Two FC Dallas players have been named to the 2022 Major League Soccer All-Star team. Jesus Ferreira and Paul Arriola are among the 26 players selected to compete in “the friendly.”
The MLS All-Star game will be held in Saint Paul, Minnesota, on August 10. The U.S. All-Star team will face off against players from Liga MX, which has yet to release a roster.
Ferreira is the fourth FC Dallas Homegrown Player to make the All-Star roster. His father, David Ferreira, earned a roster spot in 2010, making them the first father-son duo to be named All-Stars. David played for FC Dallas from 2009 to 2012.
Ferreira is in the running for the MLS Golden Boot Award presented by Audi. He has scored 11 goals this season and trails the league leader by only one score.
He scored five goals between Week 4 and Week 6, including his first career hat trick. Ferreira also plays for the U.S. Men’s National Team (USMNT) and has scored seven goals in 12 games. He scored four goals in a match against Grenada on June 20.
His first three goals of the season came in Week 4 against the Portland Timbers. Ferreira scored the hat trick in a total period of less than 10 minutes and added an assist as FC Dallas went on to win 4-1. Ferreira’s assist went to Arriola for his first score of the 2022 season.
Arriola joined FC Dallas in the offseason through a trade with D.C. United. Prior to joining Major League Soccer in 2017, Arriola played for Tijuana in Liga MX, considered the strongest league in North America.
With FC Dallas, Arriola’s production has exploded. Through 18 games played, he set a career record for goals scored with eight, bringing his career total to 32 scores.
The two players have only appeared three times on the field together this season, with FC Dallas winning all three contests.
Both players are also members of the USMNT and have appeared together twice this year, winning both matches. They currently lead FC Dallas in scoring, combining for 19 of the team’s 30 goals this season.
The selection of the 2022 All-Star team members involved the participation of many individuals. Fans, players, and media members selected 12 players via polling on the league’s official website.
All-Star Head Coach Adrian Heath selected another 12 players, while MLS Commissioner Don Garber chose the final two roster spots.
This year’s team represents players from 16 MLS clubs with ties to 10 countries. Of the 26 players, 14 will be making their first All-Star appearance.
The All-Star Game will be broadcast nationally and will be available in 190 countries worldwide. The All-Star team is composed of players from U.S. and Canadian teams.
This year will mark the second consecutive year the All-Star team will face the best players from Liga MX. The U.S.-Candian team won in 2021 with a final tally of 3-2 on penalty kicks after the game ended in a 1-1 tie after regulation.