Philadelphia Union center back Jakob Glesnes has been added to MLS's roster for the 2022 MLS All-Star Game presented by Target, replacing an injured Alexander Callens (New York City FC), the league announced Sunday.
Glesnes is named to his first career MLS All-Star Game in his third MLS season. The center back has played a vital role on the league’s staunchest defense, starting all 24 matches for a Philadelphia Union squad that leads the Eastern Conference with 45 points (12-3-9) and has allowed a league-low 18 goals in 24 matches (0.75 goals allowed per game). The 0.75 goals allowed per game is on pace for the second-best defensive record in league history, behind only 2010 Real Salt Lake (0.67 goals conceded per game).
Glesnes (2,160 minutes), along with fellow All-Stars Andre Blake and Kai Wagner, have played every minute for the Union this season, and the dynamic defensive duo of Glesnes and Wagner are the only pair of teammates with at least 40 interceptions this season, with 42 and 43 respectively. The 28-year-old Norwegian has played every minute of all 58 regular season games for the Union since the start of the 2021 season and has logged 77 games played (75 starts) with four goals and four assists over this three-year MLS career.
With the addition of Glesnes, the Union are tied with Western Conference leader LAFC for the most 2022 MLS All-Star representatives with three apiece.
All-Star Game
The 2022 MLS All-Star Game presented by Target is on August 10 at 8:30 pm ET at Allianz Field in Minneapolis, Minn.
The MLS All-Stars will face off against the Liga MX All-Stars for the second straight season live on ESPN, Univision, TSN or TVA Sports.
