2023 MLS All-Star Player Bios

MLS Communications

In his first year in MLS, Bürki leads MLS with 76 saves and is one of four goalkeepers with at least 60 saves and a 75+ percent save percentage.
The 32-year-old Swiss international was named the first-ever captain in St. Louis CITY SC history.
Bürki signed with the club in July 2022 after spending seven seasons with Borussia Dortmund of the German Bundesliga.

A selection of D.C. United and MLS All-Star head coach Wayne Rooney, Miller has recorded six clean sheets and 51 saves in his first season with the club.
Miller has appeared in more than 150 MLS games across eight seasons with the Seattle Sounders (2016-17), LAFC (2018-19), Minnesota United FC (2020-22), and D.C. United (2023).

The 2022 Revolution team MVP and a finalist for the 2022 MLS Allstate Goalkeeper of the Year award, Petrović has picked up where he left off this season, ranking second in MLS in saves (75) and tying for fifth in the league with six clean sheets.
On April 29, Petrović became the fastest goalkeeper in MLS history to save five penalty kicks in his career, doing so in just his 31st appearance.
Petrović has been called into international duty for the Serbian National Team on three occasions, after making his debut for his country in 2021.

Defenders (8)

The 22-year-old Barreal makes his All-Star debut after starting 19 matches and recording two goals and five assists for Supporters’ Shield-leading FC Cincinnati.
Barreal has made 89 appearances for the club since joining FC Cincinnati in 2020, totaling 10 goals and 17 assists over the span.
The defender provided one of the year’s most electrifying goals during the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup quarterfinals on June 6 (Watch Here).

The first ever goal-scorer at Q2 stadium has been a staple for Austin FC since joining the club before its inception in 2021.
Gallagher is enjoying a career season with Austin FC in 2023, recording a career-high five goals and adding three assists.
His strong play was rewarded with a new contract following the 2022 season that will keep him in Austin through the 2026 season.

The 2022 MLS Defender of the Year, Glesnes has started each of Philadelphia’s 20 matches this season and has played a key role in the club allowing just 22 goals in 2023, the fourth fewest in the Eastern Conference.
Glesnes has started 93 consecutive matches for the Union – the longest active ironman streak in MLS – and is seven starts shy of becoming just the second outfield player in league history to start 100 or more consecutive matches (Chris Klein, 118).
The Norway native has continued a family tradition of fishing during the offseason. Through several generations, the Glesnes family has operated shipping companies in his native country, and Jakob has worked alongside his family on the boat for years (Story Here).

The 32-year-old defender has recorded one goal and one assist through 17 games in 2023, while helping guide LAFC to a Concacaf Champions League final berth.
An MLS staple, Hollingshead earns his first ever All-Star selection after scoring 25 career goals and adding 17 assists across 240 matches across 10 seasons.
The U.S. native was the recipient of the 2017 MLS Humanitarian of the Year, has won two Supporters’ Shields (2016 with FC Dallas and 2022 with LAFC), and helped LAFC bring home the 2022 MLS Cup.

Miazga is one of the defensive anchors of Supporters’ Shield-leading FC Cincinnati, a club that has allowed the fourth-fewest goals in MLS (19).
The center back spent time with the New York Red Bulls at the beginning of his career, playing 34 games across three seasons with the club from 2013-2015.
In between his two stints with MLS, Miazga played for English Premier League club Chelsea FC, while also spending time in Europe in the French, Spanish, and Dutch Leagues, among others.

Parker earns his first career All-Star nod after leading St. Louis CITY SC to a blazing 10-7-2 start, starting all 17 games he’s appeared in.
One of the more experienced players on St. Louis CITY SC, Parker has played over 230 games in MLS with Vancouver Whitecaps FC, New York Red Bulls, and Houston Dynamo FC.
Parker won a Canadian Championship with Vancouver Whitecaps in 2015 and a Supporters’ Shield with New York Red Bulls in 2018.

The 20-year-old defender has appeared in 15 games for the New York Red Bulls this season, recording a career-high four assists.
The New Jersey native has appeared 74 matches for the club since 2021 and has contributed two goals and nine assists over the span.
Tolkin is a shining example of an MLS Homegrown player, coming up through the Red Bulls’ academy from 2015-2019 before making his first professional appearance with New York Red Bulls II in 2019.

The perennial All-Star has been a stalwart on the back line of the best scoring defense in MLS, leading Nashville SC to a league-low 16 goals allowed in 2023.
Zimmerman has started in 206 matches during his 11-season career in MLS, recording 23 goals and eight assists over that span.
The U.S.-born defender has won two MLS Defensive Player of the Year Awards (2020, 2021) and has earned the MLS Best XI honors in four straight seasons (2019-2022), in addition to starting three games for the USMNT at the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

One of the most dynamic playmakers in MLS, Acosta earned his second consecutive All-Star nod after recording 13 goal contributions (nine goals, four assists) for league-leading FC Cincinnati.
A seven-year MLS veteran, Acosta has totaled 50 goals and 68 assists in 205 career games for FC Cincinnati and D.C. United and is one of just five players with at least 100 goal contributions since the start of the 2016 season.

The only active MLS player to win a FIFA World Cup with Argentina, Almada makes his All-Star debut after a sensational first half of the season. The 22-year-old midfielder leads MLS with nine assists, is tied for second in goal contributions (16), and is tied for third with 42 key passes.
Almada was named the MLS Player of the Month for February/March 2023 after scoring four goals and adding four assists in the first four matches of the season for an Atlanta United team that went 3-0-1 during that span.
The Argentine midfielder was named the 2022 MLS Newcomer of the Year in his debut season, leading Atlanta in assists (12) and finishing tied for third on the club in goals scored (six).

Choinière leads CF Montréal with a career-best five goal contributions (two goals, three assists) in his sixth season with the club.
Choinière has been with CF Montréal for over a decade, having joined the club’s academy in 2011. He was the first player to feature for the club’s U13, U14, U16, U18, and U19 squads prior to joining the first team in MLS on July 17, 2018.
In his six MLS season, the Canadian national has appeared in more than 90 games and helped the club secure Canadian Championship titles in 2019 and 2021.

The 2021 Landon Donovan MLS MVP, Gil has powered the New England attack in 2023, recording club-highs in both goals (seven) and assists (nine) across 19 matches.
One of the league’s most productive players since joining MLS in 2019, Gil has a league-high 57 assists, including more than 10 in three out of his four previous MLS seasons. Gil’s 85 goal contributions since the start of 2019 are the third-most in the league, behind fellow MVPs Carlos Vela (99) and Hany Mukhtar (91).
The Revolution have a pair of Gils on their roster, as Carles is joined by his brother, Nacho, in the club’s midfield.

The former captain of the Mexican National Team, Herrera has helped lead Houston Dynamo FC to a resurgence on both sides of the pitch in 2023, contributing three goals and seven assists across 17 games.
The 33-year-old has enjoyed an exceptional career, winning a La Liga title with Atlético de Madrid and numerous tournaments with Porto FC in Portugal.

The Venezuelan midfielder has started 13 games for Union in 2023, recording a goal and three assists. Since joining MLS in 2020, Martínez has assisted 11 times and won a Supporters’ Shield with Philadelphia in 2020.
The midfielder entered his name into the Goal of the Year race on Matchday 20, with a thundering strike in the 90th minute against Orlando City SC – his first career MLS score (Watch Here).
Martínez has made 20 caps for the Venezuelan National Team since getting his first international call up in 2020.

Morris has started all 18 games in which he has appeared for Columbus Crew this season, scoring three goals and assisting three more in what has been a breakout season for the Homegrown.
The 21-year-old defensive midfielder played for the Crew SC Academy from 2017-2019 before signing a Homegrown contract with Columbus in 2020.
The U.S. native became the youngest player to start and provide an assist in MLS Cup history en route to Columbus Crew’s MLS Cup victory in 2020.

The reigning 2022 Landon Donovan MLS MVP and Golden Boot presented by Audi winner, Mukhtar earns his second All-Star selection in as many years after leading the league in goals (13) and goal contributions (20). Mukhtar is the only player in MLS with two hat tricks in 2023 (Matchday 11, Matchday 19), has twice been named MLS Player of the Matchday presented by Continental Tire, and was the MLS Player of the Month of May.
Since the start of the 2021 season, Mukhtar leads MLS with 82 goal contributions – 23 more than the next closest players (New England’s Carles Gil and FC Cincinnati’s Luciano Acosta, 59). He is one of only four players in MLS history with at least 50 goals (52) and 30 assists (30) over a three-year span.
Named The Tennessean Sportsperson of the Year in 2021, Mukhtar has made Nashville his home, even marrying his wife, Ashley, on the field at Nashville SC’s GEODIS Park (Read More Here).

In his first full season in MLS, Puig has appeared in 17 games for the LA Galaxy, recording a goal and three assists. Puig was an immediate jolt to the club’s offense upon his arrival in 2022, scoring three goals and assisting five others in 10 matches for the club.
Puig ranks second in MLS in dribbles completed (57) and touches (1,589), third in passes completed in the final third (452), fourth in completed passes (1,087), and fifth in the league in chances created from open play (33).
Puig arrived in Los Angeles after making 57 appearances across all competitions with FC Barcelona from 2018-22.

Making his second All-Star appearance (2021), Zelarayán has been a force up front for the Crew, leading the Columbus attack with eight goals and seven assists in 16 matches this season. He ranks fifth in MLS with 15 goal contributions this season.
The Armenian won both the MLS Newcomer of the Year Award and MLS Cup MVP in 2020 after helping lead the Crew to the title that season.
Zelarayán scored one of the most sensational goals of the season, rocketing a shot from past midfield to win it for Columbus in extra time on June 10 (Watch Here).

Forwards/Wingers (7)

Benteke has been commanding at forward for Wayne Rooney and D.C. United in 2023, leading the team in goals scored with eight while also assisting three more.
Benteke has played an integral part in the club’s strong first half of the season which currently has them in playoff position in the Eastern Conference.
He brings experience from his time in the Premier League with Aston Villa, Liverpool, and Crystal Palace.

Bouanga has been the driving force in attack for Western Conference power LAFC, with 11 goals and two assists across 16 games. His 11 goals are the second-most in MLS in 2023, behind only Hany Mukhtar (13).
The winger from Gabon was acquired by LAFC in August of 2022 and helped lead the team to a Supporters’ Shield and 2023 MLS Cup title, scoring twice in the team’s Audi MLS Cup Playoffs run last season.
Bouanga has left his mark internationally as well, earning 2023 Concacaf Champions League Golden Boot honors after scoring seven times during LAFC’s run to the final while also being selected to the competition’s Best XI squad.

Espinoza has been the driving force being San Jose’s strong start to the season, recording a career-high eight goals and adding six assists in 20 games for the club.
The Argentinian winger earns his first trip to the All-Star game after five seasons with San Jose Earthquakes, a span that’s seen him score 23 goals and record 50 assists.
He is one of only nine players in MLS with at least 35 goal contributions since the start of the 2022 season, and one of only four with at least 20 assists over the same span.

The 22-year-old has emerged as one of the premier offensive threats in MLS, with his 10 goals in 2023 tying for the third-most in the league. Ferreira’s 28 goals since the start of the 2022 season are the third-most in Major League Soccer.
The forward won MLS Young Player of the Year and Best XI presented by Continental Tire honors in 2022 following a breakout campaign in which he tied the FC Dallas record with 18 goals.
Ferreira, who also is a regular on the USMNT, was the fourth player since 2010 to be selected to the MLS Best XI while 21 years old or younger.

In his first season in Major League Soccer, Giakoumakis has been a force in attack for Atlanta United, recording 10 goals and an assist in 15 games.
Giakoumakis reached his 10th career MLS goal in just his 766th minute of action, making him the second player in MLS history to reach 10 career goals in under 800 minutes of regular season play (Mamadou Diallo).
The Greek attacker has spent time in the Scottish Premiership and Super League Greece, earning different honors in both leagues, including the Best Greek Player playing Abroad award during the 2020-21 season.

One of the most prolific goal scorers in MLS history, Kamara ranks third in league in annals in scoring with 144 goals, just one behind Landon Donovan (145 goals).
In his first year in Chicago, Kamara leads the club with five goals in 16 games and he became the only player in league history to play for 10 different teams during his career.
Kamara earned his only other MLS All-Star berth accolades in 2015 en route to Best XI honors after scoring a career high 22 goals for the Columbus Crew. The Sierra Leone native also earned MLS WORKS Humanitarian of the Year honors in 2015.

The winger returns to the All-Star Game for the second time in as many years thanks to a 2023 campaign that has seen him score nine goals and assist one more.
A member of the USMNT during the 2022 FIFA World Cup, Morris has been a staple in Seattle Sounders’ lineup since winning MLS Rookie of the Year in his debut season in 2016, scoring 51 goals and adding 25 assists in 152 career games.
Morris has earned numerous accolades in his career, including a selection to the MLS Best XI presented by Continental Tire in 2020, MLS Comeback Player of the Year honors in 2019, and two MLS Cups in 2016 and 2019 with the Sounders.

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