SALT LAKE CITY - Major League Soccer announced today that Real Salt Lake defender Eddie Pope has been added to the roster of MLS stars that will take part in the 2007 Sierra Mist MLS All-Star Game next Thursday, July 19. Pope, who was one of two Commissioner's Picks to the squad named by MLS Commissioner Don Garber, will be on the 18-man MLS roster that will square off against Scottish Premier League champions Celtic FC at Dick's Sporting Goods Park in Commerce City, Colo. (live on ESPN2 and TeleFutura, 7:00 p.m. MT).
Pope was one of seven players added to the MLS squad today, as Los Angeles Galaxy MF Cobi Jones was also tabbed by Garber as a Commissioner's Pick, while New England and MLS All-Star Head Coach Steve Nicol selected five players - Brian Ching (HOU), Landon Donovan (LA), Ronnie O'Brien (TOR), Kevin Hartman (KC), and Pablo Mastroeni (COL) - to fill out his roster for the All-Star showdown.
"It is an honor to be selected to this year's All-Star Game as a Commissioner's Pick. With this being the last chance for myself and Cobi (Jones) to participate in the All-Star Game, I think it shows a lot of class on Commissioner Garber's part to include us, and I greatly appreciate the opportunity he has provided," said Pope. "The All-Star Games recently have been very exciting because MLS has stepped up and brought in world-class teams to challenge ourselves against, and this year will be no different. I'm looking forward to participating in this year's event and am looking forward to facing off against another quality opponent like Celtic FC."</p>
With this year's selection, Pope adds to his own record by being named to his 11th MLS All-Star appearance, with the University of North Carolina product being named every year other than his rookie season of 1996. Pope has seen action in the League's mid-season showcase on seven previous occasions and was named to the starting XI three other times, but did appear in those contests. </p>
Along with his 11 All-Star nods, the 33-year-old Pope's impressive resume also includes an appearance on the MLS All-Time Best XI Team in 2005, four MLS Best XI nods, three MLS Cup titles, and 82 games with the U.S. Men's National Team - including three appearances in the FIFA World Cup. A steady presence in Major League Soccer since his debut season with D.C. United in 1996, Pope recently announced that the 2007 season will be his last in professional soccer.</p>
Complete 2007 MLS All-Star Roster:
Goalkeeper: Matt Reis (New England Revolution), Kevin Hartman (Kansas City Wizards)
Defenders: Jonathan Bornstein (Chivas USA), Jimmy Conrad (Kansas City Wizards), Michael Parkhurst (New England Revolution), Eddie Pope (Real Salt Lake)
Midfielders: Ricardo Clark (Houston Dynamo), Dwayne De Rosario (Houston Dynamo), Christian Gomez (D.C. United), Cobi Jones (Los Angeles Galaxy), Shalrie Joseph (New England Revolution), Pablo Mastroeni (Colorado Rapids), Ronnie O'Brien (Toronto FC), Juan Toja (FC Dallas)
Forwards: Juan Pablo Angel (Red Bull New York), Brian Ching (Houston Dynamo), Landon Donovan (Los Angeles Galaxy), Eddie Johnson (Kansas City Wizards)
