Major League Soccer announced today Philadelphia Union defender Jakob Glesnes was added by head coach Wayne Rooney to the roster for the 2023 MLS All-Star Game presented by Target, representing the Union for the second year in a row.
Glesnes joins 26 fellow MLS All-Stars, including teammate Jose Martinez, previously announced on June 29. The MLS All-Stars will face English Premier League side Arsenal FC, in a match up to take place at Audi Field in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday, July 19, 2023 (8:00 p.m. ET / Apple TV).
In his fourth season with the club, Glesnes is named to his second career MLS All-Star Game roster. The 2022 Defender of the Year has started 105 out of 107 regular season matches, scoring five goals and registering five assists in that time. His first goal of the 2023 MLS season came recently in a match against Inter Miami CF at Subaru Park on Saturday, June 24, 2023, scoring a header in the 14th minute to put the Union in the lead. This season, Glesnes leads the team in tackles (23), interceptions (33), accurate long balls (121), and minutes played (1,800). Glesnes has started 93 consecutive games for the Union since October 19, 2020, which is the longest active streak in the league. His streak is the second-longest in MLS history behind Chris Klein, who started in 118 consecutive games. Glesnes has played a pivotal role in the team's defensive performance this season, allowing just 22 goals. As a result, their defense ranked among the top in the league, conceding the fifth fewest goals overall. Glesnes played a crucial part in this success by contributing to the team’s seven clean sheets.
This is the first time the MLS All-Star team will face off against Arsenal FC. The roster was selected through a combination of fan, player, and media voting, designations by All-Star head coach Wayne Rooney, and two selections by MLS Commissioner Don Garber.
The complete list of all-time Union All-Stars is as follows:
2010: Sebastien Le Toux
2011: Faryd Mondragon
2012: Michael Farfan, Carlos Valdes
2013: Jack McInerney
2014: Maurice Edu
2016: Andre Blake, Keegan Rosenberry
2019: Andre Blake
2020: No All-Star Game Held
2021: Andre Blake, Kai Wagner
2022: Andre Blake, Jakob Glesnes, Kai WagnerÂ
2023: Jakob Glesnes, Jose Martinez
