The people have spoken.
Seattle Sounders midfielder Cristian Roldan will serve as team captain when the MLS All-Stars take on their Liga MX counterparts in the 2021 MLS All-Star Game presented by Target in Los Angeles on August 25 (9 pm ET | FS1, Univision, TUDN).
The captaincy was determined through a Twitter vote, which allowed fans to lobby for Roldan, LAFC star Carlos Vela, LA Galaxy forward Javier "Chicharito" Hernandez and Nashville SC defender Walker Zimmerman.
The #CaptainRoldan hashtag received the greatest volume of usage during the voting period, between both original tweets and retweets that counted toward a player's total. Roldan was officially informed of the honor following Seattle's 1-0 victory at FC Dallas on Wednesday.
Roldan is one of six Seattle players on the MLS All-Star Team, along with teammates Raul Ruidiaz, Joao Paulo, Nouhou, Yeimar Gomez Andrade and his younger brother Alex.
It's the first career All-Star selection for Roldan, who's enjoyed a standout campaign in Seattle's midfield. The 26-year-old was crucial in covering for playmaker Nicolas Lodeiro's lengthy absence earlier this season, while also logging minutes in his customary defensive midfield spot. He has two goals and two assists across his 15 appearances, all of which have been starts.
Roldan has thrived at the international level as well, helping the US men's national team emerge victorious at this summer's Concacaf Gold Cup, dishing out a pair of assists.
In addition to Roldan's captaincy, Ruidiaz will also represent Seattle in the 2021 MLS All-Star Skills Challenge at Banc of California Stadium on August 24 (6 pm PT / 9 pm ET | FS1, TUDN, TSN, TVA Sports). Seattle currently lead the Western Conference with an 11W-3L-6D record and 39 points from 20 matches.
