D.C. United Head Coach Peter Nowak and his staff will lead the MLS All-Stars against English Premier League champions Chelsea FC at the 2006 Sierra Mist MLS All-Star Game on Saturday, Aug. 5 at TOYOTA PARK, the new home of the Chicago Fire. The game will be broadcast live on ESPN at 6:30 p.m. ET.
The MLS All-Star coach has been determined by the team that leads the League in points earned through games played on July 4. Currently D.C. United sits atop the Eastern Conference standings with 35 points earned through 16 games played. They are eight points clear of their closest competitor, F.C. Dallas, who with two games remaining through July 4, cannot catch Nowak and his D.C. United team.
Nowak, 41, has led D.C. United to a 10-1-5 record through the first half of the season. The team is unbeaten in 10 games and is in the midst of a three-game winning streak. Their last loss dates back to May 6, a 2-1 defeat to the Colorado Rapids. During the 10-game unbeaten run, D.C. United have outscored opponents 19-8. Joining Nowak at the helm of the 2006 MLS All-Star team are D.C. United assistant coaches Tommy Soehn and Mark Simpson, as well as head athletic trainer Brian Goodstein, equipment manger Francisco Tobar and team admnistrator Ray Trifari.
Nowak is in his third season as head coach of D.C. United. He led the team to the 2004 MLS Cup Championship in his first season and to the playoffs in his second season with the club. This is his second appearance as a coach in the MLS All-Star game. He coached the Eastern Conference All-Stars to a 3-2 win over the Western Conference in 2004. Nowak faced Chelsea FC in July 2005, as D.C. United lost 2-1 at FedEx Field.
Nowak is the only person to win a MLS Cup Championship as both a player and a coach. He led the Chicago Fire to the 1998 MLS Cup Championship and played his entire five-year career with the club, where he notched 26 goals and 48 assists in 114 games played.
The MLS All-Star First XI will be announced on Wednesday, July 12. The First XI are determined by online fan balloting comprising 25 percent of the total vote, with MLS coaches and GMs (25 percent), media (25 percent) and players (25 percent) accounting for the remainder. On Friday, July 14, Nowak and his staff will select five All-Star Game reserves, who will join two other Commissioner selections to comprise the MLS 18-man roster.
MLS All-Star Game Coaches:
Bruce Arena (2-1-0)
1997 MLS Eastern All-Stars (W 5-4)
1998 MLS USA All-Star Team (W 6-1)
2002 Men's U.S. National Team (L 2-3)
Bob Bradley (1-0-1)
2001 MLS Western All-Stars (T 6-6)
2003 MLS All-Star Team (W 3-1)
Colin Clarke (1-0-0)
2005 MLS All-Star Team (W 4-1)
Eduardo de la Torre (0-1-0)
2003 CD Guadalajara-Chivas (L 1-3)
Bob Gansler (0-1-0)
2000 MLS Western All-Stars (L 4-9)
Ray Hudson (0-0-1)
2001 MLS Eastern All-Stars (T 6-6)
Glenn Myernick (1-0-0)
1999 MLS Western All-Stars (W 6-4)
Ron Newman (0-1-0)
1997 MLS Western All-Stars (L 4-5)
Peter Nowak (1-0-0)
2004 MLS Eastern All-Stars (W 3-2)
Lothar Osiander (0-1-0)
1996 MLS Western All-Stars (L 2-3)
Thomas Rongen (1-1-0)
1996 MLS Eastern All-Stars (W 3-2)
1999 MLS Eastern All-Stars (L 4-6)
Sigi Schmid (0-1-0)
2004 MLS Western All-Stars (L 2-3)
Frank Yallop (1-0-0)
2002 MLS All-Star Team (W 3-2)
Octavio Zambrano (1-1-0)
1998 MLS World All-Star Team (L 1-6)
2000 MLS Eastern All-Stars (W 9-4)
