CARSON, Calif. (Monday, July 25, 2011) – LA Galaxy midfielder Juninho was today one of six players named an MLS All-Star ahead of Wednesday’s MLS All-Star Game, which will feature the MLS All-Stars taking on Premier League champion Manchester United at Red Bull Arena. The inclusion of Juninho and the other five players was decided in voting by MLS players. Per the League’s collective bargaining agreement, 32 players are named annually to the All-Star Team, though not all players can dress for the game.
Juninho is one of five Galaxy players that have been named to the 32-man MLS roster for the All-Star Game. He is joined by Landon Donovan and Omar Gonzalez, each of who will miss the game through injury, on the game’s inactive list, while David Beckham and Sean Franklin are currently in New York ahead of Wednesday’s game, which they are scheduled to appear in.
Now in his second season with the Galaxy, Juninho has appeared in and started 20 of the club’s 22 games, scoring three times while adding two assists. An integral cog in the center of the Galaxy midfield, Juninho has quietly established himself as one of the most talented central midfielders in MLS this season. All three of his goals have come on long range shots from outside the box, including tallies in each of the first two games of the year for LA. He scored the game-winning goal in MLS First Kick in Seattle on March 15, leading the Galaxy to a 1-0 win over the Sounders while also tallying the game-winning goal and an assist in the 3-1 win at Colorado on June 18.
The MLS All-Star Game will be played on Wednesday, July 27 at Red Bull Arena in Harrison, N.J. The game kicks off at 5:30 p.m. and can be seen nationally in English on ESPN2 and in Spanish on Galavision.
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