The roster for the 2016 MLS All-Star Game is set. It will feature some of the league's best players, ranging from Clint Dempsey and Jermaine Jones to Andrea Pirlo and David Villa, but there were still some exclusions that got fans riled up.
A fan vote already determined the first 11 players to participate in the MLS All-Star Game against Premier League club Arsenal, and the remaining picks from coach Dom Kinnear and MLS commissioner Don Garber completed the 26-man roster.
Kinnear selected a group that was much heavier on Americans than the fan vote was.
Coach Dom Kinnear's All-Star picks:
Goalkeeper: David Bingham (San Jose Earthquakes)
Defenders: Brandon Vincent (Chicago Fire), Liam Ridgewell (Portland Timbers), Steve Birnbaum (D.C. United), Kendall Waston (Vancouver Whitecaps FC), Andrew Farrell (New England Revolution)
Midfielders: Jermaine Jones (Colorado Rapids), Wil Trapp (Columbus Crew SC), Sacha Kljestan (New York Red Bulls)
Forwards: Ignacio Piatti (Montreal Impact), Cyle Larin (Orlando City SC), Chris Wondolowski (San Jose Earthquakes), Clint Dempsey (Seattle Sounders FC)
Garber rounded out the group by selecting midfielders Mauro Diaz (FC Dallas) and Kyle Beckerman (Real Salt Lake).
Kinnear's selections immediately earned complaints from fans on social media who felt their favorites had been snubbed. There were plenty of shouts for the Portland Timbers' midfielder Diego Valeri, who is tied for third in overall goals this season after scoring twice on Sunday. He has 9 goals and 5 assists now. Others wanted to see some of the league's star names, like the LA Galaxy's Steven Gerrard, make it.
Either way, the squad is set and it's a very strong group that will take on Arsenal. The all-star match is set for July 28 in San Jose, California.
The full 26-man 2016 MLS All-Star Game Roster
Goalkeepers: David Bingham (San Jose Earthquakes), Andre Blake (Philadelphia Union)
Defenders: Matt Besler (Sporting Kansas City), Steve Birnbaum (D.C. United), Laurent Ciman (Montreal Impact), Andrew Farrell (New England Revolution), Liam Ridgewell (Portland Timbers), Keegan Rosenberry (Philadelphia Union), Brandon Vincent (Chicago Fire), Kendall Waston (Vancouver Whitecaps FC)
Midfielders: Kyle Beckerman (Real Salt Lake), Mauro Diaz (FC Dallas), Giovani dos Santos (LA Galaxy), Jermaine Jones (Colorado Rapids), Kakà (Orlando City SC), Sacha Kljestan (New York Red Bulls), Darlington Nagbe (Portland Timbers), Andrea Pirlo (New York City FC), Wil Trapp (Columbus Crew SC)
Forwards: Clint Dempsey (Seattle Sounders FC), Didier Drogba (Montreal Impact), Sebastian Giovinco (Toronto FC), Cyle Larin (Orlando City SC), Ignacio Piatti (Montreal Impact), David Villa (New York City FC), Chris Wondolowski (San Jose Earthquakes)
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