Liga MX unveils its final roster for the 2021 All-Star game
Major League Soccer and Liga MX have unveiled how their respective rosters will be selected for this years’ All-Star game to be hosted in Los Angeles
Last month, the commissioner of Major League Soccer, Don Garber, announced that the 2021 All-Star game will take place on 25 August at the Banc of California Stadium in Los Angeles, California. For the first time the two rival leagues will go head-to-head in a game that will celebrate and unite the soccer community from both neighboring countries.
On Saturday, the Mexican Football Federation hosted their annual ‘Balón de Oro’ ceremony, where they confirmed the final roster that will face the MLS All-Stars next month. Juan Reynoso from Cruz Azul will be the manager for the Liga MX All-Stars.
Goalkeepers: José de Jesús Corona (Cruz Azul), Alfredo Talavera (Pumas) and Guillermo Ochoa (América)
Defenders: William Tesillo (León), Matheus Dória (Santos), Victor Andrés Guzmán (Tijuana), Fernando Navarro (León), Salvador Reyes (Puebla), Jesús Gallardo (Monterrey), Pablo Aguilar (Cruz Azul), César Montes (Monterrey) and Juan Escobar (Cruz Azul)
Midfielders: Luis Montes (León), Rubens Sambueza (Toluca), Fernando Gorriarán (Santos), Luis Romo (Cruz Azul), Guido Pizarro (Tigres), Pedro Aquino (América), Ángel Mena (León) and Diego Valdés (Santos).
Strikers: Santiago Muñoz (Santos), Jonathan Rodríguez (Cruz Azul), Alexis Canelo (Toluca), André-Pierre Gignac (Tigres) and Rogelio Funes Mori (Monterrey)
This is how MLS All-Stars are selected
With the game approaching, MLS and Liga MX have announced their respective preliminary rosters for the game. It's a sign that the partnership between both rival leagues continues to grow stronger and in the near future they could merge into one league.
The MLS All-Star will have 12 players selected by a vote of the league’s players, fans and the media and each group will account for a third of the combined vote. MLS has confirmed that Bob Bradley (LAFC) will be the manager for this game and he will select 12 players of his choice.
Another two will be selected by MLS Commissioner Don Garber and players, fans and media will submit their votes for the remaining 11 players. The top player from each position (one goalkeeper, one right back, two center backs, one left back, one defensive midfielder, two attacking midfielders and three forwards/wingers) will be named in the MLS All-Star team.