Midfielder Osvaldo Alonso, the Sounders’ three-time club MVP, was one of 10 players named inactive MLS All-Stars, as voted by players, the league office announced Wednesday. The original 22 were named earlier and game rules mandate a minimum 32 spots. The game against AS Roma is at 6 p.m. Wednesday in Kansas City on ESPN2, which will include Sounders defender DeAndre Yedlin.
At practice Wednesday, Alonso was excited about the third selection his his five-year Seattle career.
“Pretty great,” he told the Tacoma News Tribune. “I hear the news this morning. I’m happy to be on the All-Star team; always good for my career.
“Even if you’re not going to play, being an all-star is good for any player in any sport.”
Sounders coach Sigi Schmid said Alonso’s injury that kept him out of four games probably determined that he would be inactive.
“I think obviously his injury this year and maybe a little bit of missed time on the field maybe hurt him in that final selection,” he said. “This wasn’t a year that he got picked for the squad that plays, but he still got picked as an all-star.”
Alonso, 27, started 12 games this season. In the 2012 All-Star game, he played 56 minutes in a 3-2 win over Chelsea.
Besides Alonso, the other inactives: Donovan Ricketts (Portland Timbers), Tally Hall (Houston Dynamo), Jamison Olave (New York Red Bulls), George John (FC Dallas), Diego Valeri (Portland Timbers), Rodney Wallace (Portland Timbers), Juninho (LA Galaxy), Justin Mapp (Montreal Impact), Javier Morales (Real Salt Lake).
