SEATTLE, WASH. – Major League Soccer today announced that Sounders FC forwards Clint Dempsey and Obafemi Martins have been selected to the 2015 MLS All-Star Game Fan XI. This marks the second consecutive season that the Seattle forward pair has been named to the Fan XI, as well as the second-straight selection for Martins via the AT&T/EA SPORTS™ MLS All-Star ‘More Than a Vote’ Tournament. The 2015 MLS All-Star team faces Barclays Premier League club Tottenham Hotspur on Wednesday, July 29 at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park in Commerce City, Colorado (6:00 p.m. PT / FOX Sports 1, UniMás, TSN and RDS). Sounders FC joins Sporting Kansas City as the two teams with multiple players named to the Fan XI.
MEDIA RESOURCES
Broadcast quality soundbytes from members of the 2015 AT&T MLS All-Star Game Fan XI, including Obafemi Martins: http://sndrs.com/y8v4
2015 AT&T MLS All-Star Game logo: http://sndrs.com/k63l
Dempsey, 32, makes his fourth MLS All-Star appearance and second straight with Seattle, after starting in 2005 and 2006 while with the New England Revolution. Dempsey has seven goals (tied for ninth in MLS) and is tied for fifth with six assists in 12 appearances for Sounders FC this season, in addition to three goals in two matches for the USMNT at the 2015 CONCACAF Gold Cup.
Martins, 29, earns his second MLS All-Star selection since joining Sounders FC in March of 2013. The 2014 Volkswagen MLS MVP runner-up is tied with Dempsey for the team-lead with seven goals in 2015, and his 32 career MLS goals ranks second in club history.
While 10 of the 11 players on the Fan XI are determined by combined fan voting on two platforms – online at MLSsoccer.com and via social media (Twitter, Facebook and Instagram) – the 11th player is determined through the AT&T/EA SPORTS™ MLS All-Star ‘More Than a Vote’ Tournament. For the second-consecutive year, Martins earned his spot on the Fan XI as fans scored more than one million goals with the Sounders FC forward inEA SPORTS FIFA 15
Sounders FC has earned multiple All-Star selections in each of its seven years in existence. Dempsey and Martins become the sixth and seventh Seattle players to be selected to multiple All-Star games, joining Kasey Keller (2009-2011), Freddie Ljungberg (2009-2010), Fredy Montero (2009-2010), Osvaldo Alonso (2011-2013) and DeAndre Yedlin (2012-2013).
The 2015 AT&T MLS All-Star Gameday Roster will be announced on Saturday, July 18 and will include the two Commissioner’s Picks as well as 20 players selected by All-Star head coach Pablo Mastroeni. While the players named to the Fan XI are not guaranteed a spot on the gameday roster, the outcome of fan voting is taken into consideration as the 22-man roster is decided.
2015 MLS ALL-STAR FAN XI
Goalkeeper: Nick Rimando (Real Salt Lake)
Defenders: Omar Gonzalez (LA Galaxy), Matt Besler (Sporting Kansas City), DaMarcus Beasley (Houston Dynamo)
Midfielders: Kaká (Orlando City SC), Michael Bradley (Toronto FC), Benny Feilhaber (Sporting Kansas City), Graham Zusi (Sporting Kansas City)
Forwards: Clint Dempsey (Seattle Sounders FC), David Villa (New York City FC), Obafemi Martins (Seattle Sounders FC – AT&T/EA SPORTS “More than a Vote” Tournament winner)
