It comes as no surprise that Los Angeles Galaxy superstar Landon Donovan has been selected to yet another MLS All-Star Game. Arguably no single player in all of MLS means more to his team than Donovan does. The proof is in the results that the Galaxy have posted this season with and without Donovan: the Galaxy have yet to win a game without Donovan in the lineup.
Joining Donovan in the MLS All-Star "First XI" is Galaxy right back Chris Albright. The L.A. duo will join the rest of the MLS best to take on two-time defending English Premier League champions Chelsea on Aug. 5 at Toyota Park in Bridgeview, Ill. The game will give a handful of the All-Stars a chance to play against some familiar competition.
Both Michael Essien who plays for Ghana, and Petr Cech who plays for the Czech Republic, were in the same group as Donovan, Albright and the U.S. national team at this summer's World Cup.
"I don't know if they'll (Essien and Cech) play. Maybe they will, maybe they won't," said Donovan. "There's a host of players that would be fun to play against but maybe I'll be matched up with Essien again. That'll be a nice rematch."
In five previous MLS seasons Donovan has been named to the All-Star team each year. Variety is what keeps the game fresh for Donovan and gets him excited every year to participate. Unlike other sports, like the NFL's Pro Bowl where players often don't want to play in the game, the MLS All-Star Game is something the U.S. international looks forward to.
"Each year is something different," said Donovan. "It's been fun every year. I don't take it for granted. I want to be a part of it."
For Albright, being named to this year's All-Star team squad is something he takes a lot of pride in. Albright was out of the MLS spotlight for a month with the U.S. national team, but didn't see any playing time while in Germany, limiting his chance to showcase his talent this season. Still, the converted forward found a spot in the MLS team.
"It's an honor every year. There's a lot of good players in this league," said Albright. "To miss a lot of games, I think the fans are sympathetic that we were away for a good cause and voted accordingly."
The First XI team was chosen by four equally weighted parts: fans voting online via MLSnet.com; coaches and general managers; players; and media.
It's not every day that a player gets to face a team that can field a world All-Star team like Chelsea can. In addition to Essien and Cech, Chelsea features players such as Andriy Shevchencko, Arjen Robben and Frank Lampard to name a few.
Last season the Galaxy got to play a team with a similar star-studded lineup when Real Madrid came to town. Albright played in that game and feels that while there is a similarity between the two teams, Chelsea provides a stiffer test.
"In all fairness, I think Chelsea is probably a better team than Real Madrid. Real Madrid probably has better stars but Chelsea is a better team at this point," said Albright. "It'll be competitive I think. We'll definitely put our best foot forward."
Donovan missed out on that game against Real Madrid at The Home Depot Center last season, which is another reason he is looking forward to playing Chelsea. But it's not just about the guys lining up on the other side of the field.
"For us it's fun. Regardless of what happens it's a lot of fun," said Donovan. "Not only to play against (Chelsea), but to play with guys around the league you play against that are good players on a weekly basis."
Greg Daurio is a contributor to MLSnet.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Soccer or its clubs.
