Galaxy midfielder Cobi Jones leads three Black players who were selected to play in tonight’s Sierra Mist Major League Soccer All-Star Game at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park in Commerce City, Colorado.
This will be the ninth All-Star selection for Jones, who has four goals and one assist this year. It will also be his final All-Star appearance as he announced his retirement from the Galaxy after this season.
Also selected were Kansas City striker Eddie Johnson and Real Salt Lake defender Eddie Pope. This will be Johnson’s first All-Star game while for Pope, it will be his record-setting 11th appearance.
In his sixth MLS season, Johnson is having a strong year for the Wizards as he is tied for the league lead in scoring with nine goals. This season, he became the first player in league history to score back-to-back hat tricks – three goals in a game – when he did so on May 26 and June 2.
For Pope, it will be his final appearance, as like Jones, he will retire following this season. Both players were selected as Commissioner’s Picks in recognition for their stellar careers that started with the league’s debut in 1996.
Arguably, both players rank amongst the best to have played for Team USA. Pope is regarded as one of the best American-born defenders to play the game while Jones has made 164 appearances for Team USA, most of all time.
The MLS All-Stars will face Scottish soccer club, Celtic F.C., one of the world’s best and most popular teams. It will be the fourth time that the MLS All-Stars will face a foreign club in the All-Star Game.
The game will be televised at 6:00 p.m. on ESPN2.
