Dwayne De Rosario Named To 2012 MLS All-Star Game Roster

The defending MLS MVP has earned yet another honor. The league announced the first 11 players of the 2012 MLS All-Star Game roster yesterday, and Dwayne De Rosario is on it.

De Rosario is leading the league with 10 assists so far this season while captaining D.C. United to a first place record in the Eastern Conference at the mid-point of the 2012 season. He deserves the honor, and will surely be happy to be joined in Philadelphia on July 25 for the game by his head coach Ben Olsen. Olsen and the rest of his coaching staff will be in charge on the sidelines as Chelsea FC pays a visit to PPL Park.

Olsen will get the chance to fill out the rest of the MLS All-Star Game roster later this week, and he made add another familiar face or two. We'd be shocked if the dynamic Chris Pontius was left off the roster. Pontius has a career-high nine goals so far this year for United, leading the league among midfielders. That's three more than Landon Donovan, by the way, and six more than David Beckham. Donovan will be appearing in his record-breaking 12th straight All-Star Game. Can't fault Donovan and Beckham for being popular in a fan voting system though.

Graham Zusi will be the other midfielder joining Donovan and De Rosario on the roster so far. Thierry Henry and Chris Wondolowski are the forwards named to the roster, with Jimmy Nielsen in goal. The list of defenders somewhat surprisingly includes two players without big names but that definitely deserve the honor in Steven Beitashour and Aurelien Collin. They'll be joined by a pair of former National Team regulars in Jay DeMerit and Heath Pierce.

The balance of the roster will be revealed on July 15.