Thursday, July 19 - Commerce City, Colorado
Dick's Sporting Goods Park - 8 p.m. CT
TV: ESPN 2, Galavision
Broadcast Details: ESPN 2
Wizards forward Eddie Johnson and defender Jimmy Conrad were named to the starting lineup for Thursday's All-Star Game vs. Scottish power Celtic FC. The game, scheduled for 8 p.m. CT at Dick's Sporting Goods Park in Commerce City, Colorado, will be broadcast live on ESPN 2 and Galavision and will mark the fourth time the MLS All-Stars have taken on an international club team.
Both Johnson and Conrad were named to the MLS First XI as two of the top performers in MLS this season. First XI status did not guarantee a spot in the starting lineup for Thursday's match, but 10 of 11 members of the First XI were chosen by New England Revolution Head Coach Steve Nicol to start the match. Winger Ronnie O'Brien of Toronto FC will start instead of attacking midfielder Christian Gomez of D.C. United.
The First XI players were determined by votes from fans (25 percent), MLS coaches and GMs (25 percent), media (25 percent) and players (25 percent). Johnson received the third-highest vote total. Conrad received the highest vote total among defenders.
Kansas City is one of only three teams to have two or more players start the 2007 Sierra Mist All-Star Game. New England has three starters (goalkeeper Matt Reis, Defender Michael Parkhurst and holding midfielder Shalrie Joseph), Houston (Midfielders Ricardo Clark and Dwayne De Rosario) and Kansas City (Johnson and Conrad) have two. Chivas USA (defender Jonathan Bornstein), FC Dallas (midfielder Juan Toja), New York (forward Juan Pablo Angel) and Toronto FC (midfielder Ronnie O'Brien) each have one player in the starting lineup. Wizards goalkeeper Kevin Hartman will back-up starter Matt Reis Thursday.
MLS is 3-0-0 all-time in All-Star games played against top-flight international competition. MLS has defeated Mexico's CD Guadalajara (3-1 in 2003), England's Fulham FC (4-1 in 2005) and England's Chelsea (1-0 in 2006).
