PORTLAND, Ore.— Starting today, fans can vote to send Portland Timbers players to the 2011 AT&T MLS All-Star Game on July 27 at Red Bull Arena. Managed by New York Red Bulls coach Hans Backe, the MLS All-Stars will face Manchester United at 5:30 p.m. (PT), live on ESPN2 and Galavisión.
Through July 5, fans will be able to vote online at www.MLSSoccer.com or via text message for the players they believe should face Manchester United. From June 17-20, an innovative Twitter vote will take place. The players with the highest combined votes from these three voting methods will become the first 11 All-Stars, known as the All-Star First XI.
A select media panel determined the field of players – six players per team – for consideration for this year’s All-Star Game. Those 108 players are eligible for fan voting.
The Timbers players included on the ballot include defenders Mamadou "Futty" Danso and Rodney Wallace, midfielders Kalif Alhassan and Jack Jewsbury, and forwards Kenny Cooper and Jorge Perlaza.
Via text message, fans can text an MLS player’s last name to 22442. The player who receives the most text votes by 11:59 p.m. (ET) on July 5 will automatically earn a spot among the All-Star First XI.
On Twitter, fans can use an MLS player’s Twitter handle (i.e. @rodwallace22), OR an MLS player’s full name with no space between first and last (i.e. kennycooper) to submit their vote. The tweet also must contain @MLS and #MLSAllStar to be counted. Fans can also use Twitter to vote for a player NOT on the fan ballot.
The All-Star First XI will be announced Sunday, July 10, likely during halftime of ESPN’s telecast of the Timbers’ home match against Seattle Sounders FC, which kicks off at 1 p.m. (PT).
A total of 32 All-Stars are named each year, per the collective bargaining agreement. Media, fans, players, the All-Star coach and MLS Commissioner Don Garber all contribute in the All-Star selection process.
MLS All-Star head coach Hans Backe will select the gameday roster of 18 players. Players named to the All-Star First XI are eligible for selection to the gameday roster. MLS Commissioner Don Garber will select two All-Stars; the coach will decide if those two are selected for the gameday roster. The coach and Commissioner selections will be announced on Monday, July 18.
Once the final gameday roster has been announced, voting by MLS players will determine the remainder of the 32 All-Stars named annually per the CBA (known as the “inactive roster”).
The final list of 32 All-Stars (4 goalkeepers, 8 defenders, 13 midfielders and 7 forwards) will be announced on MLSsoccer.com on July 25.
