PORTLAND, Ore. – Major League Soccer announced today that Portland Timbers midfielder Darlington Nagbe and defender Liam Ridgewell have been named to the 2016 AT&T MLS All-Star Gameday Roster, as chosen by MLS All-Star head coach Dominic Kinnear.
Nagbe and Ridgewell were among 24 MLS players selected by Kinnear to compete against English Premier League club Arsenal FC at Avaya Stadium in San Jose, Calif., on Thursday, July 28, at 4:30 p.m. (Pacific), live on ESPN, UniMás, UDN, TSN, and RDS. Today’s announcement also included two Commissioner’s Picks as part of a 26-man Gameday Roster.
Nagbe, who was voted to this year’s MLS All-Star Fan XI, is the Timbers career-leader in appearances across all eras (since 1975). Nagbe, 25, has made 15 starts in 15 appearances for the Timbers in 2016, compiling 175 appearances (164 starts) since beginning his MLS career with Portland in 2011. Prior to joining the U.S. Men’s National Team for the 2016 Copa America Centenario in June, Nagbe recorded one goal and three assists over a six-game stretch (April 27-May 22) with Portland, extending his career tally to 24 goals and 23 assists with the Timbers. Across all eras in club history (since 1975), Nagbe is ranked 10th for goals and sixth for assists, while ranking eighth for points (71).
Ridgewell, 31, was named to his second MLS All-Star game after previously being selected in 2014. Now in his third season with the Timbers, the English defender has made 13 appearances in 2016, logging 1,170 minutes and scoring one goal on the season. Overall, the Timbers captain has made 60 starts in 60 appearances for Portland in his three-year career, logging 5,388 minutes with three goals and two assists. During that 60-game stretch, the Timbers have recorded 20 shutouts, producing a 1.23 goals-against average.
2016 AT&T MLS All-Star Gameday Roster
Goalkeepers: David Bingham (San Jose Earthquakes), Andre Blake (Philadelphia Union)
Defenders: Matt Besler (Sporting Kansas City), Steve Birnbaum (D.C. United), Laurent Ciman (Montreal Impact), Andrew Farrell (New England Revolution), Liam Ridgewell (Portland Timbers), Keegan Rosenberry (Philadelphia Union), Brandon Vincent (Chicago Fire), Kendall Waston (Vancouver Whitecaps FC)
Midfielders: Kyle Beckerman* (Real Salt Lake), Mauro Diaz* (FC Dallas), Giovani dos Santos (LA Galaxy), Jermaine Jones (Colorado Rapids), Kaká (Orlando City SC), Sacha Kljestan (New York Red Bulls), Darlington Nagbe (Portland Timbers), Andrea Pirlo (New York City FC), Wil Trapp (Columbus Crew SC)
Forwards: Clint Dempsey (Seattle Sounders FC), Didier Drogba (Montreal Impact), Sebastian Giovinco (Toronto FC), Cyle Larin (Orlando City SC), Ignacio Piatti (Montreal Impact), David Villa (New York City FC), Chris Wondolowski (San Jose Earthquakes)
*indicates Commissioner’s picks
