LAFC forward Carlos Vela and defender Walker Zimmerman were voted by Major League Soccer fans to the 2019 MLS All-Star Fan XI presented by Target. The MLS All-Stars are set to take on 10-time Spanish champions Atlético Madrid at Orlando City Stadium in Orlando on July 31 in the 2019 MLS All-Star Game presented by Target. The summer showcase will air on FS1, UniMás, TSN and TVA Sports domestically as well as across more than 170 countries globally.
Vela, the 2018 MLS All-Star Game captain, leads the league in goals (16), shots (87), shots on goal (35) and assists (10). Vela was named MLS Player of the Month for the first two months of the season, as well as MLS Player of the Week twice, and to the MLS Team of the Week eight times.
His first ever MLS All-Star selection, Zimmerman currently leads an LAFC backline that ranks second in goals against average (0.81) and second in fewest goals conceded (13). In his seventh season in the league, Zimmerman reached 100 MLS starts on March 17 and 10,000 minutes on May 19.
The 2019 MLS All-Star gameday roster, consisting of 24 players, will be announced at a later date and will include the 2019 MLS All-Star Fan XI presented by Target, two Commissioner’s Picks, and 11 players selected by the All-Star Head Coach. The coach will select the starting 11 from the 24-man MLS All-Star roster.
The July 31st All-Star Game will mark the 16th time that an elite international club has played the MLS All-Stars. Atlético de Madrid become only the second team from La Liga to appear in the event, after Real Madrid played in the 2017 All-Star Game in Chicago. The MLS All-Stars have also faced top clubs from the English Premier League, Italy’s Serie A, Germany's Bundesliga, Mexico's Liga MX and the Scottish Premiership, owning an 8-4-3 record against some of the world’s most decorated clubs.
Established in 1903, Atlético de Madrid is one of most revered and popular clubs in the world. Atlético de Madrid’s 10 La Liga championships rank among the top three in Spain. With 30 trophies won across all competitions, the reigning Europa League champions currently sit second in the La Liga standings.
