SALT LAKE CITY - Real Salt Lake and Major League Soccer announced today that fans can now vote for their favorite Real Salt Lake stars to face-off against English Premier League champion Chelsea FC in the 2006 Sierra Mist MLS All-Star Game. Official online balloting is now open at www.RealSaltLake.com or at the league's official website, www.mlsnet.com, giving fans the chance to vote for the MLS All-Star XI in this year's game.
The Sierra Mist MLS All-Star Game will bring together the best MLS players for a marquee match-up with English powerhouse Chelsea FC on Aug. 5, 2006, in Chicago's handsome new soccer-specific stadium in Bridgeview, Ill. The game will be nationally televised live on ESPN at 4:30 p.m. MT.
Fans can vote for the All-Star XI online at www.RealSaltLake.com or www.mlsnet.com by selecting up to one goalkeeper, three defenders, five midfielders, and two forwards. Fans can vote up to 10 times per day. The online fan balloting program, which concludes on Friday, July 7, will comprise 25 percent of the total vote for the All-Star XI, with coaches and general managers, players and media each holding 25 percent of the vote to combine for the remaining 75 percent. The following RSL players appear on the 2006 MLS All-Star ballot:
POSITION PLAYER
GK Scott Garlick
DF Eddie Pope
DF Chris Brown
DF Carey Talley
DF Danny Torres
MF Douglas Sequeira
MF Andy Williams
MF Chris Klein
MF Kenny Cutler
MF Mehdi Ballouchy
FW Jason Kreis
FW Jeff Cunningham
The coach of the MLS All-Star squad will be the coach of the MLS team with the best record, as decided by the most total points in League play, following games played on Monday, July 3. The standard MLS tiebreakers will determine the coach if two or more teams are tied. The All-Star XI will be announced on Wednesday, July 12. The MLS All-Star reserves will be announced on Friday, July 14. Five players will be selected as reserves by the head coach and the final two will be selected by MLS commissioner Don Garber.
This year's All-Star team will take on one of the world's top professional soccer clubs. Led by international soccer icons Frank Lampard, Arjen Robben, Hernan Crespo and Joe Cole, Chelsea FC is an all-star team of its own, and it has finished first in the prestigious English Premier League for two consecutive seasons.
This year marks the third time that MLS All-Stars have taken on a high-profile international opponent. In 2003 the MLS All-Stars defeated Mexican club CD Guadalajara 3-1, and in 2005 they stormed English opponents Fulham 4-1. The format of the Sierra Mist All-Star Game makes it the most competitive all-star competition in professional American sports.
RSL TO BATTLE THE OGDEN OUTLAWS: RSL will take on the USL Premier Development League Ogden Outlaws at Ogden High School (2828 Harrison Blvd) on Tuesday, May 16 at 6:30 p.m. MT. The expansion Outlaws kick off their 2006 season on Saturday, May 13 against Brigham Young University.
"The Outlaws are an important addition to the Utah soccer scene - and we hope this match is a great showcase for their fans and players," said RSL General Manager Steve Pastorino.
Tickets for the match are on sale now and can be purchased $8 for adults and $5 for children under the age of 12 by calling (801) 476-4276. For more information, fans can log onto www.ogdenoutlaws.com.
JOIN THE ZIONS BANK JUNIOR LOYALISTS: RSL invites local youth fans ages 14 and under to join the official RSL kids club, known as the Zions Bank Junior Loyalists! The next replica giveaway will be on Wednesday, June 24 at Rice-Eccles Stadium when registered Junior Loyalists age 14 and younger will receive a FREE replica Real Salt Lake shorts and RSL wristband in Carnival Real prior to the RSL vs. New England Revolution match. The RSL - Revolution game represents the second of three Junior Loyalist "build-a-uniform" dates, with the other RSL memorabilia nights as follows:
DAY/DATE GIVEAWAY
Saturday, May 20 Replica RSL Jersey (re-issue date)
Saturday, June 24 Replica RSL shorts / RSL wristband
Saturday, July 29 Replica RSL mini-ball
Fans 14 and under can pickup a registration form at any of the 80 Wasatch Front Zions Bank locations.
TRAINING SCHEDULE FOR WEEK OF May 8, 2005:
**All practices are open to Media members. All times and locations are subject to change.
DAY/DATE SITE TIME (MT)
Wednesday, May 10 Rice-Eccles Stadium 10:00 a.m.
Thursday, May 11 Rice-Eccles Stadium 10:00 a.m.
Friday, May 12 Rice-Eccles Stadium 9:00 a.m.
Travel to Los Angeles
Saturday, May 13 GAME @ Los Angeles Galaxy 7:30 p.m.
The Home Depot Center
Sunday, May 14 Travel to Salt Lake City
The Waterford School 2:30 p.m.
RSL INJURY/NATIONAL TEAM DUTY REPORT:
PLAYER STATUS INJURY
DF Danny Torres PROBABLE L popliteal strain
DF Willis Forko PROBABLE L & R hamstring strain
DF Paul Broome OUT L ankle internal derangement
MF Seth Trembly OUT L knee ACL tear
DF Eddie Pope OUT USMNT Camp
MF Douglas Sequeira OUT Costa Rica National Team Camp
