Putting the Dos in Cinco Uno Dos: Nico Estévez selects two Austin FC players for 2025 MLS All-Star Game

Finally, Brad Stuver gets his lifetime achievement All-Star selection ... and he's going into the squad with a teammate who's been there before.

Brandon Vázquez, who made the team in 2022 as a replacement selection, joined Stuver as part of Austin FC head coach Nico Estévez's allotment of 12 players. In all, 26 players made the 2025 squad, who will play the Liga MX All-Stars at Q2 Stadium on Wednesday, July 23.

Former Austin FC player Sebastian Berhalter, guy-you've-heard-of Lionel Messi, and Austin FC nemesis Denis Bouanga are among the 12 players voted in by a combination of fans, players, and media.

Two players, including current top-choice USMNT striker Patrick Agyemang and El Tri/San Diego FC standout Hirving ‘Chucky’ Lozano, were selected by MLS Commissioner Don Garber.

Here's the full roster:

GOALKEEPERS (3)

• Dayne St. Clair (Minnesota United FC / Voted In)
• Brad Stuver (Austin FC / Coach’s Selection)
• Yohei Takaoka (Vancouver Whitecaps FC / Coach’s Selection)

DEFENDERS (8)

• Jordi Alba (Inter Miami CF / Voted In)
• Max Arfsten (Columbus Crew / Coach’s Selection)
• Tristan Blackmon (Vancouver Whitecaps FC / Voted In)
• Michael Boxall (Minnesota United FC / Voted In)
• Alex Freeman (Orlando City SC / Voted In)
• Jakob Glesnes (Philadelphia Union / Coach’s Selection)
• Andy Najar (Nashville SC / Coach’s Selection)
• Miles Robinson (FC Cincinnati / Coach’s Selection)

MIDFIELDERS (6)

• Sebastian Berhalter (Vancouver Whitecaps FC / Voted In)
• David Da Costa (Portland Timbers / Coach’s Selection)
• Evander (FC Cincinnati / Voted In)
• Diego Luna (Real Salt Lake / Voted In)
• Jeppe Tverskov (San Diego FC / Coach’s Selection)
• Philip Zinckernagel (Chicago Fire FC / Coach’s Selection)

FORWARDS / WINGERS (9)

• Patrick Agyemang (Charlotte FC / Commissioner’s Pick)
• Tai Baribo (Philadelphia Union / Voted In)
• Denis Bouanga (LAFC / Voted In)
• Anders Dreyer (San Diego FC / Coach’s Selection)
• Hirving ‘Chucky’ Lozano (San Diego FC / Commissioner’s Pick)
• Lionel Messi (Inter Miami CF / Voted In)
• Diego Rossi (Columbus Crew / Coach’s Selection)
• Brandon Vázquez (Austin FC / Coach’s Selection)
• Brian White (Vancouver Whitecaps FC / Voted In)

The Stuver and Vázquez selections may raise eyebrows outside of Austin, though Stuver has been regarded as one of the league's best and most and consistent goalkeepers since winning the starting spot in Verde's inaugural season.

The Vázquez selection, like the Lozano selection, builds on a Liga MX-to-MLS narrative that adds a layer to the rivalry match between the two neighboring North American leagues. With Vázquez's goal against the Red Bulls in his most recent match, he joined Lozano in reaching the five-goal tier in 2025 league play.[[1]]

Here are some fun facts the league provided in its press release worth inclusion:

• Sitting atop the Western Conference, Vancouver Whitecaps FC leads the league with four selections to the MLS All-Star Game: midfielder Sebastian Berhalter, defender Tristan Blackmon, goalkeeper Yohei Takaoka, and forward Brian White. All four players are making their MLS All-Star Game debuts.
• Fifteen players are represented on MLS All-Star are first-time representatives: goalkeepers Brad Stuver and Yohei Takaoka, defenders Tristan Blackmon, Michael Boxall, Alex Freeman, and Andy Najar, midfielders Sebastian Berhalter, David Da Costa, Jeppe Tverskov, and Philip Zinckernagel, and forwards Patrick Agyemang, Tai Baribo, Anders Dreyer, Hirving ‘Chucky’ Lozano, and Brian White.
• Expansion side San Diego FC is represented by three players on the roster: Anders Dreyer, Hirving ‘Chucky’ Lozano, and Jeppe Tverskov. The three players are the most by an expansion team since Atlanta United in 2017 (Miguel Almirón, Greg Garza, Michael Parkhurst).
• Of the 26 players on the roster, Columbus Crew forward Diego Rossi has the most career All-Star selections with four (2019, 2021, 2024-25), while LAFC’s Denis Bouanga (2023-25), Philadelphia Union’s Jakob Glesnes (2022-23, 2025), and FC Cincinnati’s Miles Robinson (2021, 2024-25) have three selections each.
• Sixteen different countries (by place of birth) are represented on the roster, led by the United States with nine players and Denmark with three – Anders Dreyer, Jeppe Tverskov, and Philip Zinckernagel. Countries with at least one representative include Argentina (one), Brazil (one), Canada (one), Denmark (three), England (one), France (one), Honduras (one), Israel (one), Japan (one), Mexico (one, New Zealand (one), Norway (one), Portugal (one), Spain (one), United States (nine), and Uruguay (one). 
• The roster features six players aged 24 years old or younger, including Alex Freeman (20 years old), Diego Luna (21), Patrick Agyemang (24), Max Arfsten (24), Sebastian Berhalter (24), and David Da Costa (24). A pair of Inter Miami stars represent the oldest players on the roster in Lionel Messi (38 years old) and Jordi Alba (36).
• Two players on the MLS All-Star roster – Brandon Vázquez (Austin FC) and Hirving ‘Chucky’ Lozano (San Diego FC – have previously played in LIGA MX. Vázquez appeared in 49 matches for LIGA MX powerhouse CF Monterrey in 2024, scoring 14 goals. Lozano began his professional career with Pachuca, where he made 149 appearances and scored 43 goals and 31 assists during his time at the club (2014-17). Lozano led Pachuca to the Liga MX title in the 2016 Torneo Clausura and the 2016-17 Concacaf Champions League championship campaign.

If you're looking for additional Austin FC players to get representation for All-Star Week, the league has projected early July for selecting contestants for the All-Star Skills Challenge, which takes place Tuesday, July 22. As Emergency Podcast listeners know, we're rooting for Osman Bukari to get a platform to showcase his speed and his dribbling ability.

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[[1]]: Yes, we know many more MLS players have more than five goals at this stage of the season.