Sport

Marshall an MLS All-Star favourite

Tyrone Marshall - file

CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, CMC

THE JAMAICA INTERNATIONAL defender Tyrone Marshall, who plays for the Los Angeles Galaxy, is among the fan favourites for selection to the 2005 US Major League Soccer (MLS) All-Star game later this month.

Marshall, a regular for Jamaica's Reggae Boyz in international football, had ­ up to last weekend ­ made the top five list of defenders in the online fan balloting programme that will constitute 25 per cent of the total vote, to pick the team for the July 30 game at the Crew Stadium against the English Premier League club Fulham FC.

Coaches and general managers (25 per cent), players (25 per cent), and the media (25 per cent) combine for the remaining 75 percent of the vote.

A maximum of 10 ballots may be submitted per person per day. Online voting ends July 8.

The 30-year-old 6' 2" Marshall was named an MLS All-Star for the first time in his career in 2003 after seeing extensive playing in a defence that ranked best in the MLS.

Marshall's Los Angeles teammate Landon Donovan is by far the leading vote-getter in MLSnet.com's on line fan balloting for the game.

Donovan appeared on slightly more than 40 per cent of all ballots cast. He is currently outpacing his closest rival, the New England Revolution's Clint Dempsey (28 per cent).

Real Salt Lake's Eddie Pope (27.8 per cent), the leading defender at the moment, is just a handful of votes behind Dempsey, while FC Dallas forward Eddie Johnson (24.5 per cent) and D.C. United midfielder Freddy Adu (23.5 per cent) round out the top five.

Marshall has 9.92 per cent support and the other defenders leading the balloting apart from Pope, are Chris Albright (13.78), Frankie Hejduk (12.19), and Mike Petke (10.72).