FC Cincinnati midfielder Luciano Acosta, wingback Álvaro Barreal and defender Matt Miazga were among the 26 players honored today as Major League Soccer unveiled the complete roster for the 2023 MLS All-Star Game.
Join FCC at Rhinegeist on July 19 at 7:30 p.m. to cheer on Luciano Acosta, Álvaro Barreal and Matt Miazga in the 2023 MLS All-Star Game as the league's best take on Premier League side Aresnal. The first 100 fans (21+) will receive a free beer on Gary!
The 2023 MLS All-Star Game presented by Target will be played on Wednesday, July 19, and feature the MLS All-Stars taking on English Premier League side Arsenal FC at Audi Field, home of D.C. United. The roster was selected through a combination of fan, player and media voting (12 players), designations by All-Star head coach Wayne Rooney of host club D.C. United (12 players), and a pair of selections by MLS Commissioner Don Garber.
Acosta, Barreal and Miazga were each among the 12 players voted to the roster by the fan, player and media selection. FC Cincinnati’s three selections to the All-Star roster lead all MLS clubs.
Acosta’s recognition is his second-career MLS All-Star nod, when last season the Argentine – alongside Brandon Vazquez – became one of the first two players in FC Cincinnati history to be named to the All-Star roster. Acosta has scored nine goals and added four assists in 18 regular season appearances for the Orange and Blue this season.
The 29-year-old attacking midfielder has scored eight goals since May, second-most in MLS over that span behind only Nashville SC forward Hany Mukhtar (10). Acosta’s four-game goal streak from May 31 to June 21 was tied for the longest in club history, and with a goal against Toronto FC on June 21, he became the eighth active player in MLS to reach 50 career goals and 50 career assists.
Barreal has earned a spot on the MLS All-Star roster for the first time in his young career. The 22-year-old is the only field player to have started all 19 games for the Supporters’ Shield leaders this season.
The Argentine has scored three goals, all game-winners, and added eight assists across all competitions this season. His goal against Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC on June 6 in the U.S. Open Cup Quarterfinals featured as the No. 1 play on ESPN’s SportsCenter Top 10. Barreal’s full volley off a corner kick from outside the box nailed the top left corner of the net in a superb 71st minute strike.
Miazga’s naming to the MLS All-Star roster is the first of his distinguished career. The 27-year-old, alongside Barreal, has been a vital part of a backline which has recorded the second-most clean sheets (9) and has allowed the fourth-fewest goals in MLS this year (19).
Prior to joining the United States Men’s National Team for the Concacaf Gold Cup, Miazga had started and played every minute of regular season play for FC Cincinnati this season, and he had started every game since his debut with the club on August 13, 2022. Miazga, away with the USMNT currently for the Gold Cup, started the Group A opener for the Stars and Stripes in the 1-1 draw against Jamaica on Saturday.
The 2023 MLS All-Star Game, and the MLS All-Star Skills Challenge on Tuesday, July 18, will broadcast on MLS Season Pass on the Apple TV app.
Overall, 18 clubs are represented on this year’s All-Star Game roster. The full roster is listed below.
The 2023 MLS All-Star roster by position and selection mechanism:
GOALKEEPERS (3): Roman Bürki (St. Louis CITY SC / Voted In), Tyler Miller (D.C. United / Coach’s Selection), Djordje Petrović (New England Revolution / Coach’s Selection)
DEFENDERS (7): Álvaro Barreal (FC Cincinnati / Voted In), Jon Gallagher (Austin FC / Voted In), Ryan Hollingshead (LAFC / Coach’s Selection), Matt Miazga (FC Cincinnati / Voted In), Tim Parker (St. Louis CITY SC / Coach’s Selection), John Tolkin (New York Red Bulls / Coach’s Selection), Walker Zimmerman (Nashville SC / Voted In)
MIDFIELDERS (9): Luciano Acosta (FC Cincinnati / Voted In), Thiago Almada (Atlanta United / Voted In), Mathieu Choinière (CF Montréal / Commissioner’s Selection), Héctor Herrera (Houston Dynamo FC / Coach’s Selection), José Martínez (Philadelphia Union / Coach’s Selection), Aidan Morris (Columbus Crew / Voted In), Hany Mukhtar (Nashville SC / Voted In), Riqui Puig (LA Galaxy / Coach’s Selection), Lucas Zelarayán (Columbus Crew / Coach’s Selection)
FORWARDS / WINGERS (7): Christian Benteke (D.C. United / Coach’s Selection), Dénis Bouanga (LAFC / Voted In), Cristian Espinoza (San Jose Earthquakes / Coach’s Selection), Jesús Ferreira (FC Dallas / Voted In), Giorgos Giakoumakis (Atlanta United / Coach’s Selection), Kei Kamara (Chicago Fire FC / Commissioner’s Selection), Jordan Morris (Seattle Sounders FC / Voted In)
For up-to-the-minute information about FC Cincinnati, visit the team’s official website at fccincinnati.com, or follow the team on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook at @FCCincinnati. Additionally, fans are encouraged to download the team’s new official mobile app on iOS or Android for instant access to mobile tickets, team content and match notifications.
