NEW YORK (July 2, 2024) – New England Revolution II defender Damario McIntosh has been selected to represent New England at the 2024 MLS NEXT All-Star Game presented by Allstate. The third-annual showcase of North America's top young players will feature an East vs. West matchup at Historic Crew Stadium in Columbus, Ohio on Tuesday, July 23 at 11:30 a.m. ET, streamed live on **MLSSoccer.com**.
McIntosh, a 16-year-old product of the Revolution Academy, becomes the fourth New England player to feature in the MLS NEXT All-Star Game in its three iterations, joining Esmir Bajraktarevic (2022), Jack Panayotou (2022), and Olger Escobar (2023). The native of Newark, Calif. recently became the 12th player to ascend from New England's youth ranks to the Revolution II roster, as he signed his first professional contract with the MLS NEXT Pro side in June 2024. During the 2024 season, McIntosh has accrued the second-most minutes played for Revolution II across 14 appearances, 12 of them starts, for the club's developmental team.
"Damario is a promising talent and a hard worker who has rightly earned his place in the MLS NEXT All-Star Game," Revolution Technical Director Remi Roy said. "Damario has made important strides through the first half of this season with Revolution II, and we look forward to supporting his bright future as he continues to grow here in New England."
Among the players who were selected to the inaugural game in 2022, 24 of those have gone on to sign professional contracts, including nine as Homegrown players. Notable standout players who have made an impact in MLS include New England’s Esmir Bajraktarevic and Jack Panayotou, along with Inter Miami CF’s Benjamin Cremaschi.
Among the 44 players who will compete in the match, more than half have played in MLS NEXT this season and progressed to sign Homegrown deals or appear in MLS NEXT Pro. Of the previous MLS NEXT All-Stars, more than 70 percent have gone on to be called up by their respective Youth National Teams, and three have already made Senior National Team appearances – the Revolution’s Bajraktarevic (United States) and Olger Escobar (Guatemala), and Inter Miami’s Benjamin Cremaschi (United States).
“Throughout the season, these 44 players from both MLS and MLS NEXT Elite Academies have consistently stood out as the best young prospects in our program,” said MLS NEXT Technical Director Luis Robles. “The players and clubs should be proud of their accomplishments this year and we look forward to a highly competitive match in Columbus on July 23.”
MLS NEXT and Allstate will provide the players with unique opportunities during MLS All-Star Week, which will include a full slate of programming events and activities in advance of the match. The players will be fully immersed in MLS All-Star Week festivities, which include team training, the All-Star Skills Challenge presented by AT&T on July 23, and the MLS All-Star Game on July 24. Each MLS NEXT All-Star team will also conduct their own training sessions leading up to their match on Tuesday morning.
“We’re proud to support North American soccer’s top young talent,” said Dan Keats, director of sponsorships and engagement marketing at Allstate. “This event provides a platform for these rising stars to showcase their skills and compete at the highest level.”
The 44 players were selected following the conclusion of the 2024 MLS NEXT Cup Playoffs and Showcase. To be eligible for selection, players must have been born between 2007-2009, have competed in the MLS NEXT regular season, and played in at least one of the MLS NEXT premier events this season – MLS NEXT Fest, MLS NEXT Flex, Generation adidas Cup, or the MLS NEXT Cup Playoffs and Showcase.
The two teams will compete in an East vs. West format at Historic Crew Stadium in Columbus Ohio on the day before the MLS All-Star Game, Tuesday, July 23. For the first time in the game’s history, six different MLS NEXT Elite Academies will also be represented in Columbus: Albion SC Los Angeles, Barca Residency Academy, BW Gottschee, FC DELCO, Players Development Academy, and Strikers FC.
McIntosh and Revolution II will resume the MLS NEXT Pro season this Saturday, July 6 with a 7:00 p.m. match against Philadelphia Union 2. The match at Mark A. Ouellette Stadium in Hooksett, N.H. will stream live on MLSNEXTPro.com.
