FOXBOROUGH, Mass. – Six Revolution players are among the 115 players nominated for the Fan XI, the fan-voted first 11 players sent to the 2013 MLS All-Star Game, which will be played against Italian giant AS Roma on Wednesday, July 31, at Kansas City’s Sporting Park.
The six Revolution players on the fan ballot are 18-year-old midfielder Diego Fagundez, rookie defender Andrew Farrell, defender Jose Goncalves, midfielder Lee Nguyen, midfielder Kelyn Rowe and goalkeeper Bobby Shuttleworth.
Fans may vote online HERE: www.mlssoccer.com/all-star/2013/vote. Fans can also vote by sending a player’s last name via text message to 22442. Twitter voting will occur June 20-21.
The 10 players with the highest combined votes from these three voting methods will be named to the All-Star Fan XI.
The 11th player – a forward – on the Fan XI will be decided after the general voting window closes on July 2, as part of the AT&T MLS All-Star ‘In the Game’ Challenge. Among remaining forwards on the ballot, the player with whom fans score the most goals in EA SPORTS™ FIFA Soccer 13 Ultimate Team from July 3-July 10 will be named to the Fan XI.
Fagundez leads the Revolution in scoring with five goals, four coming in the team’s last five games. He was the MLS player of the week for Week 14, following a one-goal, two-assist performance against the two-time defending MLS Cup champion LA Galaxy in a 5-1 Revs win on NBC Sports Network. Just 18 years old, Fagundez is tied for seventh in MLS in goals scored.
Farrell, the number one overall selection in January’s MLS SuperDraft, has started and played 90 minutes in 13 of the Revs’ 14 games, missing only one match with injury. He has helped back the league’s best defense, which has allowed just nine goals in 14 games.
Goncalves has anchored the Revs’ league-leading defense, starting all 14 games this season. He is the only defender who has started every game on a team defense that has seen eight different players start. The Revs’ defense leads MLS with only nine goals allowed, and has posted a league-best nine shutouts.
Nguyen has been the team’s attacking catalyst, starting all 14 games while scoring two goals and adding one assist. The team’s 2012 fan-voted team MVP, Nguyen has moved centrally from his wing position, and since the move on April 20, has helped the team score 13 of its 15 goals.
Rowe, now in his second season, is tied for second in MLS in assists with five. On the season, the 21-year-old has one goal and five assists in only 13 appearances and eight starts. He is tied for fifth in MLS with two game-winning assists so far, and tied for seventh in assists per game.
Shuttleworth is currently the league’s top statistical goalkeeper. He is tied for the MLS lead in goals against average (0.75) and shutouts (7). His 80.4 save percentage stands alone at the top of the league, while he has backed the league’s best defense (0.64 goals against average, nine shutouts) in 12 starts this season. His 3.42 saves per game is also the third-highest total in MLS.
All-Star Head Coach Peter Vermes of Sporting Kansas City will choose the game day roster and the starting lineup against AS Roma on July 31. The first marquee MLS event to be held at Sporting Park in Kansas City, Kansas, will be broadcast live on ESPN2, UniMas, and in Canada on TSN and RDS, starting at 9 p.m. ET
A total of 32 All-Stars are named each year, per the collective bargaining agreement. Media, fans, players, the All-Star coach and MLS Commissioner Don Garber all contribute in the All-Star selection process.
The 32 players named 2013 AT&T MLS All-Stars will be selected in four phases:
1) Ballot creation: A select media panel determined the field of players six players per team who are most deserving of consideration for this years All-Star Game. Those players are eligible for fan voting.
2) Fan voting: From June 10 through July 2 at 3 p.m. ET, fans will select the Fan XI All-Stars. Fans can vote via any of three digital platforms:
a. At MLSsoccer.com: Vote for your starting lineup of 11 players, beginning June 10.
b. Via text message (SMS): Text an MLS players last name to 22442.
§ Each vote will count equally with those submitted online in determining the Fan XI.
§ Message and data rates may apply.
c. Via Twitter: From June 20-21; full details of Twitter voting will be released on MLSsoccer.com in the near future.
AT&T MLS All-Star In the Game Challenge: From July 3 at 12 p.m. ET through July 10 at 3 p.m. ET
d. The top two forwards who have received the most votes after voting closes are removed from the eligible forward list. Voting for the AT&T MLS All-Star In the Game Forward will then take place using FIFA Soccer 13 Ultimate Team. Fans will be invited to play the game and score as many goals as possible with their favorite player among the remaining eligible forwards. Each goal scored will count as one vote. The player who tallies the most goals will be named to the final spot on the Fan XI.
The first 10 players voted to the Fan XI will be announced on Sunday, July 7, on ESPN during halftime of the Chicago Fire-Sporting Kansas City regular season game that begins at 3 p.m. ET. The AT&T MLS All-Star In the Game Forward will be unveiled on July 11.
3) Team selection: The MLS All-Star head coach will select the game day roster from the pool of eligible players, consisting of the Fan XI, MLS Commissioner Don Garbers two selections and players who received votes from at least two players.
The Commissioner selections and game day roster will be announced on Monday, July 15.
4) Player selections: MLS players will determine the remainder of the 32 All-Stars named annually per the CBA (known as the inactive roster).
The final list of 32 All-Stars (4 goalkeepers, 8 defenders, 13 midfielders and 7 forwards) will be announced on MLSsoccer.com on July 31.
2013 AT&T All-Star Game Voting Timeline
June 10: Fan voting begins
June 20-21: Fan voting Twitter window
July 2: Initial fan voting window closes
July 3: AT&T MLS All-Star In the Game Challenge begins
July 7: Fan XI announced during halftime of CHI-SKC on ESPN at 3 p.m. ET
July 10: AT&T MLS All-Star In the Game Challenge ends
July 11: AT&T MLS All-Star In the Game Forward unveiled
July 15: Commissioner selections and game day roster announced
July 31: MLS All Stars vs. AS Roma at Sporting Park at 9 p.m. ET (ESPN2, UniMas, TSN, RDS)
