COLUMBUS – Major League Soccer tonight announced that Columbus Crew captain and defender Michael Parkhurst has been named to the 23-man roster for the 2014 AT&T MLS All-Star Game. The experienced roster will take on Bayern Munich on August 6 at Providence Park, home of the Portland Timbers (live on ESPN 2, UniMas, and in Canada on TSN and RDS starting at 9:30 p.m. ET).
The Rhode Island native is the first Crew player to be named to the All-Star roster in four years and is the first selection since the duo of Guillermo Barros Schelotto and Chad Marshall in 2010. Parkhurst has played in two previous MLS All-Star matches. As a rookie in MLS in 2005, Parkhurst was named to the All-Star roster against Fulham FC at Columbus Crew Stadium and made a substitute appearance. He also started in the 2007 All-Star clash against Celtic FC at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park in Colorado.
Entering tonight’s match, the Crew captain has made 18 appearances – including 17 starts – on the Black & Gold’s backline since joining the club ahead of the 2014 season. He made his Crew debut in the Black & Gold’s season-opening, shutout victory over D.C. United on March 8.
Parkhurst returned to MLS after spending the last six years playing professionally in Germany and Denmark. He competed in the 2012 UEFA Champions League while playing for Danish side F.C. Nordsjalland. During his four years with New England, Parkhurst received honors such as MLS Rookie of the Year (2005), MLS Humanitarian of the Year (2006) and MLS Defender of the Year (2007). He also featured on the international stage for the U.S. Men's National Team and helped the team win both the 2007 and 2013 CONCACAF Gold Cup titles.
Because of the competitive format – MLS vs. the World – of the AT&T MLS All-Star Game, MLS asked All-Star Head Coach Caleb Porter to choose from among all available players, and he constructed a dynamic, balanced roster loaded with the League’s top talent to take on one of the best teams in the world.
The full roster is below, listed in alphabetical order by last name.
2014 AT&T MLS All-Star Roster
Goalkeepers:Bill Hamid (D.C. United), Nick Rimando (Real Salt Lake)
Defenders:Matt Besler (Sporting Kansas City), Aurélien Collin (Sporting Kansas City), Omar Gonzalez (LA Galaxy), Chad Marshall (Seattle Sounders FC), Michael Parkhurst (Columbus Crew), DeAndre Yedlin (Seattle Sounders FC)
Midfielders:Osvaldo Alonso (Seattle Sounders FC), Kyle Beckerman (Real Salt Lake), Michael Bradley (Toronto FC), Tim Cahill (New York Red Bulls), Clint Dempsey (Seattle Sounders FC), Will Johnson (Portland Timbers), Diego Valeri (Portland Timbers), Graham Zusi (Sporting Kansas City)
Forwards:Jermain Defoe (Toronto FC), Landon Donovan (LA Galaxy), Thierry Henry (New York Red Bulls), Robbie Keane(LA Galaxy), Obafemi Martins (Seattle Sounders FC), Erick Torres (Chivas USA), Bradley Wright-Phillips (New York Red Bulls)
