I got to the final e-mail reminder too late. I was 25 minutes late to the "you have 15 minutes remaining" to fill in your MLS All-Star Ballot message. So, what to do with my picks, but fill in this week's First XI with the team I'd select to do battle with Celtic on July 19 at Dick's Sporting Goods Park. Let the arguments begin!
11. Matt Reis. New England Revolution. The guy is a house. The guy is a leader. Matt Reis is also one of the best ball distributors I've ever seen in MLS. And, I haven't even mentioned how much fun it is to watch him stare down a shooter on a penalty kick. The Revs are top of the East table and Reis is having another stellar season, allowing 1.17 goals per game. He's got six wins and five clean sheets, which gives him the nod on my squad over Chivas USA's Brad Guzan.
10. Jose Burciaga, Jr. Kansas City Wizards. I feel bad for leaving Jose off my "best tools" package a while ago, when I listed the best left-footed ball strikers in the league. So, the nod at left back goes to Burciaga, who's become a fixture at that spot in K.C.: a good attacking defender, free kick taker and team leader for a rejuvenated Wizards team. In All-Star competition, I want players who think attack, so this fits that theme. Jonathan Bornstein's time with the national team killed his chances to win this spot on my roster.
9. Jimmy Conrad. Kansas City Wizards. All-Star teams also need personality and that's just one of the reasons Conrad gets the nod on my ballot. Guy's funny, plain and simple, as evidenced by his answer to the "what would you be doing if you weren't a professional soccer player?" question in the U.S. Soccer media guide. Conrad's answer: "Something in spandex." Joking aside, a tough defender, who can also get up and score with his head.
8. Claudio Suarez. Chivas USA. Let's forget that 4-0 defeat at Houston the other night. Chivas USA have five shutouts this season and while Guzan has been exceptional, so has Claudio Suarez. The veteran might not be the speediest defender in MLS, but he's probably the best at organizing a defense and using his body to make an opposing forward's job tough.
7. Frankie Hejduk. Columbus Crew. Hejduk is having a stellar season for the Crew, doing what he's always done, running all day, competing like crazy and seemingly having as much fun as anyone in the league. My first memory of Hejduk comes from the inaugural MLS season, when he was playing on the turf at Giants Stadium in what appeared to be a pair of Vans. He hasn't aged a day.
6. Ricardo Clark. Houston Dynamo. I want Celtic to deal with Ricardo running all over the midfield, busting up plays, forcing his will on the game and never slowing down. I had a friend in college who used to say of long-stride runners like Clark, "Every step is a first down." That's the way I feel when I watch Rico open up and run with the ball. The guy's just fun to watch in action and he keeps getting better every season. It's his time.
5. Landon Donovan. Los Angeles Galaxy. I don't care if he's missed a bunch of MLS time while playing for the national team. Donovan's the best player in the league and MLS needs him on the field in this game. Watch the Galaxy take off when he returns.
4. Guillermo Barros Schelotto. Columbus Crew. Yes, two Crew men on the All-Star First XI. Schelotto's been a fun player to watch the first half of the season and if the Crew can get on a little roll here, I only expect him to get better. Right now, looking like the best "big signing" (I'll keep the definition of that to myself) in Columbus history. Sorry Doctor Khumalo.
3. Andy Dorman. New England Revolution. More Revolution representation. The hard-running Dorman has become one of the league's most productive midfielders with five goals and two assists. The other thing I love about Dorman is that he's clutch. Late in games, when the Revolution need a goal, it always seems it's Dorman who's got something left in the tank.
2. Eddie Johnson. Kansas City Wizards. Nine goals in nine games speaks for itself. Sure, six of those goals came in just two games, but it seems Curt Onalfo has really pushed all the right buttons to get EJ back on track after a disappointing 2006 campaign. I also like that Johnson, in just nine games, leads MLS in shots on goal with 24 ... and that he's only missed the target 11 times this season. He gets the nod ahead of Taylor Twellman.
1. Juan Pablo Angel. New York Red Bulls. Obvious selection here for the current leader in the race for MVP. Angel already has many experts saying he's the best "big name" foreign striker ever signed by MLS. What impresses me the most about Angel is how he reads the game and gets the majority of his chances by simply being in the right place at the right time.
Jeff Bradley is a senior writer for ESPN The Magazine. Send your comments and complaints (200 words or less, please) to Jeff at jbradleyespn2003@yahoo.com and he promises to read (but not respond to) all of them. The views and opinions expressed in this column are those of the author's, and not necessarily those of Major League Soccer or MLSnet.com.
