NEW YORK -- Landon Donovan and Edson Buddle, who helped the United States reach the second round of the World Cup, have been selected for the MLS All-Star game against Manchester United later this month.
The forwards were among four members of the Los Angeles Galaxy chosen on Tuesday for the match. Goalkeeper Donovan Ricketts and defender Omar Gonzalez were also selected. It will be Donovan's 10th appearance.
Defending champion Real Salt Lake had three players picked: defender Jamison Olave and midfielders Javier Morales and Kyle Beckerman.
The All-Stars will play the 2009 Premier League champions on July 28 in Houston.
The MLS All-Stars were chosen in balloting by fans, players, media and coaches and general managers.
The First XI, consisting of one goalkeeper, three defenders, five midfielders and two forwards, received the most votes at their respective positions from four groups -- fans, players, media, and coaches/general managers. The MLS All-Star First XI will be joined by 10 coaches' picks and two Commissioner's selections, which will be announced next Monday, to complete the 2010 MLS All-Star team's 23-man roster.
This year's MLS All-Star nod is the fourth consecutive such honor for Beckerman, but it marks the first time the 28-year-old midfielder and RSL captain has been voted into the League's First XI for the contest. Before suffering a torn tendon in his left foot on May 22 at Chivas USA, Beckerman was the sole field player to play every minute in RSL's first eight contests, during which he also contributed a pair of goals and assists while marshalling the Utah side's diamond midfield from his deep position.
Beckerman was named a "Commissioner's Pick" for last year's All-Star Game against another EPL side, Everton FC, at Rio Tinto Stadium, and was also named to the MLS All-Stars' inactive roster in both 2007 & 2008.
Morales will be making his second straight appearance as an MLS All-Star, as he too was named as a "Commissioner's Pick" for last year's contest against Everton FC in Sandy. The Argentine playmaker helped RSL get its title defense off to a blistering start with a two-goal, one-assist effort in a 3-0 win at San Jose on March 27, a sparkling performance that earned him the first MLS Player of the Week honor for 2010 from the North American Soccer Reporters.
After suffering an adductor injury in April, Morales returned to the lineup rejuvenated and has recorded four goals and a team-high six assists in his 13 appearances, the six helpers ranking tied for fourth across the League in the category.
The trip to Houston at the end of the month will mark the first All-Star appearance for Olave, a well-deserved honor for the hulking Colombian center back now in his third season on the Wasatch Front. Olave has started all 15 games and played all but 13 minutes on the campaign, his intimidating presence and gifted physical skills contributing to a defensive effort that has resulted in a 498-minute shutout streak for the Claret-and-Cobalt, currently the fourth longest such run in MLS history.
Olave has also proven to be a handful on the offensive end, his presence in the area on set pieces resulting in three goals this season, all scored in front of his adoring fans at Rio Tinto Stadium.
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