Four LAFC Players Selected To 2021 MLS All-Star Game Presented By Target

LAFC and Major League Soccer today announced that Eduard Atuesta, Jesús David Murillo, Carlos Vela and Diego Rossi were among the 28 players honored as MLS unveiled the complete roster for the 2021 MLS All-Star Game presented by Target.

The history-making match against the best of LIGA MX will take place on August 25 at 6 p.m. PT at Banc of California Stadium in Los Angeles and will be broadcast live on FS1, Univision, TSN and TVA Sports. Tickets are available at MLSsoccer.com/AllStar21 or by visiting LAFC.com. 

This is the third MLS All-Star selection for Vela, who currently leads LAFC with five goals and four assists this season. The 2019 MLS MVP, Vela is the fastest player to reach 20 goals in a season and is the highest scoring Mexican player in MLS history. The Mexican international owns the MLS single-season scoring record, scoring 34 goals and registering 15 assists in 2019. Vela has scored 64 goals and provided 37 assists for LAFC across all competitions. In his two MLS All-Star Game appearances, Vela captained the side against 2017-18 Serie A champions Juventus and Atletico Madrid in 2019.

Eduard Atuesta is making his first MLS All-Star appearance, although the 24-year-old has been a vitally important member of the Black & Gold since the Club’s inaugural season. Atuesta has scored a goal and registered three assists this season, while continuing to be one of the most dominant central midfielders in MLS.

The Colombian helped LAFC win the 2019 MLS Supporters’ Shield and was a MLS 22 Under 22 selection in 2018 and an MLS Best XI Selection in 2020. 

Jesús David Murillo has been named to his first MLS All-Star Game. Murillo made an instant impact upon joining LAFC from Deportivo Independiente Medellín at the end of 2020. The Colombian defender played a crucial role in leading LAFC to the Concacaf Champions League Final in 2020. Murillo has started 15 of 16 matches for LAFC to start 2021 and has been a key component of a Black & Gold defense that has not allowed more than three goals in a game this season. 

This is Diego Rossi’s second inclusion in an MLS All-Star team after being named an MLS All-Star in 2019. Rossi leads LAFC with five goals in 2021 and has one assist. The 23-year-old scored the first-ever goal in Club history on March 4, 2018 vs. Seattle, and also collected a slew of awards in 2020, becoming the youngest-ever MLS Golden Boot winner as well as earning MLS and MLS is Back Best XI, MLS and MLS is Back Best Young Player, and MLS is Back Golden Boot honors. 

The roster was determined through a combination of fan, player and media voting (13 players), designations by All-Star Head Coach Bob Bradley (13 players) and a pair of selections by MLS Commissioner Don Garber.