The Pitch: Voting Open for the 2024 MLS All-Star Game Presented by Target

Voting is open for the 2024 MLS All-Star Game presented by Target, which will feature the league’s best facing off against Liga MX All-Stars at Columbus Crew’s Lower.com Field on Wednesday, July 24.

Media, players, and fans can vote for 12 of the 26 MLS players selected to play in this year’s All-Star Game, with each of those three groups accounting for a third of the total. An additional 12 players will be selected by Wilfried Nancy, Columbus Crew and 2024 MLS All-Star head coach. The final two spots will be chosen by MLS Commissioner Don Garber.

Twenty-five players are currently in Kansas City as the U.S. begins their preparations for the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris and MLS is well-represented on the roster. Twenty-four of the 25 players have played in MLS or spent time in an MLS academy, showcasing the league’s impact on the development of young U.S. players. Not only is it MLS, but eight different players have seen action in MLS NEXT Pro, including Columbus Crew goalkeeper Patrick Schulte, who was the MLS Next Pro Goalkeeper of the Year in 2022.

Among the call-ups was Nashville SC’s Walker Zimmerman, who is the first overage player to be selected to a camp in the run-up to the Olympics. Zimmerman has earned 42 senior international caps and has the chance to become one of the key leaders on the Olympic team in France. The oldest player on the roster, Zimmerman is also joined by the two youngest players on team from MLS Inter Miami’s Benjamin Cremaschi (19) and New England’s Esmir Bajraktarevic (19). After returning from an injury, LA Galaxy defender Jalen Neal is back with the national team and could accompany Zimmerman on the backline in Paris.

With final roster spots for the U.S. Men’s Soccer Olympics Team on the line, these 25 players will look to use Tuesday’s match on June 11 in Kansas City against Japan to make their final case to be part of this team’s return to the Summer Olympics for the first time since 2008.

Earlier today, Major League Soccer released information on its 2024 roster composition, which features the most geographically diverse and youngest player pool of any top men’s professional sports league across North America. Below is a by the numbers look at the MLS player pool, as of May 9, 2024.

17: Among cities in the United States and Canada, Toronto leads the way with 17 players born in its city limits, followed by New York City with 11 and Seattle with six.

26.13:…