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Ignacio Alem and Graham Jones Selected as MLS NEXT All-Stars while Academy Director Pat Ouckama named coach of the East Team

2023_MLSNextAll-StarGameRoster-Web-All-2560x1440

NEW YORK (Thursday, June 29, 2023) – MLS NEXT today announced the rosters, details, and broadcast information for the second annual MLS NEXT All-Star Game presented by Allstate. The game will provide a world-class experience for North America’s rising stars to showcase their talents in an East vs. West format at the Naval Academy’s Glenn Warner Soccer Facility in Annapolis, Md. on Wednesday, July 19 at 10:30 a.m. ET. Ignacio Alem and Graham Jones from the Black-and-Red academy have been selected as MLS NEXT All-Stars  while D.C. United Academy Director Pat Ouckama will coach the East team. 

MLS NEXT and Allstate will provide the selected players with a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity during MLS All-Star Week, which will include a full slate of evening programming events and activities in advance of the match. The players will be fully integrated into MLS All-Star Week festivities, which include team training, the All-Star Skills Challenge presented by AT&T 5G on July 18 and the MLS All-Star Game on July 19. Each MLS NEXT All-Star team will also conduct their own training sessions leading up to their match on Wednesday morning.

“The MLS NEXT All-Star Game has proven to be the premier showcase for the top youth soccer players in North America,” said MLS NEXT General Manager Justin Bokmeyer. “Each of these talented athletes have earned this opportunity through their tremendous performances this season and we are excited for them to experience a memorable week in Washington, D.C.”

Among the players who were selected to the inaugural game in 2022, 24 of those have gone on to sign professional contracts, including nine as Homegrown players. Notable standout players who have made an impact in MLS include New England’s Esmir Bajraktarevic and Jack Panayotou, along with Inter Miami CF’s Benjamin Cremaschi. Orlando City SC’s Favian Loyola, who was named the Player of the Game last year, has been a key performer in MLS NEXT Pro, scoring seven goals over the past two seasons.

“Our MLS NEXT All-Star Game is about giving players opportunity and we’re excited this year’s game will keep positively impacting the next generation players,” said Dan Keats, director of consumer marketing at Allstate. “Continuing this partnership means we can stay committed to our goal of preserving, protecting and growing the future of soccer in America.” 

The 44 players were selected by MLS NEXT personnel following the conclusion of the 2023 MLS NEXT Cup Playoffs and Showcase. To be eligible for selection, players must have been born between 2005-2007, have competed in the MLS NEXT regular season, and played in at least one of the MLS NEXT premier events this season – MLS NEXT Fest, MLS NEXT Flex, Generation adidas Cup, or the MLS NEXT Cup Playoffs and Showcase.

MLS NEXT All-Star Game presented by Allstate Rosters

East

West

Player

Team

Birth Year

Player

Team

Birth Year

Nathaniel Abraham

Toronto FC 

2007

Jeevan Badwal

Vancouver Whitecaps FC

2006

Ignacio Alem

D.C. United 

2006

Nati Clarke

Sporting Kansas City

2005

Davi Alexandre

New York Red Bulls 

2007

Julian Eyestone

FC Dallas

2006

Gaël De Montigny

CF Montréal 

2006

Caden Glover

St. Louis CITY SC 

2007

Charlie DeMarco

BW Gottschee

2005

Zavier Gozo

Real Salt Lake 

2007

Olger Escobar

New England Revolution 

2006

Stuart Hawkins

Seattle Sounders FC

2006

Caden Grabfelder

FC DELCO

2005

Sawyer Jura

Portland Timbers 

2006

Taha Habroune

Columbus Crew 

2006

Tate Lampman

Houston Dynamo FC

2006

Tyler Hall

Inter Miami CF

2006

Grant Lund

Real Colorado

2006

Stiven Jimenez

FC Cincinnati 

2007

Edwyn Mendoza

San Jose Earthquakes 

2006

Graham Jones

D.C. United 

2006

Harbor Miller

LA Galaxy

2007

Shawn Lanza

Atlanta United 

2006

Ajani Nixon

LAFC 

2006

Ryder Mills

FC Cincinnati 

2005

Moises Prado

Total Futbol Academy

2006

Michael Nesci

Chicago Fire FC

2005

Kage Romanshyn

Minnesota United FC

2005

James Nyandjo

Charlotte FC 

2007

Andre Romo

Colorado Rapids 

2006

Neil Pierre

Philadelphia Union 

2007

Paulo Rudisill

LA Galaxy

2006

Tahir Reid-Brown

Orlando City SC 

2006

Maxim Scordo

Strikers FC

2007

Rocket Ritarita

Atlanta United 

2007

Mohammed Shour

Seattle Sounders FC

2007

Jonathan Shore

New York City FC

2007

Ervin Torres

Austin FC 

2007

Adem Sipić

Nashville SC 

2006

Oscar Verhoeven

San Jose Earthquakes 

2006

Lazar Stefanovic

Toronto FC 

2006

Jude Wellings

Real Salt Lake 

2006

TBA

TBA

TBA

Adrian Wibowo

LAFC 

2006

The two teams will compete in an East vs. West format at the Naval Academy’s Glenn Warner Soccer Facility in Annapolis, Md. on the day of the MLS All-Star Game, Wednesday, July 19. All 29 MLS academies had at least one player selected to the roster, and nine clubs had multiple selections. Five non-MLS academies will also be represented in Annapolis: BW Gottschee, FC DELCO, Real Colorado, Strikers FC, Total Futbol Academy.

MLS NEXT personnel also advised on the selection of the coaching staff for both East and West teams. The head coach of the East team will be D.C. United academy director Patrick Ouckama. Ouckama has been with D.C.’s academy since 2021 and has over a decade of coaching experience in MLS, college, and at the youth club level. Under Ouckama’s stewardship, D.C. United won the U-16 MLS NEXT Cup title in 2022. The assistant coach will be MLS Great and Atlanta United U-16 head coach Kevin Kratz, who led the Five Stripes to this season’s U-16 MLS NEXT Cup championship.

The West squad head coach will be former U.S. Men’s National Team defender and current St. Louis CITY SC U-15 head coach Anthony Wallace. As a coach, Wallace previously spent time with various teams in Washington including Hawks SC, Eastern Washington Surf SC, and Washington State University Women’s Soccer. Wallace had an 11-year professional career and saw MLS action for FC Dallas, the Colorado Rapids, and the New York Red Bulls. Strikers FC head coach Willie Diaz will serve as assistant coach for the West squad, after leading the U-16 side to the final of MLS NEXT Cup in each of the last two seasons. Diaz has over a decade of collegiate and youth club coaching experience in his career.

The match will be streamed live from MLS NEXT’s (@mlsnext) TikTok account with multiple access points in the app. Admission to the MLS NEXT All-Star Game presented by Allstate at the Glenn Warner Soccer Facility is free of cost. Fans are highly encouraged to park at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium and ride the free shuttle bus to and from the game due to security restrictions. Pedestrians can enter through the Naval Academy Visitors Center where they must go through security and present a valid U.S. ID.

About MLS NEXT

MLS NEXT is a new paradigm for player development, launched in 2020 to transform youth soccer in North America. Founded on a collaborative approach to governance and a commitment to innovation, MLS NEXT players have access to the highest level of competition, training and personal development opportunities that will prepare them for their futures, both in soccer and in life. Membership for the 2022-23 season includes 137 clubs, 628 teams and over 13,000 players across the U.S. and Canada. Official partners of MLS NEXT include adidas, Allstate, and DoorDash. For more information about MLS NEXT, visit www.mlssoccer.com/mlsnext.

About Allstate

The Allstate Corporation (NYSE: ALL) protects people from life’s uncertainties with a wide array of protection for autos, homes, electronic devices and identity theft. Products are available through a broad distribution network including Allstate agents, independent agents, major retailers, online and at the workplace. Allstate is widely known for the slogan “You’re in Good Hands with Allstate.” For more information, visit www.allstate.com.