PLAYERS TO WATCH
MLS ALL-STARS
CLINT DEMPSEY Forward, Seattle Sounders FC
Soccer fact(s): Dempsey is one of the most decorated players in the history of U.S. soccer. In 2004 as a rookie with the New England Revolution, Dempsey was voted MLS Rookie of the Year. He was Fulham FC’s Player of the season for the 2010-11 and 2011-12 campaigns. Dempsey was the top goalscorer in the 2015 CONCACAF Gold Cup.
Fun fact(s): Dempsey is also a hip-hop artist under the alias of “Deuce.” He is featured rapping in a Nike ad for the 2006 World Cup. Alongside Lionel Messi, Dempsey appears on the cover of the FIFA 15 video game.
DIDIER DROGBA Striker, Montreal Impact
Soccer fact(s): Perhaps the most famous footballer to come out of the Ivory Coast, Drogba has had a legendary career. He led the Premier League twice in goals scored with Chelsea. In his first MLS start, Drogba scored a hat trick, the first to do so in the league’s history.
Fun fact(s): Levallois Sporting Club, Drogba’s first amateur club, named its home stadium after him.
KAKA Midfielder, Orlando City SC
Soccer fact(s): The Brazilian attacker was recognized as the best player in the world after being named the 2007 FIFA World Player of the Year (award later named FIFA Ballon d’Or.) He was a member of the 2002 Brazilian squad the won the World Cup.
Fun fact(s): Also known for his good looks, Kaka has a modeling contract with Giorgio Armani. In 2012, he became the first sportsperson on Twitter to reach over 10 million followers.
DAVID VILLA Striker, New York City FC
Soccer fact(s): Villa is Spain’s all-time leading goalscorer with 59. There aren’t many better finishers in the world than Villa, who routinely finished among the top goalscorers in La Liga during his time with Valencia. Scoring isn’t all he’s good at — he was also La Liga’s top assisting player for the 2006-07 season.
Fun fact(s): After breaking his right leg at the age of four, Villa’s father helped build strength in both of his legs, turning Villa into a spectacular ambidextrous striker.
DAVID BINGHAM Goalkeeper, Earthquakes
Soccer fact(s): A Cal product, Bingham helped the school reach the quarterfinals of the 2010 NCAA tournament. In 2011, he scored a ridiculous goal from 90 yards in an exhibition match against West Bromwich.
Fun fact(s): David’s sister, Kimberly, was a goalkeeper for Arizona State as well as the U.S. Women’s National Team. Born in Castro Valley, Bingham grew up an Earthquakes fan and saw his dream of playing for the team realized when he was awarded to the Quakes through a weighted lottery after the MLS SuperDraft.
ANDRE BLAKE Goalkeeper, Philadelphia Union
Soccer fact(s): Selected by the fans as part of the MLS Fan XI voting, Blake has recorded four shutouts this season for the Philadelphia Union.
Fun fact(s): Blake was selected first overall in the 2014 MLS SuperDraft, becoming the first goalkeeper ever to be drafted with the top pick.
CHRIS WONDOLOWSKI Forward, Earthquakes
Soccer fact(s): San Jose’s captain is enjoying another successful season, having amassed 8 goals despite missing time to play for the U.S. men’s national team. Known as one of the league’s greatest scorers, Wondo surpassed the 100-goal mark in 2015.
Fun fact(s): Wondolowski is a lifelong Earthquakes fan having grown up in Danville and was a star at Chico State. He is also a member of the Kiowa Native American tribe and was given the tribal name, Bau Daigh, which means “warrior coming over the hill.”
BRANDON VINCENT Defender, Chicago Fire
Soccer fact(s): An All-American standout at Stanford, Vincent earned Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year honors in his senior season as co-captain of the Cardinal and helped the school to its first national title in 2015. Vincent makes the All-Star squad in his first MLS season, having been selected fourth overall by Chicago in the 2016 MLS SuperDraft.
GIOVANI DOS SANTOS Midfielder, Los Angeles Galaxy
Soccer fact(s): The Mexican star has scored 7 goals for the Galaxy this season. Dos Santos scored a highlight reel goal against the United States in the 2011 Gold Cup Final that is still talked about to this day. He was also a part of the 2005 Mexico U-17 squad that won the World Cup. Fun fact(s): Dos Santos was featured on the cover of the MLS custom edition of FIFA 16. Giovani’s younger brother, Jonathan, plays for Villareal of Spain. The two were teammates from 2014-15.
ANDREA PIRLO Midfielder, New York City FC
Soccer fact(s): Pirlo has long been known as one of the best setup men in the sport and his 8 assists for New York this season continue to prove that to be true. He led Italy to its fourth World Cup title in 2006.
Fun fact(s): Pirlo runs his own vineyard in Italy, producing about 15,000-20,000 bottles of wine a year. According to Sky Sports, Pirlo’s jersey is the best-selling jersey in the MLS so far in 2016.
DOMINIC KINNEAR Coach, Earthquakes
Soccer fact(s): Kinnear had a 14-year playing career that featured stints in the United States, Scotland and Mexico before becoming an assistant coach with the Earthquakes in 2001. He coached the Houston Dynamo to back-to-back MLS Cup championships in 2006-07.
Fun fact(s): This is the third MLS All-Star game that Kinnear will be involved in. The first was as an assistant coach in 2001 when the game was played at Spartan Stadium, followed by the 2012 game in Houston where he served as an assistant to head coach Bruce Arena.