The Pitch: 2024 MLS All-Star Voting is Open

MLS Communications

Below is a selection of marquee MLS matches that will highlight Matchday 19 action taking place on Saturday, June 7, on MLS Season Pass on the Apple TV app.

Rare Chance for New York: While the New England Revolution hold a 19-4-7 record over the New York Red Bulls at Gillette Stadium since 2002, the Red Bulls have won four of their last five against the Revolution in MLS play, including a win at Gillette, heading into Saturday’s match (7:30 p.m. ET).

NE Media Availability: head coach Caleb Porter and player (Thursday, June 6, 1 p.m. ET).
RBNY Media Availability: head coach Sandro Schwarz and player (Thursday, June 6, 12:30 p.m. ET).

Steadying the Ships: Now unbeaten in three consecutive games, Seattle Sounders FC (1-0-2) will look to extend the streak to four matches against Sporting Kansas City, who are looking for a momentum-shifting game to get them back on course to securing a playoff position (8:30 p.m. ET).

Please contact the Sporting Kansas City Communications with media inquiries.
Please contact the Seattle Sounders FC Communications with media inquiries.

Loons Loom Over Dallas: Though unbeaten in their last two trips to Allianz Field, FC Dallas face off against a Minnesota United FC squad looking to keep pace with LAFC and Real Salt Lake near the top of the Western Conference standings with a win on Saturday (8:30 p.m. ET).

Please contact the Minnesota United FC Communications with media inquiries.
DAL Media Availability (Password: FCDPress): head coach Nico Estévez and player (Thursday, June 6, 2:30 p.m. ET)

Away Side Rules: Last season, the away side won this fixture by a 2-1 scoreline in both meetings between St. Louis CITY SC and the Portland Timbers, and Timbers midfielder Evander looks likely to extend his goal contribution streak to four games this weekend (8:30 p.m. ET).

Please contact the St. Louis CITY SC Communications with media inquiries.
POR Media Availability: head coach Phil Neville and players (Thursday, June 6, 2 p.m. ET)

Voting is open for the 2024 MLS All-Star Game presented by Target, which will feature the league’s best facing off against Liga MX All-Stars at Columbus Crew’s Lower.com Field on Wednesday, July 24.

Media, players, and fans can vote for 12 of the 26 MLS players selected to play in this year’s All-Star Game, with each of those three groups accounting for a third of the total. An additional 12 players will be selected by Wilfried Nancy, Columbus Crew and 2024 MLS All-Star head coach. The final two spots will be chosen by MLS Commissioner Don Garber.

For more information on 2024 MLS All-Star Game presented by Target voting, click here.

MLS Imprints All Over U.S. Pre-Olympic Training Camp Roster

Twenty-five players are currently in Kansas City as the U.S. begins their preparations for the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris and MLS is well-represented on the roster. Twenty-four of the 25 players have played in MLS or spent time in an MLS academy, showcasing the league’s impact on the development of young U.S. players. Not only is it MLS, but eight different players have seen action in MLS NEXT Pro, including Columbus Crew goalkeeper Patrick Schulte, who was the MLS Next Pro Goalkeeper of the Year in 2022.

Among the call-ups was Nashville SC’s Walker Zimmerman, who is the first overage player to be selected to a camp in the run-up to the Olympics. Zimmerman has earned 42 senior international caps and has the chance to become one of the key leaders on the Olympic team in France. The oldest player on the roster, Zimmerman is also joined by the two youngest players on team from MLS Inter Miami’s Benjamin Cremaschi (19) and New England’s Esmir Bajraktarevic (19). After returning from an injury, LA Galaxy defender Jalen Neal is back with the national team and could accompany Zimmerman on the backline in Paris.

With final roster spots for the U.S. Men’s Soccer Olympics Team on the line, these 25 players will look to use Tuesday’s match on June 11 in Kansas City against Japan to make their final case to be part of this team’s return to the Summer Olympics for the first time since 2008.

LAFC kicked off Pride Month with a tifo honoring artist Juan Gabriel | SEE THE TIFO
PFL MMA fighter Clay Collard delivered the match day ball for Real Salt Lake on Saturday | CLAY KICKS RSL OFF
LAFC Co-President and GM John Thorrington visited Chamlian Armenian School to celebrate their 50th anniversary and commemorate Armenian Independence | WATCH HERE

Earlier today, Major League Soccer released information on its 2024 roster composition, which features the most geographically diverse and youngest player pool of any top men’s professional sports league across North America. Below is a by the numbers look at the MLS player pool, as of May 9, 2024.

17: Among cities in the United States and Canada, Toronto leads the way with 17 players born in its city limits, followed by New York City with 11 and Seattle with six.
13: The average age of players on MLS rosters is 26.13 years old, also the youngest among the top five North American men’s sports leagues. The NBA is the next closest league at 26.48 years old, followed by the NFL (27.23), MLB (29.15), and the NHL (29.34).
39: Thirty-nine of the 50 U.S. states and the District of Columbia are represented on MLS rosters, led by California with 52 players.
79: Players from 79 different countries, as determined by place of birth, appear on MLS rosters, which almost doubles that of the next closest top men’s league in North America (NBA, 45 countries represented) and the total is more than the NFL (29), MLB (23), and NHL (22) combined.
- Beyond North America, MLS continues to be the most globally representative league among the top men’s soccer leagues around the world, including the English Premier League (69 countries represented), France’s Ligue 1 (68), Italy’s Serie A (65), Spain’s La Liga (60), and Germany’s Bundesliga (54).
150: Over 150 players aged 22 and younger have appeared in at least one MLS game during the 2024 season (169 as of May 13).

For more information, view the full player pool report here: LINK

From the Spot - Portland Timbers’ Evander

It’s been a fruitful sophomore season in MLS for Portland Timbers midfielder Evander, who, alongside Lionel Messi, reigning Landon Donvan MLS MVP Luciano Acosta, and reigning MLS Golden Boot presented by Audi winner Denis Bouanga, is one of four players to produce at least seven goals and seven assists so far this season.

Sophomore surges have been a tradition for modern MLS stars, which includes Bouanga, who scored just one regular season goal in 2022 before producing a league-leading 20 in 2023. Evander is also following in the footsteps of 2022 MVP Hany Mukhtar, who improved from eight goal contributions to 28 between 2020 and 2021 and 2022 MLS MVP finalist Sebastián Driussi, who jumped from 10 goal contributions to 29 between 2021 and 2022.

The Timbers invested heavily in the Brazilian midfielder, making him their club-record signing ahead of the 2023 MLS regular season and passing him the torch of distinguished creative midfielders to have played for Portland during the club’s MLS era. Those midfielders include the likes of Sebastián Blanco and 2015 MVP Diego Valeri, both of whom Evander could join as the only players to record at least 10 goals and 10 assists in a single season for the Timbers. He currently sits on seven goals and eight assists through 17 games played in 2024.

With St. Louis CITY SC next up on Saturday, June 8 (8:30 p.m. ET, MLS Season Pass on Apple TV), Evander could surpass Valeri as the fastest player to reach 30 goal contributions (45 regular-season games) with one goal or assist in what would be his 41st MLS regular-season match for the Timbers.

To assist in your coverage of the 2024 MLS season, the MLS Communications staff has provided the following media resources, all of which are available on MLSsoccer.com/Media-Resources.