Eight Impact players nominated for the 2017 MLS All-star game
Fan voting now underway
Eight Impact players have been nominated for the 2017 MLS All-star game, presented by Target: goalkeeper Evan Bush, defenders Laurent Ciman and Ambroise Oyongo, midfielders Ignacio Piatti, Patrice Bernier, Dominic Oduro and Ballou Tabla, as well as striker Anthony Jackson-hamel.
Fan Voting for the 2017 MLS All-star Game Fan XI presented by Target is now open on the free MLS app, while the EA SPORTS™ "More Than a Vote" Challenge starts on Saturday, June 3. Fans can also vote for their favorite players via an online ballot on Mlssoccer.com, from June 3 at 10 a.m. ET. Fan voting will run until June 30.
The MLS All-stars are set to take on Spanish giants Real Madrid at Soldier Field, in Chicago, on August 2, in the 2017 MLS All-star Game presented by Target. This summer showcase will air at 9 p.m. ET on FS1, Unimás, TSN and TVA Sports domestically, as well as across 170 countries globally.
In addition to the match, MLS will host a week of events surrounding the game, including concerts, community service initiatives, player appearances, as well as an additional showcase match featuring the best young players from across the league.
To create the fan ballot, media members nominated a total of 176 players - eight from each MLS team. Ten players - one goalkeeper, three defenders, four midfielders and two forwards - with the highest combined votes will be named to the 2017 MLS All-star Game Fan XI presented by Target.
The 11th player - a forward - will be determined by the EA SPORTS™ "More Than a Vote" Challenge. Fans have the opportunity to vote one forward into the 2017 MLS All-star Game presented by Target by scoring goals in EA SPORTS FIFA 17on Xbox One, Xbox 360®, Playstation®4, and Playstation®3 until June 30. The forward with the most votes - one goal equals one vote - on June 30 will take the final forward spot on the 2017 MLS All-star Game Fan XI presented by Target.
A total of 24 MLS players will be named All-stars per the collective bargaining agreement. Media, fans, players, the Allstar coach, Veljko Paunovic of the Chicago Fire, and MLS Commissioner Don Garber all contribute in the All-star selection process.
The 24 players named 2017 MLS All-stars will be selected in three phases:
Ballot creation: Media members determined the field of players - eight players per team - who are most deserving of consideration for this year's MLS All-star Game presented by Target. Those players are eligible for fan voting.
Fan voting: From May 30 through June 30, fans will select the 2017 MLS All-star Game Fan XI presented by Target. Fans can vote via the free MLS app starting on May 30 and on Mlssoccer.com beginning June 3.
Via the EA SPORTS "More than a Vote" Challenge: Starting on June 3, fans will score as many goals as possible with their favorite MLS All-star forward candidate in FIFA 17 , with one goal equaling one vote. The forward with the most votes will take one of the forward spots on the 2017 MLS All-star Game Fan XI presented by Target.
Team selection: The MLS All-star head coach will select the starting lineup from the pool of eligible players determined by the media, as well as the 2017 MLS All-star Game Fan XI presented by Target and MLS Commissioner Don Garber's two selections.