Trio of Real Salt Lake All-Stars will factor in

SANDY — Dominic Kinnear has 18 players to choose from this Wednesday as he selects which 11 MLS All-Stars will be in the starting lineup at Rio Tinto Stadium.

Among them are Kyle Beckerman, Javier Morales and Will Johnson, all from Real Salt Lake. It's a welcome sight for RSL fans who wondered whether anyone from the local club would even make the squad.

Realistically their inclusion was never in doubt. MLS commissioner Don Garber made that pretty clear last week when he made Beckerman and Morales his two commissioner's picks.

"I think it's always important to have the local team represented particularly when you have two quality guys like Kyle and Morales," said Garber.

Landon Donovan, a nine-time MLS All-Star who figures to feature prominently in Wednesday's match against Everton FC, fully endorsed the commish's picks, particularly Beckerman.

"Very good picks, and very appropriate picks," said Donovan. " Kyle is extremely deserving and I think most guys around the league would tell you he deserves to be there. "

Johnson was later added as an injury replacement, giving a Real Salt Lake team with a losing record (6-7-5) three all-stars. Some are calling the trio's selection home cookin'. If, however, they are all indeed deserving, it raises questions about why a team with three all-star midfielders isn't near the top of the MLS table.

Either way, Real Salt Lake will be well represented in its home stadium when the MLS All-Stars tangle with Everton of the English Premier League, and it's only fitting that Beckerman and Morales make their all-star debuts together.

It's not as if the veteran Beckerman was a stranger in MLS circles, but his pairing and friendship with Morales in Real Salt Lake's midfield has taken his game to new heights.

Commemorative T-shirts celebrating the first MLS All-Star selections for Beckerman and Morales will be available exclusively for Real Salt Lake season ticket holders at Wednesday's game. Interestingly enough it isn't even the first silk screened canvas they've shared. Their bilingual sketch comedy routines were such a hit last year, Real Salt Lake marketed T-shirts showcasing the "Kyle and Javy TV Show."

The premise of the webcasts was Beckerman and Morales interviewing each other about random topics — but with a catch. They couldn't speak their native language. Beckerman had to speak Spanish and Morales had to speak English. The episodes developed a cult following among the MLS community online, but production has slowed this year as Morales' fluency in English has skyrocketed.