2018 MLS All-Star Game presented by Target
MLS All-Stars vs. Juventus
Mercedes-Benz Stadium | Atlanta, Georgia
Wednesday, Aug. 1 | 6:30 p.m. CT | ESPN, UniMas
Sporting Kansas City midfielder Ilie Sanchez and defender Graham Zusi will take center stage Wednesday night in the 2018 MLS All-Star Game presented by Target. Ilie and Zusi have joined an ultra-talented MLS All-Star Team in Atlanta to face Italian powerhouse Juventus at the dazzling Mercedes-Benz Stadium, with kickoff set for 6:30 p.m. CT on ESPN and UniMas.
While Ilie is set to make his first career MLS All-Star Game appearance, Zusi is no stranger to the fixture, having competed in the summer showcase every year from 2012-2015 as well as 2017. The right back's six All-Star selections are the second-most in Kansas City history, only trailing Preki's seven. Ilie and Zusi have shouldered leading roles for Sporting KC in 2018, playing every minute of the regular season for a club seeking to make its eighth consecutive playoff trip.
The Sporting KC duo comprises part of arguably the best and most diverse MLS All-Star squad ever assembled. The 26-man roster includes 10 World Cup veterans and players from 16 different countries, with prolific striker Josef Martinez, diminutive talisman Sebastian Giovinco, lethal finisher Bradley Wright-Phillips and South American playmakers Ignacio Piatti, Diego Valeri and Miguel Almiron among the star-studded ensemble cast.
The MLS All-Stars are set to battle Juventus, the Italian giants who won their seventh consecutive Serie A title and fourth straight Coppa Italia in May. The Turin-based outfit has won more Serie A and Coppa Italia titles than any other club and has reached the UEFA Champions League final in two of the past four years (2015, 2017). The team is led by manager Massimiliano Allegri, who is entering his fifth season at the helm.
Among the big-name players set to feature for Juventus on Wednesday are German midfielder Sami Khedira, Turkish midfielder Emre Can and Italian veterans Giorgio Chiellini and Claudio Marchisio. Renowned superstar Cristiano Ronaldo made a $120 million move to Juventus this summer after winning four UEFA Champions League titles over the last five seasons with Real Madrid, but the Portuguese forward won't play a part in Wednesday's game having just returned from his post-World Cup break.
Ilie, 27, has recorded three goals and three assists in 2018, both MLS career-highs, and ranks eighth in the league with 37 chances created from open play. He has been named to the MLSsoccer.com Team of the Week on three occasions this year. Zusi, 31, has notched two goals and three assists this season, leading MLS defenders with 41 chances created while also ranking second in MLS in touches (1,849).
2018 MLS All-Star Game Roster by Position
GOALKEEPERS: Brad Guzan^ (Atlanta United), Zack Steffen* (Columbus Crew SC)
DEFENDERS: Francisco Calvo* (Minnesota United), Laurent Ciman^ (Los Angeles Football Club), Alphonso Davies# (Vancouver Whitecaps FC), Matt Hedges* (FC Dallas), Aaron Long* (New York Red Bulls), Michael Murillo* (New York Red Bulls), Michael Parkhurst^ (Atlanta United), Graham Zusi^ (Sporting Kansas City)
MIDFIELDERS: Tyler Adams* (New York Red Bulls), Miguel Almirón^ (Atlanta United), Ezequiel Barco^ (Atlanta United), Jonathan dos Santos* (LA Galaxy), Alberth Elis* (Houston Dynamo), Ignacio Piatti* (Montreal Impact), Alexander Ring* (New York City FC), Ilie Sanchez* (Sporting Kansas City), Diego Valeri^ (Portland Timbers), Yoshimar Yotún* (Orlando City SC), Wilfried Zahibo* (New England Revolution)
FORWARDS: Sebastian Giovinco* (Toronto FC), Josef Martínez^ (Atlanta United), Darwin Quintero* (Minnesota United), Carlos Vela^ (Los Angeles Football Club), Bradley Wright-Phillips# (New York Red Bulls)
^ Fan XI selection
* Gerardo “Tata” Martino selection
# Commissioner Don Garber selection
