Ferdinand impressed by Kagawa

Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand is backing Japan international Shinji Kagawa to be a big hit in the Premier League.
The 23-year-old former Borussia Dortmund midfielder, currently in China with the rest of the United squad, has already impressed his new team-mates.
Ferdinand said: "I've been very, very impressed. I'd seen him play for Dortmund on TV and I looked on YouTube.
"He's been fantastic. He's quick, he's sharp, he has great awareness, he plays off both feet. I'm excited about playing with him and getting the season started.
"He's been one of the better players in Germany for the last few years. I think he will bring that form to Manchester United. I think he'll be a great acquisition."
Kagawa arrived at Old Trafford on a four-year deal last month and has taken little time to adapt to his new surroundings.
Manager Sir Alex Ferguson has been delighted with how quickly he has got to grips with life at his new club despite not yet having a grasp of English.
The Scot told a press conference in Shanghai: "The thing that's quite impressed me is that every exercise we do on the training ground, he's never needed it to be explained.
"After one demonstration, he joins in as if he's known the language forever. Of course, we know he doesn't speak the language, but it isn't a problem.
"It just goes to show that a good footballer can pick up exactly what's needed. He's been fantastic in that respect. I've been quite surprised at that."
Kagawa and his team-mates will play their latest pre-season friendly on Wednesday when they take on Shanghai Shenhua, the latest destination for Nicolas Anelka and Didier Drogba.
The Chinese game is proving a lucrative market for big-name players approaching the end of their careers, although England defender Ferdinand has insisted it is not yet on his horizon.
He said: "I think when you get to my age, if you look too far ahead, your legs can get taken beneath you.
"All I'm interested in is playing for United. It's what I enjoy.
"Pre-season began well. I'm just thinking about this season and playing for Manchester United. I'm obviously very happy here and not looking at going anywhere else."
Meanwhile, Ferguson admitted finding a long-term replacement for 37-year-old midfielder Paul Scholes, who came out of retirement last season to star for United once again, is an ongoing concern with illness preventing Darren Fletcher from staking his own claim.
Ferguson said: "Darren has a medical situation that he's trying hard to keep under control. We don't expect him back immediately, but hopefully he does come back at some point.
"Paul Scholes a year ago was coaching my reserves - now he's back playing, and everybody attached to United is delighted. He's such a fantastic player.
"In the long-term, trying to replace Scholes is very difficult. To replace a great player like him would be hard for anyone."

VIEW TV SCHEDULE SUBSCRIBE FOX SOCCER PLUS SIGN UP FOR FOX SOCCER 2GO Sign In SCORES USA PREMIER LEAGUE CHAMPIONS LEAGUE LATIN AMERICA LA LIGA EURO 2012 TV VIDEO SHOP GAMES MORE PREMIER LEAGUE SCORES SCHEDULES STANDINGS STATS TEAMS TRANSFERS VIDEO TV SCHEDULE PL FANTASY PHOTOS LISTS Premier League Modric back in training with Spurs

Luka Modric has returned to training with Tottenham, the Barclays Premier League club have confirmed.
Modric has been fined for missing training amid speculation of a move away, with Real Madrid thought to be the favourites for the midfielder's signature.
But a statement on the club's official website on Monday night read: "The club can confirm Luka Modric has returned to training today at Spurs Lodge. The coaching staff will now determine the remainder of his pre-season preparation."
Modric has stated his desire to leave the north London club this summer, having remained faithful to them last season after widespread interest - including from Chelsea, then managed by current Spurs boss Andre Villas-Boas.
Tottenham are willing to sell Modric at the right price, but it is understood they are looking for a fee nearer to £40million than the widely-reported figure of £35million. Manchester United and Paris St Germain are also reported to be interested in the 26-year-old.
Villas-Boas said at a news conference in America, broadcast by Sky Sports News: "Hopefully the situation does not drag on because it doesn't help Luka and it doesn't help to solve in any way the situation.
"The situation is not dependent on Tottenham, it is dependent on the clubs who are interested in the player.

"It's the first time Luka has taken these actions. The chairman and myself have been very open with the situation by saying we are willing to listen to offers for the player, which is uncommon.
"He has had many (expressions of) interest in the past, like last year, but he has always behaved professionally.
"We never doubt his human qualities but the club has to take action regarding a player who is missing on club duty and that's what we are doing.
"We have to hold on to our values and our rights and at the moment, the situation for Luka is that he is under club discipline."
The Portuguese, who was speaking before Modric's return to training was confirmed, added: "The player's behaviour at the moment is not what we want and that's why we are trying to bring him back to Tottenham duties. The last I heard he was back in London.
"Unfortunately for him he is going to have to be fined by the club for not being present.
"He is a player who has offered so much to Tottenham so we have to have a sense of respect for what he has done over the years for us, but the chairman feels that the fact he is not present is not common professional behaviour.
"Hopefully the situation can be solved in one of two ways - the two ways being that the clubs interested meet the demands of Tottenham regarding the player's value, or the player continues and returns to club duty."

Ganso the fallen star

It's August 2010 and the Meninos da Vila (Kids of the Vila) are in full swing. Santos are crowned Copa do Brasil champions, their first national title in six years, and the back pages of the country's newspapers are dominated by the team's young stars.

Neymar and Ganso have seen their careers go in different directions

The Meninos of Robinho, Ganso, Neymar and Andre have amassed 27 goals between them in just ten games. An 18-year-old Neymar is the tournament's top-scorer and Ganso, just two years his senior, its best player. This was a tantalising glimpse of Brazil's future - Neymar and Ganso in tandem, leading club and country to glory.
A year later, the glorious vision was partially realised. Andre had departed for pastures new, whilst Robinho's peculiar loan arrangement at Santos from Manchester City had expired. Santos were irresistible, sweeping to Copa Libertadores glory in fine style, suffering just one defeat in 14 games. The Peixe had been floundering in continental competition since the time of Pele 50 years previous, but now they could once more boast a side their rich history deserved. Neymar and Ganso once more shared the plaudits. The former voted the competition's best player; the latter Man of the Match in the final. It was now surely just a matter of time before the double act led the national side to equivalent success, or so it was believed.
The warning signs were there, but the ever-increasing hype was all-consuming. Whilst Neymar was taking it in his stride, Ganso was silently breaking. The youngster's Copa Libertadores final display was a remarkable achievement, not for the skill demonstrated, but for the circumstances leading up to the game. Following the side's Copa do Brasil triumph, Ganso underwent knee surgery that would keep him out of action for six months. After a return lasting just nine games, the procedure needed repeating. The Copa Libertadores final second-leg was to be his comeback game and he shone. Beneath the surface, though, the cracks were appearing. A year on, they are gaping chasms.
The past 12 months have not been kind to the elegant playmaker. Brazil manager Mano Menezes insisted his side would be built around Ganso, but the Copa America of last summer proved to be a disaster. Unfit following his injury lay-off, the languid enganche, otherwise known as trequartista, struggled to deal with the rugged, battle-hardened defensive midfielders the continent had to offer.
In a role that very few players master, his inexperience was glaring and his confidence in tatters. By September, injury struck again and Ganso arrived at the Club World Cup in Japan short of fitness once more. Santos may have cruised past Kashiwa Reysol, but Barcelona would not be so kind. The final was a savage lesson to the Brazilian side, Neymar included, but it was Ganso who found his faults laid bare for all to see by the relentless pressure of the Blaugrana defence. All the while, the relationship between midfielder and club was creaking, having failed to see eye-to-eye over a new contract.
Whilst Neymar is now the golden boy of Brazilian football, Ganso is the forgotten man. ''Ganso is upset with the club. They put together a project for Neymar but forgot about Ganso," his agent, Delcir Sonda, complained this week. ''Ganso will not play for Santos again. That is guaranteed."
The beautiful vision of the future had soured. Two had become one in the eyes of the Brazilian public, and Ganso had been the one to lose out. Whilst Neymar's form and charisma make him a sponsor's dream, his often dour colleague does not hold the same appeal. The former's earning power allowed Santos to offer a mammoth contract worth more than £600,000-a-month, Ganso was offered just a quarter of that. With Ganso still the second lowest paid player in the Santos first-team, the relationship is now seemingly over.
A year ago there would have been considerable European interest at this development. Indeed, AC Milan are believed to have backed out of a deal last summer only at the last minute, following yet another unfortunate injury set-back. The current transfer window presents quite some contrast. Manchester United and Chelsea are bandied around as suitors in the English media, but this is ultimately speculation with little substance, with many unaware of the midfielder's recent travails.
The only concerted interest in recent months has come from Porto, who had a "derisory" bid of €8 million rejected by Santos in January - a far cry from the €20-30 million touted just last summer. That was January. Since then, Ganso has encountered little except poor form and injury. Indeed DIS, who own 55% of the player's economic rights, will this week look to buy the remaining share off Santos. If the Paulista side get anything in excess of €5 million for their share, they will be mildly content.

GettyImagesGanso is crestfallen after Santos lost to Corinthians in the semi-finals of the Copa Libertadores last month

Talk in Brazil this week suggests Ganso will head south to Internacional, if his owners succeed in their attempted buy-out. A loan deal would see Ganso link up with the talented Andres D'Alessandro in midfield, behind a newly reinforced strikeforce of Leandro Damiao and Diego Forlan. The arrival, though, would surely see the departure of rising star Oscar, who appears headed for Chelsea.
Whilst Ganso's career has stalled, Oscar's has sky-rocketed. A wonderful hat-trick against Portugal in the 2011 Under-20 World Cup final kickstarted his rapid ascent to stardom, which culminated in four sublime appearances for the national team last month. As fate would have it, the former Sao Paulo youngster would never have been given the opportunity had it not been for Ganso's latest injury setback. The Olympic Games now loom on the horizon; they were supposed to be Neymar and Ganso's test-run for the 2014 World Cup. Now, even the latter's place in the team is in significant doubt.
Injuries have undoubtedly done untold damage to the youngster's progression, but the root of his poor form lies deeper than simply bad luck. On the biggest stages and against international standard defences, Ganso has consistently been found wanting over the past two years. As Juan Roman Riquelme and the deeper-lying Andrea Pirlo, or Paul Scholes, manage to compete at the top level at little more than walking pace, Ganso has been unable to replicate this success.
The enganche, or traditional South American number 10 playmaker role, is a dying art, with the aging Riquelme the only present master. Whilst the Argentine still dominates games, his Brazilian junior has failed to master this skill. Inexperience and a reticence to seek the ball see his undeniable talents too easily nullified. Compared with the vibrant, dynamic game offered by Oscar, Ganso is currently coming up short.
If ever a player needed a move to Europe to progress, it is Ganso. Whilst Oscar and Neymar already frequently find themselves simply too good for their domestic opponents, they emit an aura that suggests the transition to the Old Continent would be a mere formality. For Ganso, it would surely require a whole new learning process. The vast open spaces afforded in Brazil would be no more, and the very high pressure marking systems which have caused him so much bother to date would become a weekly occurrence. It would be sink or swim time for one of Brazil's most naturally gifted talents.
With his game simply not ready for the pressure of a move to a European giant, perhaps previously linked Porto or PSG would be suitable locations from where the playmaker could hone his skills. The onus would then be on him, and his body, to prove that he is capable of performing at the highest levels.
Hope still exists that one day, in the near future, Ganso's game will mature to once more be a match for his precocious colleague. Santos, though, look prepared to cut their losses on a player whose promising career appears to be stuck in an ever-deepening rut.

Sabatini: Liverpool want Borini

Roma sporting director Walter Sabatini has confirmed that Liverpool are looking to sign Italy striker Fabio Borini.

Borini, 21, worked under current Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers at both Swansea and Chelsea, before moving to Italy with Roma last summer.
Roma only purchased Borini outright in June, paying nearly £4 million in order to acquire the remaining 50% of the player's economic rights from Parma.
"There is a real interest shown by Liverpool for Borini,'' Sabatini said. "We are evaluating the situation with (Roma general manager) Franco (Baldini)."
Sabatini also confirmed that Roma are giving serious thought to selling Borini, who scored nine times in 24 Serie A appearances last season to earn a place in Italy's Euro 2012 squad.
"It's an option that we have," Sabatini said. "We'll see how we work it."
Meanwhile, Liverpool confirmed on Tuesday that midfielder Jonjo Shelvey has signed a new "long-term" contract at Anfield.
The 20-year-old has found himself on the fringes of the first team at Anfield, making 37 appearances in all competitions since joining from Charlton in May 2010, but has put pen to paper on an improved deal.
"I am really happy. Last season I was itching to try and push for a new contract. Now it's happened and I am ready to kick on again now," Shelvey said. "I want to get into the first team and be in the starting XI on a permanent basis. That's going to be hard, but it's something I've got to work towards.
"It's lovely to know I am in the plans for the future. At the moment, it's just about getting things right each day and proving myself to the gaffer here. The gaffer and his way of playing will suit me down to the ground and hopefully I can be in his plans.
"I think he's great. With all the passing drills he's doing, he's encouraging us to play all the time which is nice for a football player. Instead of doing a lot of long-distance running and things like that in pre-season, everything has been with a ball, which is more enjoyable. Everyone is enjoying training and looking forward to coming in.
"I think going away (on loan) to Blackpool helped me a lot. It gave me some experience, I scored some goals and I came back a better player. Kenny (Dalglish) gave me a chance towards the latter stages of the season and I thought I showed what I can do."

Chelsea agree fee for Oscar

ESPN understands that Chelsea have agreed a fee with Internacional for Brazil midfielder Oscar.

Oscar, 20, has been linked with a move to Europe this summer, and both Chelsea and Premier League rivals Tottenham Hotspur have been mooted as interested parties.
The Blues are now closing in on the playmaker's signature after a fee of €25 million was accepted by the player's club Internacional.
An ESPN source said: "Nothing is signed but a deal in principle is agreed for €25 million."
Champions League winners Chelsea have already brought in Eden Hazard from Lille and Werder Bremen's Marko Marin ahead of Roberto Di Matteo's first full season in charge as permanent boss.
Oscar, who will represent his nation at the 2012 Olympics, is highly-rated in his native Brazil, with an arguable career highlight being a hat-trick against Portugal at the 2011 Under-20 World Cup final in Colombia.
Spurs, meanwhile, look set to focus their efforts on landing Porto's Joao Moutinho, who has been lined up as a replacement for Luka Modric, should Real Madrid lodge an acceptable bid for the Croatian.

10 stories you need to read

Russian roulette

The Russian Football Union (RFU) has announced its shortlist of candidates as it looks for a successor to national team coach, Dick Advocaat, who stepped down following their exit at Euro 2012.
It’s a stretch to call it a short list as it’s an extensive who’s who of managers, many of whom are out of work, though some are currently in gainful employment. Indeed, there’s a suspicion that the RFU has simply produced a list of all the managers they had heard of who hadn’t already managed Russia. You think I’m joking, well consider the following names:  Rafael Benitez, Pep Guardiola, Fabio Capello,  Marcelo Lippi, Marcelo Bielsa and Harry Redknapp. Yes, you read that right: Harry Redknapp!
Redknapp’s willingness to give up the easy life of Sandbanks must be in some doubt, but when you consider that the RFU is considering paying €6 million a year, I wouldn’t rule it out. At least not until I’d checked out commuting times between Dorset and Moscow..
The full list comprises: Rafael Benitez, Anatoliy Byshovets, Marcelo Bielsa, Valery Gazzaev, Pep Guardiola, Fabio Capello, Andrey Kobelev, Yuri Krasnozhan, Marcelo Lippi, Valery Nepomniaschy, Nikolai Pisarev, Harry Redknapp and Yuri Semin.

Court case latest

Lawyers acting on behalf of John Terry have asked for the the racial abuse case against the former England football captain to be dismissed from court, calling it “weak and tenuous.”
The Chelsea captain is accused of using a racist slur against Queens Park Rangers player Anton Ferdinand during a match between on October 23 last year.
The 31-year-old’s lawyer George Carter-Stephenson applied to judge Howard Riddle to dismiss the case, saying Ferdinand was an unreliable witness.
The case was “so weak and tenuous it does not warrant it going any further,” he said.
Terry has denied the charge and denied the suggestion that he was a racist.
“I have been called a lot of things in my football career, and off the pitch, but being called a racist I am not prepared to take,” Terry told the court.
Defending his character to police, Terry highlighted his work helping to integrate a ”multicultural group of players” at Chelsea and his support for the charity work of black former teammates Marcel Desailly and Didier Drogba.
”My commitment to the projects demonstrates I’m not racist,” Terry told police.
Some of his best friends are black…

Goal of the day

Spain, surprise surprise, are through to the semi finals of the European Under-19 championships. A 2-0 win over Estonia ensured their passage to the past four, with Francisco Alcacer scoring a most uncharacteristically Spanish goal by lashing home from outside the box.

Quote of the day


“We haven’t made Chamakh an offer.

 He earns over three million a year.”

Director Daniele Prade explains why Arsenal’s Marouane Chamakh is not a target for Fiorentina. The Serie A club being priced out of the market for a fringe Premier League player, does indicate the growing gulf in financial clout between the respective leagues.

Amnesty international

A two-match ban given to Real Madrid coach Jose Mourinho for poking Barcelona assistant Tito Vilanova in the eye has been lifted as part of a general amnesty, the Spanish football federation (RFEF) has confirmed.
The ban, applicable only in the Super Cup, was overturned by RFEF president Angel Maria Villar, who traditionally exonerates some players and coaches after re-election.
Presumably, the amnesty applied to high profile managers, who were in charge of big clubs, who had just won the Spanish League and were therefore guaranteed involvement in the Super Cup.
The ruling meant Vilanova’s one-match ban for reacting to Mourinho’s aggression was also lifted. Which is handy as he is now the head coach at Barcelona.
Both can take their place on the bench when the two sides meet next month in the 2012 Super Cup. If nothing else, their presence on the touchline will certainly raise the profile of the curtain-raiser while simultaneously allow both men to renew old hostilities.
Seconds out…

Please don’t go

Thousands of Boca Juniors fans have turned out across Argentina, waving blue and yellow club flags and pleading with midfielder Juan Roman Riquelme to stay with the Buenos Aires club.
The 34-year-old said he had played his last game for the club after losing the Libertadores Cup final to Corinthians. Amid reports the midfielder is considering a move to Brazil, the fans took to the streets to express their dismay.
The largest demonstration included 5,000 at Boca’s La Bombonera in Buenos Aires, where supporters filled the streets and made their way to the stadium. The supporters were eventually let inside the ground and chants of “Riquelme is Boca, Boca is not going!” echoed around the stands.

Don’t bet on it

UEFA says it has warned Arsenal midfielder Jack Wilshere after he posted a Twitter message which suggested he broke betting rules during a Champions League match.
The Arsenal midfielder, who was injured for the entire season, wrote last December that teammate Emanuel Frimpong was worth betting on to score the first goal against Olympiakos.
When Frimpong’s shot narrowly missed early in the game, Wilshere wrote that “Frimmy nearly won me some money there!”
Wilshere, almost certainly at the prompting of his lawyer, later insisted that he had only been joking, tweeting: “I didn’t actually bet on the game. I know we’re not allowed to! I was only messing just to be clear.”
A UEFA spokesman said: “The player has been warned for being in breach of the principles of integrity of matches and competitions.
“The disciplinary measure was a warning.”

Man City get their Mancini

Manchester City manager Roberto Mancini has agreed terms on a new deal that will keep the Italian at Eastlands for another five years.
“Manchester City Football Club today are pleased to announce that a new contract has been agreed with manager Roberto Mancini,” said a club statement.
“The deal, which runs until the summer of 2017, follows the club’s most successful season in more than four decades, which concluded in the most dramatic of circumstances in the team’s thrilling 3-2 win over QPR in May this year.”
The new deal, coming amid reports that Mancini was in Russia’s thoughts as they searched for a new national coach, could be interpreted as a pre-emptive move to deter any further interest from Moscow. It turns out they need not have worried; as mentioned above, just about every manager of working age was on the board they were throwing darts at.
“I am delighted to be able to give all of my efforts to Manchester City for a further five years,” Mancini told City’s official website.
“The opportunity which exists to build on our recent success is enormous. Manchester City is a fantastic football club, from the owner, chairman, board and the executive team, through to the players, staff and fans.
“I am very much looking forward to the challenges and excitement ahead.”
And looking at the almost infinite resources at his disposal, it would be an unusual man who would walk away from such a challenge.

Loan shark

One minute he’s the most expensive British player of all time, the next, he needs a spell on loan to give him a bit of playing time.
Yes, it’s the incredible life of Andy Carroll, £35 million striker, officially England’s Plan B and possibly, under new manager Brendan Rodgers, surplus to requirements at Liverpool.
Asked about the short term prospects for Carroll and whether the striker could be loaned out next season, Rodgers conceded it was a possibility.
“It’s something I would have to look at, I have to be honest,” said the newly-appointed Liverpool boss. .
“Andy’s always going to be linked with clubs, whether he was here or not. He knows exactly where he stands, but I have had no inquiries about him.”
Rodgers said: “There are many things to going on loan. Is it going to be beneficial for the club, that’s the most important thing?
“Sometimes a player going out on loan – in general, not just Andy – can benefit the club in the long term.
“It gets them game experience and they come back a better player, a more confident one. Certainly more so than if they’ve been sitting on the bench for the majority of the season.
“I’m not going to sit here and say I will never let anyone go on loan, then come in here in two weeks and a player’s gone, and you’re saying ‘you said you wouldn’t let them go’.”

Finally…

Mahmud Sarsak, a Palestinian footballer who went on hunger strike for nearly three months while in an Israeli jail, has been freed and returned to the Gaza Strip.
The 25-year-old entered the Palestinian territory in a Red Cross ambulance where he was greeted by hundreds of people, including relatives, who waved Palestinian flags and pictures of other prisoners.
Tens of them surrounded the ambulance chanting “Victory, victory!” and “Freedom for the prisoners!”
Sarsak was taken immediately to Gaza City’s Shifa hospital, where he is expected to undergo tests before returning to his home in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip.
Sarsak went on hunger strike for nearly three months in protest against his detention without charge under Israel’s “unlawful combatants” law.
But on June 18, his lawyer announced that he had reached an agreement with Israel’s prison services to end his hunger strike in exchange for his release on July 10.
Sarsak was arrested in July 2009 as he was on his way from Gaza to sign on with a West Bank football team.
His protest attracted international attention, with world FIFA and Amnesty International expressing concern over his ongoing detention.
Israeli officials called Sarsak an “Islamic Jihad terrorist who planned attacks and bombings,” but never made public any charges or evidence against him.

Nick Sabetti: Impact hope Nesta can cure defensive afflictions

With 35 goals conceded in 19 games, the Montreal Impact is hoping newly signed Italian defender Alessandro Nesta can bring solidity to the team's fragile back line.

It’s only a formality at this point.
Alessandro Nesta will be playing for the Montreal Impact for the remainder of this season and the next.
Club sporting director Nick De Santis confirmed in Thursday's training that Nesta would not be a designated player, though it is expected that the Italian defender will be a DP in 2013.

Inter still want Lucas, says Moratti

Inter president Massimo Moratti has made it clear they still want to sign Sao Paulo midfielder Lucas this summer.
The Serie A side have made the 19-year-old one of their primary targets of the transfer window, but a move still seems far away following his current club’s insistence to hold on to the Brazilian.
“Our dream to sign Lucas? We will keep hoping until the end. I don’t know if it’s a hope or more a target to keep an eye on, though, considering the times we’re in,” Moratti told reporters.
Moratti then went on to discuss the future of Giampaolo Pazzini, who recently hinted at a summer move away from the Nerazzurri.
“He didn’t say he doesn’t want to be part of Inter’s plans any more. I think he expressed doubts over whether he’ll be able to be a part of this project,” Moratti said.
“I think that everyone is perhaps getting a bit ahead of themselves at the moment, maybe caught up in the emotion of finding themselves in certain situations for the first time.
“We’ll see what happens with Pazzini, but I don’t think anything dramatic has happened; there’s just a bit more emotion going around.”
The striker has a contract with Inter that runs until June 2015.

Isaksson leaves PSV for Turkey

Kasimpasa have completed the transfer of Sweden international Andreas Isaksson.
The Turkish club confirmed on their official website that the goalkeeper has signed a contract until the summer of 2015.
Isaksson was available on a free after being released by PSV earlier this summer.
The Istanbul side were desperate to add an experienced goalkeeper to their squad following their promotion to Turkey’s top flight, and have now found their man in Isaksson.
The 30-year-old started his professional career with Trelleborg, and also featured for Juventus, Djurgarden, Stade Rennais and Manchester City before joining PSV in the summer of 2008.
He made 123 Eredivisie appearances for the Eindhoven side, but became surplus to requirements with the arrival of Przemyslaw Tyton.

Donovan picked for record 12th All-Star Game

Landon Donovan was named to the 2012 MLS All-Star First XI, surpassing the league record for most All-Star selections he shared with Eddie Pope.Three defenders -- Steven Beitashour, Aurelien Collin and Jay DeMerit -- and midfielder Graham Zusi are first-time picks in fan voting. The First XI picks are not necessarily included on the game-day roster for the 2012 AT&T MLS All-Star Game against Chelsea July 25 at PPL Park in Chester, Pa. (TV: ESPN2, TeleFutura, 8:30 p.m. ET). MLS All-Star coach Ben Olsen will select the MLS all-star roster based on player availability and tactical considerations.