In conjunction with Major League Soccer, Columbus Crew SC today announced that forward Kei Kamara has been named to the 22-man gameday roster for the 2015 AT&T MLS All-Star Game. The MLS All-Stars are set to take on Barclays Premier League side Tottenham Hotspur on Wednesday, July 29 at Dicks Sporting Goods Park, home of the Colorado Rapids (9:00 p.m. ET / Fox Sports 1, UniMas, TSN, RDS).
Kamara was selected to the gameday roster by Colorado Rapids and MLS All-Star head coach Pablo Mastroeni. The announcement was made during halftime of Saturday's USA vs. Cuba CONCACAF Gold Cup Quarterfinal match on FOX.
The Sierra Leone international is the second Black & Gold player named to the All-Star roster in as many years under Sporting Director and Head Coach Gregg Berhalter, joining Captain and defender Michael Parkhurst, who represented Columbus at last year's game in Portland. He becomes the 19th all-time member of the Black & Gold to be named to the All-Star roster at least once.
VIDEO: Kamara on the honor of being named to the 2015 AT&T MLS All-Star Game gameday roster
This is the first All-Star Game active roster appearance of Kamara's MLS career, which began in 2006 with Columbus. He was named to the MLS All-Star Team in 2012 with Sporting Kansas City as an inactive player. The forward has made 213 appearances in MLS (166 starts), scoring 65 goals and adding 28 assists. Among all active League players, Kamara ranks sixth in all-time goals scored, trailing only Chris Wondolowski, Edson Buddle, Kenny Cooper, Eddie Johnson and Conor Casey.
VIDEO: Kamara's League-leading 13th goal of the season from Wednesday night's victory in Chicago
This season, Kamara leads all of MLS in goals with 13. Returning to the Black & Gold for his second stint with the club, the forward also ranks second in the League in shots (89) as well as third in shots on goal (36). His four braces this season lead MLS, and his nine goals at MAPFRE Stadium are tied with the LA Galaxy's Robbie Keane for the most that any player has scored at his home venue.
The full roster is below, listed in alphabetical order by last name:
2015 AT&T MLS All-Star Game Roster
Goalkeepers (2): David Ousted (Vancouver Whitecaps FC), Nick Rimando (Real Salt Lake)
Defenders (8): DaMarcus Beasley (Houston Dynamo), Tony Beltran (Real Salt Lake), Matt Besler (Sporting Kansas City), Laurent Ciman (Montreal Impact), Omar Gonzalez (LA Galaxy), Chad Marshall (Seattle Sounders FC), Drew Moor (Colorado Rapids), Chris Tierney (New England Revolution)
Midfielders (7): Michael Bradley (Toronto FC), Fabian Castillo (FC Dallas), Benny Feilhaber (Sporting Kansas City), Steven Gerrard (LA Galaxy), Kaka (Orlando City SC), Frank Lampard (New York City FC), Graham Zusi (Sporting Kansas City)
Forwards (5): Clint Dempsey (Seattle Sounders FC), Sebastian Giovinco (Toronto FC), Kei Kamara (Columbus Crew SC), Robbie Keane (LA Galaxy), David Villa (New York City FC)
Crew SC returns to MAPFRE Stadium tomorrow, Sunday, July 19 in a nationally televised clash against Eastern Conference rival Chicago Fire. The match kicks-off at 5:00 p.m. ET and can be watched on ESPN2, ESPN Deportes and TSN2. Local radio coverage of the contest is available in English on CD102.5 FM and in Spanish on 103.1 FM La Mega.
