | Voted In
Callens has been selected to his first All-Star team since arriving to New York City FC in 2017. The Peruvian National Team center back has thrived in his sixth MLS season, starting 18 games and scoring three goals with two of those game-winning scores. Callens played in all 607 minutes of NYCFC’s historic shutout run, which spanned over six games and was the third-longest shutout streak in MLS history. The club has allowed just 21 goals this season and currently sit third in the Eastern Conference with a 9-4-5 record. Callens was sensational in defense for New York during their 2021 MLS Cup run as he started every game and scored in the first round against Atlanta United FC. Callens also scored the winning penalty kick shootout goals against the New England Revolution in the Eastern Conference Semifinals and in the 2021 MLS Cup against the Portland Timbers.
Aaron Long | Center Back | New York Red Bulls | Nationality: United States | Born: October 12, 1992 | 2nd Selection | Adrian Heath Selection
Long is a second-time MLS All-Star having previously been included on the 2018 MLS All-Star team after guiding the New York Red Bulls to a record-setting Supporters’ Shield title. The U.S. Men’s National Team center back returned to action for both club and country in 2022 after missing most of the 2021 regular season with an Achilles injury. Long started all four of the United States’ games during the June international window ahead of the 2022 World Cup and has scored three goals in 17 games for the Red Bulls this season as the club looks to rally towards another potential Supporters’ Shield-winning campaign this season.
Kamal Miller | Defender | CF Montréal | Nationality: Canada | Born: May 16, 1997 | 1st Selection | Commissioner Garber Selection
As a pivotal defensive piece on a strong CF Montréal side, Miller has earned his first-ever call up to the MLS All-Star team in 2022. The Canadian international defender has been integral to his club’s consistent presence among the top four teams in the Eastern Conference this season, chipping in with a goal and three assists going forward in 2022 on top of his defensive solidity in the back line. Miller was also an integral part of a Canada side that finished top of Concacaf World Cup Qualifiers with the best defensive record of any team, starting in wins over Mexico, the United States, and Costa Rica, who all qualified for the World Cup.
Diego Palacios | Left Back | Los Angeles Football Club | Nationality: Ecuador | Born: July 12, 1999 | 1st Selection | Adrian Heath Selection
In his fourth MLS season with LAFC, Palacios has been selected to his first career MLS All-Star team. The left back has recorded the most minutes (1,327), interceptions (27), and key passes (16) among LAFC defenders this season. He also scored his first MLS goal on June 26 versus the New York Red Bulls. Palacios has been crucial for a team that has the best goal differential (plus-17) and currently leads the MLS Supporters’ Shield race with an 12-4-3 record. The 22-year-old has made 11 appearances for the Ecuadorian National Team since debuting in October 2018.
Kai Wagner | Left Back | Philadelphia Union | Nationality: Germany | Born: February 15, 1997 | 2nd Selection | Voted In
Wagner is the first outfield player in Philadelphia history to be selected to consecutive All-Star games after earning the honor in 2021. The German leads the Union and ranks second among MLS defenders with 39 key passes in 2022, which are 16 more than his next-closest teammate. Wagner has been a key piece to a Philadelphia defense that has allowed a league-best 13 goals this season, including eight clean sheets. Since joining the Union in 2019, Wagner has played in 96 games (94 starts), producing four goals and 25 assists.
DeAndre Yedlin | Defender | Inter Miami CF | Nationality: United States | Born: July 9, 1993 | 3rd Selection | Adrian Heath Selection
This is Yedlin’s third selection to the MLS All-Star Team having previously been part of the squad in both 2013 and 2014. The U.S. Men’s National Team and Miami defender returned to MLS prior to the start of this season after a seven-year playing stint across Europe, giving his new club an established defender and prolific contributor in attack with international and MLS experience. Yedlin has registered two assists on the season and is one of three Miami players to start at least 17 of their 18 regular season games so far in 2022.
Walker Zimmerman | Center Back | Nashville SC | Nationality: United States | Born: May 19, 1993 | 3rd Selection | Voted In
Zimmerman has been named to his third-straight All-Star game after appearing in 17 games, scoring one goal and assisting one for Nashville this season. In 2021, the center back became the only player in league history to win MLS Defender of the Year honors in consecutive seasons (2020-21). Zimmerman was an integral piece in the club establishing a 22-game home unbeaten run, which extended April 17, 2021 until June 19, 2022. He has also been a staple of the U.S. Men’s National Team defense with 31 total appearances and 18 of those coming since the start of 2021. Zimmerman started nine of the 14 Concacaf World Cup Qualification matches, which was the most by a U.S. center back.
Midfielders (7)
Luciano Acosta | Attacking Midfielder | FC Cincinnati | Nationality: Argentina | Born: May 31, 1994 | 1st Selection | Adrian Heath Selection
In his sixth MLS season, Acosta has earned his first MLS All-Star selection and the first in FC Cincinnati history. The dynamic midfielder leads MLS with 16 goal contributions and is tied for the league lead with 10 assists this year. Acosta won Player of the Month honors for June after posting four goal contributions in just 137 minutes. The Argentine has helped propel Cincinnati to a 7-7-5 record in 2022, which is the most points (26) and wins (seven) in club history. In Cincinnati’s seven wins, Acosta has produced a goal or an assist in all of those matches. A 2018 MLS Best XI selection, Acosta has 37 goals and 55 assists in his MLS career.
Sebastián Driussi | Attacking Midfielder | Austin FC | Nationality: Argentina | Born: February 9, 1996 | 1st Selection | Voted In
The first MLS All-Star selection in Austin FC history, Sebastián Driussi earned his place on the All-Star squad following a stellar first half of the season in which he recorded 11 goals – good for the second-most in MLS – and four assists. Driussi’s 15 goal contributions this season trail only fellow All-Star Luciano Acosta’s 16, and he has been the drumbeat of an Austin FC attack that is tied for the MLS lead with 38 goals scored in 19 games this season. Since arriving in MLS on August 7, 2021, Driussi has recorded 16 goals and nine assists in 36 career appearances for the Verde and Black.
Carles Gil | Attacking Midfielder | New England Revolution | Nationality: Spain | Born: November 22, 1992 | 2nd Selection | Voted In
The league’s leading assister, Carles Gil, the reigning Landon Donovan MLS MVP, is one of the league’s most dynamic creators and creative passers. In 19 matches this season, Gil (four goals) has matched his goal total from his MVP campaign, leads Major League Soccer with 60 key passes, and is tied for the league lead with 10 assists. His 28 assists since the start of the 2021 season, eight more than the next closest player, and his 177 key passes over the span are 41 more than the next player. This is the second All-Star selection of his decorated MLS career.
Hany Mukhtar | Attacking Midfielder | Nashville SC | Nationality: Germany | Born: October 3, 1998 | 1st Selection | Adrian Heath Selection
Hany Mukhtar, a first-time All-Star selection, has been one of the most complete attacking players in MLS over the past two seasons, accumulating 26 goals and 17 assists in 50 matches for Nashville SC over the span. Since the start of the 2021 season, Mukhtar is the only player in MLS to have more than 40 combined goals and assists and he is also the only player with at least 20 goals and 15 assists over the span. A 2021 MLS Best XI selection, Mukhtar is the leading scorer in the short history of Nashville SC with 30 career goals.
Darlington Nagbe | Defensive Midfielder | Columbus Crew | Nationality: United States | Born: July 19, 1990 | 2nd Selection | Adrian Heath Selection
The three-time MLS Cup winner makes his second appearance in an MLS All-Star Team roster and first since the 2016 MLS All-Star Game against Arsenal FC of the English Premier League. Nagbe has continued to be one of the most impressive midfielders across MLS this season, scoring three goals and providing veteran leadership to a young Crew offense. He also holds the second highest pass completion percentage (92.3 percent) of any MLS player to have played at least 1,000 minutes this season.
Emanuel Reynoso | Attacking Midfielder | Minnesota United FC | Nationality: Argentina | Born: November 16, 1995 | 2nd Selection | Adrian Heath Selection
Building off the success of his 2021 season, Reynoso leads Minnesota United in both goals (seven) and assists (five) en route to his second MLS All-Star selection and the first in front of his home fans. Reynoso has played a pivotal role in Minnesota’s offense, scoring four goals and providing two assists during the team’s current three-game winning streak. The Argentine is one of only three players in MLS this season with at least seven goals and five assists, joining fellow All-Star Hany Mukhtar (ten goals, five assists) and Philadelphia’s Dániel Gazdag (seven, five). The Loons are 5-2-0 in matches in which Reynoso has either a goal or an assist in MLS play this season.
Ilie Sánchez | Defensive Midfielder | Los Angeles Football Club | Nationality: Spain | Born: November 21, 1990 | 2nd Selection | Voted In
Sánchez has been selected to his second MLS All-Star Game after receiving the honor in 2018 when he was with Sporting Kansas City. The versatile Spanish midfielder has been the engine for Supporters’ Shield leader LAFC. He has totaled the most minutes played (1,587), completed passes (797), and interceptions (31) among all LAFC outfield players. As the player running the midfield, Sánchez has been irreplaceable for a team that has the best goal differential (plus-17) and the best record (12-4-3) in the league. In six MLS seasons, he has appeared in 163 games, totaling eight goals and 12 assists.
Forwards/Wingers (8)
Paul Arriola | Winger | FC Dallas | Nationality: United States | Born: February 5, 1995 | 1st Selection | Voted In
After being acquired by FC Dallas in a blockbuster trade during the offseason, Paul Arriola has immediately made an impact on the FC Dallas front line, teaming with Jesús Ferreira to lead one of the most potent offenses in Major League Soccer. In 18 matches this season, Arriola has set his career high in goals scored (eight), including a stretch of five consecutive matches with at least one goal scored from May 7 through May 28. Arriola and Ferreira have scored in the same match three times this season and have collectively carried that success into their time with United States Men’s National Team.
Valentín “Taty” Castellanos | Forward | New York City FC | Nationality: Argentina | Born: October 3, 1998 | 1st Selection | Voted In
Castellanos, the reigning MLS Golden Boot presented by Audi winner and MLS Cup champion, is selected to his first MLS All-Star roster after picking up right where he left off following the 2021 season. Castellanos leads Major League Soccer with 12 goals in 15 matches this season, including five goals in NYCFC’s last three matches, and has been a dynamic force since joining the club in 2018, accruing 49 goals and 19 assists in 107 career MLS matches. His 31 goals since the start of the 2021 MLS season are five more than the next closest player (Nashville SC’s Hany Mukhtar, 26).
Jesús Ferreira | Winger | FC Dallas | Nationality: United States | Born: December 24, 2000 | 1st Selection | Voted In
The first Homegrown Designated Player in FC Dallas history, Jesús Ferreira earns his first MLS All-Star bid in the 21-year-old’s breakout campaign. Appearing in all of the club’s matches this season, Ferreira sits one goal off the MLS Golden Boot presented by Audi leaderboard with a career-high 11 goals and has added four assists, while pacing an explosive FC Dallas offense in 2022. Ferreira scored five goals over a three-week span in Weeks 4-6, including his first career MLS hat trick on March 19 vs. Portland. Ferreira continues to play his way into a major role for the United States Men’s National Team with seven goals and four assists in 12 first-team appearances and he became the fifth player in USMNT history to score four goals in a match, doing so against Grenada on June 10, 2022.
Taxiarchis “Taxi” Fountas | Forward | D.C. United | Nationality: Greece | Born: September 4, 1995 | 1st Selection | Adrian Heath Selection
Arriving in the District of Columbia in mid-April, Fountas has been a revelation for the D.C. United attack, scoring in five of his nine starts and totaling nine goals and three assists in 11 matches for the club. Fountas has three multi-goal games this season and is one of only five players to reach that mark this season. With his first-career MLS hat trick against Orlando City SC on July 4, he became just the fourth player in league annals to record 12 combined goals and assists in his first 10 MLS games, joining Adama Diomande, Kaku & Eduardo Hurtado, while earning MLS Player of the Week presented by Continental Tire for the first time in his career.
Javier “Chicharito” Hernández | Forward | LA Galaxy | Nationally: Mexico | Born: June 1, 1988 | 2nd Selection | Adrian Heath Selection
In his third season with the LA Galaxy, Hernández has earned his second selection to the MLS All-Star team as one of several world class forwards in this group. Hernández is five goals short of the top of the MLS Golden Boot presented by Audi standings with seven goals scored in 18 games played this season. Hernández has also been a hero for the Galaxy in their most recent meetings with local rivals Los Angeles FC, scoring in two of the three meetings against them in the regular season and their U.S. Open Cup meeting back in May. No player in MLS has scored more goals in the opening 15 minutes of matches since the start of last season than Chicharito with seven goals.
Jordan Morris | Forward | Seattle Sounders FC | Nationality: United States | Born: October 26, 1994 | 1st Selection | Adrian Heath Selection
The Sounders’ standout earns his first-ever MLS All-Star call up off the back of helping his club become the first MLS team to win the Concacaf Champions League. Morris scored in the Round of 16, quarterfinals, and semifinals of the CCL before starting both legs of the final against Pumas and earning Concacaf Champions League Best XI honors for his outstanding tournament contributions. Morris is also finding his groove in league play, scoring five goals and providing three assists in just 1,070 minutes played this season. On June 29, Morris scored his 40th career goal for the Sounders, tied for the fourth-most regular season goals in club history.
Raúl Ruidíaz | Forward | Seattle Sounders FC | Nationality: Peru | Born: July 25, 1990 | 2nd Selection | Voted In
A 2021 All-Star selection, Ruidíaz will make consecutive appearances in the game after starting in last year’s match against the LIGA MX All-Stars. The Peruvian has been in strong form after returning from an injury earlier in the season, scoring five goals in his last six matches for the Sounders. Ruidíaz was crucial for Seattle in their Concacaf Champions League victory over Pumas as he scored two decisive goals in the second leg at Lumen Field. Since entering the league in 2018, his 55 goals are tied for the third-most in MLS.
Carlos Vela | Forward | Los Angeles Football Club | Nationality: Mexico | Born: March 1, 1989 | 4th Selection | Adrian Heath Selection
Vela has been selected to his fourth MLS All-Star Game after previously being named in 2018, 2019 and 2021. The Mexican International has totaled six goals and eight assists in 17 appearances for LAFC this season and recently reached 100 career goal contributions, becoming the third-fastest player in MLS history to reach this feat (98 games). Vela has captained an LAFC team that has the best goal differential (plus-17) in MLS and currently leads the Supporters’ Shield race with an 12-4-3 record. In 2019, he was named Landon Donovan MLS MVP, earned MLS Golden Boot presented by Audi honors, and helped the club win the Supporters’ Shield. Vela has two MLS All-Star Game appearances, captaining the side against 2017-18 Serie A champions Juventus and Atletico Madrid in 2019. He was selected, but withdrew from the 2021 All-Star Game due to injury.