Bayern Munich to play MLS stars headed by Defoe and Cahill

Jermain Defoe and Tim Cahill, as well as the likes of Robbie Keane and Bradley Wright-Phillips, will headline the MLS All-Star squad that will play Bayern Munich in a friendly on August 6.

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English standouts Jermain Defoe and Bradley Wright-Phillips, Australian Tim Cahill and Ireland’s Robbie Keane were among those named Saturday to the Major League Soccer All-Stars who will play Bayern Munich.

The US league announced a 23-player roster that will be drawn upon when the elite MLS lineup faces the reigning Bundesliga champions and 2013 Champions League winners on August 6 at Portland, Oregon.

Wright-Phillips, a striker for the New York Red Bulls, leads MLS with 16 goals in 18 matches while Defoe has 11 goals for Toronto FC in his first MLS season after leaving Tottenham Hotspur.

Cahill, a Red Bulls midfielder, netted two World Cup goals last month for the Socceroos while Keane, the Irish captain and all-time scoring leader with 53 goals, has 43 goals in three MLS seasons for the LA Galaxy.

France boasts two MLS All-Stars in Red Bulls forward Thierry Henry and 2012 MLS Defender of the Year Aurelien Collin for reigning MLS champions Sporting Kansas City.

Other internationals on the roster included Cuban midfielder Osvaldo Alonso and Nigerian forward Obafemi Martins of Seattle, Canadian midfielder Will Johnson and Argentine midfielder Diego Valeri of Portland and Mexican forward Erick Torres of Chivas USA.

Clint Dempsey of Seattle and Landon Donovan of the Galaxy lead the Americans in the MLS lineup, which also includes US World Cup midfielder Michael Bradley of Toronto, Galaxy defender Omar Gonzalez, Seattle defender DeAndre Yedlin, Kansas City midfielder Graham Zusi and Real Salt Lake midfielder Kyle Beckerman.

Bayern Munich will play Mexican giants Chivas Guadalajara as part of their North American tour, as well. The club haven’t announced who will play in either match, though newcomers like Robert Lewandowski and Juan Bernat, as well as the healed Franck Ribery, have participated in early pre-season training sessions. Bayern’s heavy contingent of German national team members are still on break following their 2014 World Cup victory.

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