FRISCO - FC Dallas midfielder Juan Toja was selected to the MLS All-Star First XI as announced today by Major League Soccer. At 22 years old, Toja is the youngest member of the MLS All-Stars that will take on Scottish Premier League champions Celtic FC in the 2007 Sierra Mist MLS All-Star Game on Thursday, July 19 at Dick's Sporting Goods Park in Commerce City, Colo. The game will be televised live on ESPN2 and Telefutura at 8:00 p.m. CT.
"It's really an incredible honor for me," said Toja, a native of Colombia. "I'm so happy for everything that is happening right now for me here with Dallas: I'm comfortable and happy with my team and my teammates; I'm supported and appreciated by our fans; and now for the League to give me this honor of participating in the All-Star game, it's been incredible. I want to take this opportunity to continue learning and to enjoy the results of all the work that our team has put into this part of the season."
Toja, in his first year in MLS and with FCD, is one of two players to start all 17 games for FC Dallas this season, and is tied for the team lead in goals with four. After starting and playing the first 66 minutes of the season opener on April 7, Juan has played all but three minutes of the past 16 games - going the full 90 in 15 games while playing as a holding, an attacking, and a wide-left midfielder. His tireless work-rate, creative and attacking play, and ability to break up plays with what is becoming a signature slide-tackle have made Juan a quick fan favorite at Pizza Hut Park.
"We're delighted for Juan; he very much deserves it," said FC Dallas head coach Steve Morrow. "Juan would be the first to say that his teammates have helped him earn this honor. He's only been in the league for three or four months and it's a very short time for everyone to be able to recognize his qualities and reward him for that. So I think that's a big achievement."
The First XI players 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. The formula used for determining the starters involved assigning 25 total points to each category for a possible total of 100 points. Therefore, if a player received 50 percent of the votes in any category, he would earn 12.5 points for that category.
Toja received the fifth-most votes among the Starting XI: 1.525 of online voting; 12.162 of media; 5.976 of MLS players, and 14.74 of coaches and GMs = 34.139.
On July 10, New England Revolution head coach Steve Nicol and his staff will select five additional All-Stars, who will join two other Commissioner selections to comprise the MLS 18-man roster. Nicol earned the honor of coaching the MLS side by leading his team to the highest points per game average in the League through games on June 25 (Week 12).
The First XI is not necessarily the starting 11, as Head Coach Steve Nicol will select the starters based on player availability and tactical considerations. The First XI selections are below:
MLS First XI
Goalkeeper: Matt Reis (New England Revolution)
Defenders: Jonathan Bornstein (Chivas USA), Jimmy Conrad (Kansas City Wizards), Michael Parkhurst (New England Revolution)
Midfielders: Ricardo Clark (Houston Dynamo), Dwayne De Rosario (Houston Dynamo), Christian Gomez (D.C. United), Shalrie Joseph (New England Revolution), Juan Toja (FC Dallas)
Forwards: Juan Pablo Angel (Red Bull New York), Eddie Johnson (Kansas City Wizards)
PREVIOUS DALLAS ALL-STARS:
- = Selected to start
*# = selected to start but could not participate.
2006:
Ronnie O'Brien - MID
*Richard Mulrooney - MID (Commissioner's Pick)
Dario Sala (Alternate)
Carlos Ruiz (Alternate)
Greg Vanney (Alternate)
2005:
*Ronnie O'Brien - MID (Also chosen for MLS Select XI vs. Real Madrid)
*Greg Vanney - DEF
*#Carlos Ruiz - FOR
*#Eddie Johnson - FOR
Scott Garlick - GK
*Simo Valakari - MID
2004:
*Cory Gibbs - DEF
Jason Kreis - FOR (Commissioner's Pick)
*Ronnie O'Brien - MID
2003:
Jason Kreis - FOR (Alternate)
2002:
*Chad Deering - MID
Jason Kreis - FOR
*Ryan Suarez - DEF
Joselito Vaca - MID (Commissioner's Pick)
2001:
*Chad Deering - MID
*Ariel Graziani - FOR
*#Jason Kreis - FOR
*#Lubos Kubik - DEF
2000:
Jason Kreis - FOR
Ariel Graziani - FOR
1999:
Matt Jordan - GK
Jason Kreis - FOR
1998:
Leonel Alvarez - MID
1997:
*Damian - FOR
*Mark Dodd - GK
Mark Santel - MID
*Diego Sonora - DEF
*Alain Sutter - MID
*Dante Washington - FOR
1996:
*Leonel Alvarez - MID
Mark Dodd - GK
*Jason Kreis - FOR
Mark Santel - MID
Diego Sonora - DEF
